blast from the past

Bush, 2000: "As president, should I become the president, I will rebuild the military power of the United States of America,´´ Bush told the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Milwaukee. ~ "The current administration inherited a military ready for the dangers and challenges facing our nation. The next president will inherit a military in decline,´´ Bush said. "The best intentions and the highest morale are undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment and rapidly declining readiness.´´