Dear Mr. Obama...thanxs

[pixsguy]

youve done more for the vets than mccain ever has...

* February 15, 2005: Obama critiques Bush for providing a veterans budget funding that is $4 billion short
* March 26, 2005: Obama introduces a bill to add $2.85 billion to VA health care, but the bill was defeated (<–probably by people who usually put their hands over their hearts instead of singing for the national anthem)
* April 14, 2005: Obama gives Senate floor speech about wounded veterans who were paying for their own meals and phone service while recovering
* May 12, 2005: Senate passes Obama amendment ensuring that wounded veterans recovering in military hospitals would not have to pay for their own meals.
* May 23, 2005: Obama, Durbin, and Nichols hold a Veterans Town Hall meeting to hear veterans’ concerns
* June 14, 2005: Obama, Durbin introduce bill to prevent Iraq War widow from being sent back to Kosovo
* June 23, 2005: Obama releases statement of concern about the $1 billion shortfall in the budget for veterans’ care
* June 28, 2005: Obama pushes for emergency funding for veteran health care in light of the fact that Congress found billions to give people tax cuts.
* June 30, 2005: Obama praises Senate decision to provide $1.5 billion for VA health care
* July 15, 2005: Obama gives major speech at the American Legion on caring for America’s veterans
* July 21, 2005: Obama votes to add additional funding for armor military vehicles
* August 10, 2005: Obama criticizes VA decision not to review cases of veterans who were denied claims for post-traumatic stress disorder
* September 23, 2005: Senate passes Obama, Durbin legislation requiring VA to inform veterans in states who had received below-average disability compensation
* September 23, 2005: Obama, Durbin amendment ensures that veterans whose PTSD cases were reviewed would not get their benefits reduced or revoked.
* October 3, 2006: Military Update highlights Obama’s efforts on reviews of PTSD cases
* November 10, 2005: Obama releases statement about the VA suspending their review of PTSD cases.
* November 16, 2005: Obama passes amendments to protect troops from Avian flu and to improve their health care
* November 18, 2005: Obama, Durbin legislation requiring individuals to be informed about lower than average disability compensation in their states moves toward being signed into law
* December 16, 2005: Kerry, Pryor, Obama provision to help troops save thousands on their taxes passes Senate
* January 25, 2006: Obama decries the fact that thousands of veterans were denied VA care in 2005
* January 27, 2006: Obama and others demand answers from VA for rude service and incorrect answers at their call center
* February 2, 2006: Obama addresses low job placement rates for veterans
* February 16, 2006: Obama criticizes “accounting gimmicks” in Bush’s proposed VA budget, the increase in veterans’ health care and co-payment fees, the ban on middle-income veterans, the cut in claims benefits processing staff, no increased funding for nursing home construction, and cuts for medical and prosthetics research.
* March 16, 2006: Senate approves Obama bill providing $40 million for homeless veterans and veterans’ employment
* May 8, 2006: VA acts on Obama, Durbin legislation to inform veterans who have received below average disability benefits
* May 17, 2006: Obama helps a veteran get $12,500 in back benefit pay.
* May 22, 2006: Obama calls the theft of 26.5 million VA records “unconscionable”
* May 23, 2006: Obama, Durbin asks VA to provide credit monitoring services to veterans whose records had been stolen
* June 7, 2006: Obama introduces bill to keep homeless veterans off the street
* June 22, 2006: Obama bill to get homeless veterans off the street passes Senate Veterans Affairs committee
* November 30, 2006: Obama releases statement expressing encouragement by Iraq Study Group’s call for redeploying U.S. forces
* February 20, 2007: Obama, McCaskill plan to introduce legislation that would improve care at active duty military hospitals
* February 27, 2007: Obama releases statement on troops being deployed to Iraq without proper training
* March 1, 2007: Obama, McCaskill officially introduce the Dignity for Wounded Heroes Act
* March 1, 2007: The Army Times highlights the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act introduced by Obama and McCaskill
* March 13, 2007: Obama, Durbin ask VA for info about most recent disparities in disability benefits and about whether they are prepared for the increasing number of new veterans
* March 27, 2007: Other Senators join Obama and McCaskill’s Dignity for Wounded Heroes Act
* March 29, 2007: Obama commemorates sacrifice of the Tuskeegee Airmen
* March 29, 2007: Senate Republicans reject provisions in the Dignity for Wounded Heroes Act introduced by Obama and McCaskill that would have provided funding for caseworkers, mental health care counselors, a women’s mental health treatment program, and a study of mental health care for returning soldiers
* March 30, 2007: Obama calls on Bush to support care for returning soldiers by supporting the Dignity for Wounded Heroes Act
* April 10, 2007: Obama and other senators introduce a bill to provide housing for homeless veterans
* April 12, 2007: Obama raises concerns about Bush’s nominee for Veteran’s Affairs
* April 19, 2007: Obama and other senators ask GAO to study military’s mental health care
* April 19, 2007: The Army Times examines soldiers being discharged for PTSD and the efforts of Obama and other senators to address it
