This weekend, President Bush said in his radio address, "[Veterans] continue to strengthen and inspire our Nation. And we will never forget what we owe them."
Today, the President vetoed legislation that would have provided:
• $3.4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which provides mental health and suicide prevention services - at a time when the Army suicide rate is at its highest in over 25 years.
• $10 million for treating Brain Injury Prevention for our veterans.
• $5.2 billion for Veteran Job Training and placement programs, as well as homelessness prevention programs that benefit our veterans.
Last week, I stood up with Senators Dick Durbin and Jack Reed, pleading for Congress to pass this bill - and they did. But, despite the President talking a lot about what we owe veterans on Saturday, today, with his veto pen he told veterans, "We don't owe you [BLEEP]."
Now, the vetoed bill will return to Congress, where, at this point, it looks like there are not enough votes there to override. What kind of nation are we living in where a massive majority of Congress will vote to send our men and women to war, but many of those same Senators and Congressmembers will not vote to take care of those troops when they come home?
Please call your member of Congress today (202-224-3121) and urge them to override the President's veto, and pass this crucial funding for our veterans.
And a warning to those who refuse to stand up to the Administration, and help veterans: VoteVets.org will not forget this vote. If you refuse to stand up for our troops, rest assured you will see strong ads in your district, letting your constituents know what you think of those who serve our nation in war.
Follow Jon Soltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jonsoltz
I'm reminded of what Plato once said: The penalty good people pay for not being involved in politics is being governed by people worse than themselves.
We deserve what we're getting. Let's just continue to pass around the Vaseline.
I have a feeling it's going to take the Secret Service to pull a Caligula conspiracy to get this country on the right track again.
There's been no real push to properly fund the current wars (ie, nixing the 2001 tax cuts for the rich), and the Army is constantly lowering the bar to keep up the current trickle of enlistees.
This administration continues to remain delusional (that's what 'staying on message' really means) - and will push for further conflict our nation is not prepared for or willing to back. I foresee in the end that the GOP propaganda machine will put us in a really bad spot and blame the Democrats as soon as one takes office on Penna. Ave. in 2009.
trades 1000 to 1 against the euro, they can
spend 400 trillion on whatever it is you want
and you can take the money and bind it up
into bricks and make a little house out of it
or something...but with 700 billion in play
or whatever, I can't conceptualize WHY it is
they won't spend at least oh, be generous,
say 1/20th of that on VA stuff for the vets
and that should take care of em, no? If not,
they need to cancel the order for the solid
gold wheelchair hubcap spinners and get down
to the brass tacks. Anything can go runaway
unless well-managed, veterans' care included.
Answer - Because they loaded up the other bills with huge amounts of pork and they knew Bush would veto it.
Result - If he doesn't veto it, pet projects get passed. If he does veto it, it gives the Democrats something to beat up on Bush for.
Quit playing politics with Veterans. Separate the VA funding bill and see if it passes. I am not buying the argument that Bush hates veterans and doesn't want to support them.
http://justadat.blogspot.com
They "Volunteered" for service. It's almost as if the administration is telling them..."Look, you knew you could get killed or wounded when you signed up, so don't come whining to us when it happens!"
The BushCo did not plan for the aftereffects of this war because they didn't think that there would be these kind of "after action problems."
They REALLY thought that we could get in and out in a few months. So why plan for things 5 years down the road?
Now we have vets coming home with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, etc...
But BushCo can save ...oh, around 87 cents per vet by not supporting the ones returning.
This is what happens when you get a drunken, draft-dodging frat-boy, deserter as president. And a Chicken shit...uh, sorry...Chicken-Hawk vice president.
Every single member of our armed forces should come home to a total scholarship for any University that they qualify for!
They should also get total free health care for life.
Anything less would be an insult to the service that these men and women have given their country.
Congress not declaring a war was the most catastrophic act by "elected" government in history since it came at a time when it has meshed with the adoptance of the "patriot" act, military commissions act, disappearance of habeas corpus, adoptance of torture and pre-emptive war, gross eminent domain, NAU, out of control federal reserve, illegal immigration, debt to foreign nations, etc..etc.
Congress gave the President more executive power funded by a blank check written by the private banking cronies on our sweat and equity. Good bye middle class, hello fascism.
Put Jena in uniform. Have W. and those on the Hill pay off his debts, personally. Make Lobby and Congress joint owners on bank accounts and have them publically and reasonably ascertainable. Hell, have a line-item invoice of your tax dollar in a contract for services to be rendered. Eliminate retirement plans for those on the Hill. Have MSM follow internet market principles. Jest? Sure. Could we get there? Absolutely.
to george bush:
...it's the Constitution, stupid.
blue dog dem for ron paul
we must unite now.
BRING THEM ALL HOME AND CARE FOR ALL OF THEM!