Say One Thing, Do Another -- Bush on Veterans Day and Today

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.

Comments

[StevieRae]

I'm getting tired of the light-type outrage being expressed on this and other blogs. Bitching about what Bush does, in this case what he's doing to deny our veterans and then expressing the frustration on a blog won't cut it. As long as Bush faithfuls and those who are Republicans who will stay faithfully within the party fold aren't being moved or outraged by Bush's action on veteran benefits, we're doomed until 2009!

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.

[figuringitout]

I want to contact my Congressman, who has supported everything Bush has done right down the line, about the bill Bush vetoed per Jon's post of 11/13/07. However, when I go to the bill's details, it does not show where veterans care is related to the bill. It shows Dept. of HHS, Dept. of Education, but nothing specifying the veteran's inclusion. Can you point me to the right part of the bill and/or tell me how to find out. I need to be spot on when I contact Pearce's office. Thanks.

[wolf58]

Bush is a traitor and anyone who stands behind him in support of his veto is also a traitor. Bush makes me sick with his poor me I feel their pain bullshit. He feels nothing and he does nothing when it comes to those who serve now and who have serve in the past. If he were a true patriot he would fall on his own sword in honor of those who have fallen because of his lies.These are some of the darkest days of our country and we all know why...

[lisakaz]

He's all talk, no action. He thinks no one notices. Or at least not enough notice how FOS he is. It's part of the Big Lie.

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.

[Larenzo]

I'm sorry, but if those troops enlisted do invade and occupy iraq, with rationales based on bald-faced lies, that's really just too bad. If they don't know by now that they are getting mutilated and killed for oil company profits, and they are just hunky-dory about that, then I have no respect for them. Why not just say no and demand to get out of there? If they think they are performing honorable duty and upholding the Constitution, then they have real problems. Nuff said...let the dogs attack now.

[IrritatedVet]

It does not surprise me at all. This comes from the same admnistration that is systematically tearing apart the Army and Marine Corps in Iraq/Afghanistan, whilst raising the specter of yet another war in Iran.

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.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Well, when it turns into the dollarpeso, and
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.

[TekBoss]

Presiden Bush is a lying bastard!

[peterg76]

"Say One Thing, Do Another" Bush may be a infantile brain-damaged sociopath traitor, but he is consistent.

[cj ett]

Question - why did the Congress combine the VA, Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education Appropriations Bills?

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

[RobertPaul]

The people coming back from war zones do not count in the Republican way of looking at life.

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.

[FranktheDem]

Bush would not even lay the wreath in Washington. Had he done so, he would, at least, have performed the duty of a sitting president; but I must confess that I would have construed that it would have been a photo-op. It's a sad state of affairs when a president is looked on as using the military for a personal agenda with either action or non action.

[MAGLATINA]

WHY, OH, WHY HE IS NOT BEING IMPEACHED?

[Pdubya]

Thanks for this Jon - always good pieces. Funny how the military is giving the highest support to someone that upholds their oath to protect this nation from enemies both foreign and domestic using our constitution - soldiers who swear to defend it. Ron Paul.

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.

[QueenMaedb]

My niece is a nurse in the armed services. Evidently, there's plenty of money to deploy her to Iraq this coming January, but not enough money to treat the returning Veterans she cares for. Her specialty is head trauma.

BRING THEM ALL HOME AND CARE FOR ALL OF THEM!