* May 2, 2007: Obama, McCaskill introduce the Homecoming Enhancement Research Oversight (HERO) Act that would evaluate the physical, mental health, and readjustment needs of service members returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
* May 8, 2007: Obama asks President to ensure that the National Guard has the resources it needs to respond to national emergencies
* May 10, 2007: Obama, other senators introduce bill to update treatment of traumatic brain injury for military servicemembers
* May 10, 2007: The AP highlights the National Guard’s readiness and Obama’s efforts to address it
* May 22, 2007: Obama, other senators express concern about mental health care services for soldiers at Fort Carson
* May 23, 2007: Obama, Domenici introduce bill to expand mental health care access for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan
* May 28, 2007: The Washington Post writes an editorial highlighting the need for Obama’s legislation to improve veterans’ mental health care
* June 14, 2007: A comprehensive Senate bill to improve health care for service members incorporates proposals from Obama and McCaskill’s Dignity for Wounded Heroes Act.
* June 21, 2007: Obama and other senators demand review of personality disorder discharges for soldiers
* June 21, 2007: Obama and other senators introduce bill to improve VA services for blind veterans
* June 27, 2007: Several Obama proposals are incorporated into a Senate bill to improve veteran’s health care and benefits including a VA Hospital Quality Report card and extended mental health coverage for veterans and increased outreach to the National Guard and the Reserve
* July 12, 2007: Obama and other senators plan to introduce legislation to temporarily cease military personality disorder discharges
* July 17, 2007: Obama releases statement on resignation of VA secretary with whom he had to fight to get veterans their benefits
* July 19, 2007: Obama introduces legislation to impose a moratorium on military personality disorder discharges until the procedure is reviewed
* July 25, 2007: Obama, McCaskill applaud passage of Wounded Warrior legislation
* July 26, 2006: Obama and other senators introduce legislation to provide an employment safety net for families of wounded service members
* August 2, 2007: Obama and other senators introduce “Patriot Employers Act” legislation to reward companies that invest in jobs, benefits, decent wages, and support for their employees who are called to active duty
* August 2, 2007: Senate passes Obama/McCaskill’s Military Family Job Protection Act which provides up to a year of job protection for family members caring for a service member recovering from combat-related injuries
* August 21, 2007: Barack Obama gives major speech to the VFW on America’s veterans
* September 18, 2007: Obama, McCaskill release statement on Military Family Job Protection Act urging the Senate to approve it
* September 19, 2007: Obama co-sponsors Jim Webb legislation that requires minimum periods between troop redeployments
* September 25, 2007: Obama, McCaskill continue to fight for passage of Military Family Job Protection Act
* September 26, 2007: Obama releases statement on GAO report that wounded soldiers are receiving substandard treatment from the Pentagon and VA
* September 26, 2007: Obama releases statement asking Bush to ensure that private contractors are not jeopardizing military’s efforts in Iraq
* October 1, 2007: The Post-Dispatch discusses military soldier discharges for “pre-existing conditions” and the Obama/Bond legislation that addresses it
* October 1, 2007: Obama, Bond praise new safeguards on military personality disorder discharges
* October 17, 2007: Obama calls on Gates to ensure that all service members are receiving full educational benefits
* October 21, 2007: The Post-Dispatch interviews soldiers handling the effects of personality disorder discharges and highlights the Obama/Bond legislation that calls for a moratorium
* October 23, 2007: Obama, Durbin demand full report on military post traumatic stress disorder cases
* October 30, 2007: Obama releases statement on nomination of James Peake for VA Secretary
* November 5, 2007: Obama and other senators call on Pentagon to ensure quality care for returning service members with eye injuries
* November 8, 2007: Obama introduces the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act which provides housing and support services for veterans and their families, including those returning from Iraq, who are at high-risk of becoming homeless
* November 17, 2007: Obama and Durbin introduce legislation to improve hiring and quality of care at VA medical centers
* November 19, 2007: A wounded Iraq veteran visits Barack Obama’s Senate office for help.
* November 20, 2007: Barack Obama writes a post on VetVoice, the blog for VoteVets explaining his vision for taking care of America’s veterans
* December 12, 2007: Obama, Durbin hail House introduction of the Veterans Health Quality Improvement Act
* December 14, 2007: Obama and other senators call for DoD review of treatment of service members with mental illness
* December 17, 2007: Obama hails passage of legislation that improves mental health care for troops
* December 21, 2007: Obama other senators urge special review for discharged military personnel, moratorium on personality disorder discharges
* December 21, 2007: Obama, other senators urge President to fully fund Veteran’s Department

