Cheney Hits Gore on Defense

Aug. 30, 2000 -- Republican vice-presidential candidate Dick Cheney is continuing to attack the Clinton administration for “running down the military” and insists Al Gore won’t reverse the trend if he becomes commander in chief.

The former defense secretary today criticized the Clinton-Gore White House in harsh terms for presiding over an “overused and under-resourced” military.

Cheney described the Democrats’ record on defense as “Eight years of neglect and misplaced priorities. Eight years of multiplying missions and unclear goals.”

“Eight years is a long time,” he added. “And eight years is long enough.”

Responding to the vice president’s assertion that Bush is “trying to run down the military” and exaggerating readiness problems for political advantage. Cheney told the Southern Center for International Studies in Atlanta, “He has made a poor choice of words.”

“When you triple our commitments around the world, while at the same time taking the Army from 14 divisions down to 10,” he continued, “that, Mr. Gore, is ‘running down the military.’”

He and Texas Gov. George W. Bush have been escalating their campaign trail rhetoric over what they claim are serious deficiencies in military preparedness, arguing that the armed forces are plagued by equipment shortages and low morale. Cheney made clear, however, that their criticisms are not aimed at military personnel.

“To point out that our military has been overextended, taken for granted and neglected — that is no criticism of the military,” Cheney also said. “That is a criticism of a president and a vice president and the record they have built together.”

‘Help Is On the Way!’

Bush has pledged to boost defense spending, including a $1 billion increase in the military payroll, and review all overseas deployments, including peace keeping operations in the Balkans.

“I do not presume to speak for the military, but I am now speaking to them,” Cheney said. “To all of our men and women in uniform, and to their parents and families: Help is on the way!”

But Gore says no help is needed, contending that the armed forces are as strong as they have ever been.

“By twisting facts about our military for partisan gain, Governor Bush has demonstrated that he is not ready to be America’s commander in chief,” said Gore spokesman Douglas Hattaway. “Our military is the strongest, most capable, most ready fighting force in the world.”

Cheney also countered Gore’s charge that his and Bush’s talk of a “military in decline” is sending the “wrong message” to America’s enemies abroad.

“There seems to be some confusion here,” Cheney said. “Maybe I can clear it up for Mr. Gore.”

“If our potential adversaries have received any ‘wrong messages,’ recently, it was … from the nuclear lab at Los Alamos,” he said, tweaking Gore for a recent scandal involving security breaches at the top secret nuclear weapons lab.

Playing to Cheney’s Strength

Cheney has come under increasing criticism for recent rhetorical gaffes and missteps on the campaign trail. But the Bush camp is playing to his strengths by having him talk on national defense, a key area of expertise.

As one of the architects of Operation Desert Storm, the U.S.-led effort to repel the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Cheney has credibility on military issues and is not vulnerable to the criticism that he is inexperienced — a charge the Gore campaign has leveled at the man at the top of the ticket.

As the rhetorical sparring over the military’s state of preparedness continues, Pentagon officials are growing increasingly sensitive on the issue, not wanting to be drawn into a political debate. Nevertheless, Cheney signalled today that he and Bush have no intention of dropping the issue.

“The needs of our nation’s defense and the needs of our defenders are not merely relevant in a national campaign,” he said. “They must be front and center.”

ABCNEWS’ Eileen McMenamin contributed to this report.