[Skarp]

Entertaining talking points.

Obama, like any lefty Dem (let alone the most liberal), is quick to pay lip service to any veterans issue if it serves his larger purpose...which is invariably to criticize and undermine the military and the country's war efforts. It doesn't mean he gives a shit...it's just a convenient "in" to trash the military.

This is Code Pink's candidate for crying out loud. This is the U.N. candidate. This is Russia and the rest of the world's candidate. Why do you suppose that is?

You're either ignorant, stoned, or you think that we are.

[Joe]

Now you know it's serious when I get on here and side with my friend Skarp.

Pixsguy,

McCain spent almost six years in a hell hole called the Hanoi Hilton. He's the only one who has actually fought for you and me...and your right to spew your (and Barry's) bullsh#t.

END OF DISCUSSION!!!

[Jitterbug]

As a combat verteran who served in 2 wars and was wounded in both I find it very funny when any one other than a republican has a good record on veterans affairs is ridiculed. Yes, McCain was a prisoner of war and served his country with great bravery.

I beleive we all know about the VFW it is not a liberal organization. I have belonged to the VFW for 15 years. Did you know that the VFW gives John McCain a grade of "D" where Obama is given the grade of "B" concerning all veterans affairs.

[Joe]

As a combat verteran who served in 2 wars and was wounded in both I find it very funny when any one other than a republican has a good record on veterans affairs is ridiculed. Yes, McCain was a prisoner of war and served his country with great bravery.

I beleive we all know about the VFW it is not a liberal organization. I have belonged to the VFW for 15 years. Did you know that the VFW gives John McCain a grade of "D" where Obama is given the grade of "B" concerning all veterans affairs.

Wow, really!? I guess the 70% of retired and active duty supporting McCain must be wrong...

[Skarp]

As a combat verteran who served in 2 wars and was wounded in both I find it very funny when any one other than a republican has a good record on veterans affairs is ridiculed. Yes, McCain was a prisoner of war and served his country with great bravery.

I beleive we all know about the VFW it is not a liberal organization. I have belonged to the VFW for 15 years. Did you know that the VFW gives John McCain a grade of "D" where Obama is given the grade of "B" concerning all veterans affairs.

John McCain is an abysmal candidate. He's a bona fide hero, but I certainly can't find much to applaud about his political career. Mostly because he spends so much time reaching across the aisle to make terribly conceived deals with fellow liberals.

But while McCain might be bad, Obama is downright horrible. Just look at who he is beholden to...who he is surrounded by. This is a guy who has the best interest of the military at heart?? No frickin' way. He and his buddies (Pelosi, et al.) will gut the military. Hell, Bill Clinton gutted the military, and our intelligence agencies...and he looks like Attila the Hun compared to Mr. radical socialist "community organizer" Obama.

At least military interests will have a seat at the table in a McCain administration. Obama isn't remotely interested in military opinions. He's the guy who supports politically imposed timetables on military operations (and tried to condition war funding upon them)...something the VFW and every other military related group vigorously opposes. The absurdity of giving Chuck Schumer and Barbara Boxer control over military operations--or politicizing military decisions at all--hopefully requires no explication.

You want the real truth on why Obama, to the extent that he does, shows an interest in veterans' issues? Because Obama's entire political philosophy is geared toward expanding the welfare state. Like any socialist, he wants to make more and more people dependant on the government. Veterans are just another candidate class of dependants to put on the government teat.

Bottom line: the government owes military veterans precisely what it promised them in order to induce them to serve, and nothing more. The practice of pandering to veteran voters by promising (or worse, delivering) political goodies is abhorrent, and exemplifies precisely what's wrong with our broken republic.

Pandering is all Obama does.

[Jitterbug]

I know telling the truth to some people will never really mean anything or change their minds. Rather than listen to just one side some times it is good to truly research things before you make a statement. I am pretty sure you believe I am a flaming liberal who supports Obama. I am a independent who supported Huckaby (spelling) until he did not get the nod. I research and listen to all politicians before I make a decision to whom I will vote for. Maybe a research of McCains actual voting record concerning veterns would be important.

I left a lot of blood and lost many friends on the battle field and I swore that I would not stick to one way of thinking because you get stuck in the mud. Being progressive and opening my mind to other ways of running the country and the poeple who project them is actually what I adhere to.

John McCain is a national hero. Anyone who gets caught and spends time in a POW camp warrants all of our admiration. However it stops there for me and John McCain. He has fought against numerous benefits that would have assisted the very needy of the verterans. His voting record of non support is there to be seen just google it and you will see. Does that mean he does not care or supports the veterans of today and yesterday maybe not but I have to go what is truly in writing not what someone who has an agenda says.

I researched your 70% of retired and current veterans support McCain. Thru my research I found those figures are not entirely true. Retired veterans is 60% and current veterans 45%. Also I have been in contact with current veterans who are serving in both wars and they feel both candidates will support them with a higher number going to McCain. But I never heard any of them say Obama does not support them. McCain does have an in road to veterans because he is one. I would be very surprised if he did not. Clinton and the military is a myth. I served during part of his presidency and the draw down you are talking about starting during dad Bush's presidency. I however I feel Clinton did not use the military wisely until the Kosovo war.

I fought for your and my voting rights along with other rights such as of freedom of speech. That is why I do not take things personal but just wanted to make things straight.

[Skarp]

Clinton and the military is a myth. I served during part of his presidency and the draw down you are talking about starting during dad Bush's presidency. I however I feel Clinton did not use the military wisely until the Kosovo war.

I fought for your and my voting rights along with other rights such as of freedom of speech. That is why I do not take things personal but just wanted to make things straight.

Lowering spending by a certain amount subsequent to the demise of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war was understandable. Keeping spending low in the face of gathering threats and inadequate military and intelligence assets to counter them was not. Bush Sr. was responsible for the former, Clinton the latter.

And money only tells part of the story. You have to look at what the money is spent on. 90% of Clinton's federal employee cuts came from the military--some 290,000 jobs. You can have all the expensive weapons systems money can buy, but if you don't have boots on the ground and you aren't maintaining sizable, highly trained fighting and intelligence gathering forces, you are screwed when threats arise. And you are unable to deter belligerance and bad conduct, so you wind up in wars that you never would have needed to fight. It's a concept that liberals are literally incapable of understanding.

Did I read correctly when you cited Kosovo as Clinton's shining military achievement?? Precisely which U.S. interests were implicated in that instance? We intervened in a century-old regional ethnic conflict...on the side of muslims no less. Bombed the hell out of Serbia. What benefit did we reap from that decision, pray tell? And where was the liberal outrage, considering that the war was waged without U.N. approval? Yeah, Kosovo was a real gem.

Clinton failed to credibly respond to any of a series of increasingly provocative acts against the U.S. by muslim extremists and their sponsor states...or to begin developing military and intelligence resources to counter the gathering threat. That liberals still can't understand how those failures led inexorably to where we are today is a flaw so serious that it can't be allowed anywhere near the oval office.

[sportzjunky]

Take your pick America!! 4 years, same story.

[Jitterbug]

See what I mean about telling the truth, no one wants to listen to it. But that is ok you vote for who you want to carry this nation forward. I was just hoping that at some time people would actually research something rather than listen to the talking heads who have an agenda which is not necessarily for the best interest of this nation. All I ask is you vote. It hurts some times to see the very % of people who do not vote, but again this is the USA and the right is there to either do both vote or not vote. Served my country from 1970 to 1995 saw and experienced a lot during that period and one of them is the love of the country I and my fellow service men and women have and all we ask for is fair treatment by the people we serve.