2008 Woodie Awards
Bush attacks Kerry's Vietnam record
Cuts on vetran benefits make arguement moot
Corey Kempf
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 1
Ever since campaigning began, President George W. Bush has been dogging Democratic nominee John Kerry about his service in the Vietnam War. Facts turned up showing that soon after being discharged from the Army with three Purple Hearts, Kerry became active in opposing the war. As only the Bush Administration can do, they questioned his patriotism and activity in the war.
It's understandable that questions arise about a person's commitment in a war when he comes back from his tour and opposes it. But hey, Forrest Gump did it, and he won an Oscar.
Seriously, though, counteraction from the Kerry camp could've easily been devised. Let's get something straight here people, when you attack a person about a certain thing, you better make sure your administration didn't allow anything to demean the very thing that's in question.
That's the exact scenario that happened, however, but Kerry never counterattacked. In reality, the House of Representatives recently voted to cut funding to veterans' health care and benefit programs by $25 billion over the next ten years.
In fact, the cuts have gotten so bad, that the Veterans' Administration has had to actually charge new veterans applying for benefits a $250 fee just to receive them.
Currently, 28 million veterans are on the program, with another 70 million veterans waiting as potential candidates for aid. Many of them may soon find that V.A. hospitals will be closing their doors because of the budget cuts.
The Bush Administration also recently ordered V.A. medical centers to stop publicizing available benefits to those seeking assistance.
Now this may not affect John Kerry at all, being a Senator and having an heiress wife, but I can envision this sort of attack on him being a slap in the face for all of America's veterans.
I have a few questions I'd like to ask President Bush in light of this: (1) How can you attack Kerry for his Vietnam record when you are slashing veterans' benefits by that much? (2) Who do you think actually wants to be a veteran of a war now? (3) How do you plan to account for the hundreds of thousands serving overseas at this moment, coming home to find they will receive few benefits?
Allow me to make something clear about myself, I don't support either the Democratic or Republican party, but looking at it from an independent view, I know that Bush has crossed the line. Even so, it doesn't appear that sensibility is on the minds of our voting populous.
Nonetheless, this is clearly just another failure to recognize the American people first in favor of sending them to war. President Bush considers himself a war president. It's becoming obvious that he is, and he's not one to reward the people fighting his war.
It's understandable that questions arise about a person's commitment in a war when he comes back from his tour and opposes it. But hey, Forrest Gump did it, and he won an Oscar.
Seriously, though, counteraction from the Kerry camp could've easily been devised. Let's get something straight here people, when you attack a person about a certain thing, you better make sure your administration didn't allow anything to demean the very thing that's in question.
That's the exact scenario that happened, however, but Kerry never counterattacked. In reality, the House of Representatives recently voted to cut funding to veterans' health care and benefit programs by $25 billion over the next ten years.
In fact, the cuts have gotten so bad, that the Veterans' Administration has had to actually charge new veterans applying for benefits a $250 fee just to receive them.
Currently, 28 million veterans are on the program, with another 70 million veterans waiting as potential candidates for aid. Many of them may soon find that V.A. hospitals will be closing their doors because of the budget cuts.
The Bush Administration also recently ordered V.A. medical centers to stop publicizing available benefits to those seeking assistance.
Now this may not affect John Kerry at all, being a Senator and having an heiress wife, but I can envision this sort of attack on him being a slap in the face for all of America's veterans.
I have a few questions I'd like to ask President Bush in light of this: (1) How can you attack Kerry for his Vietnam record when you are slashing veterans' benefits by that much? (2) Who do you think actually wants to be a veteran of a war now? (3) How do you plan to account for the hundreds of thousands serving overseas at this moment, coming home to find they will receive few benefits?
Allow me to make something clear about myself, I don't support either the Democratic or Republican party, but looking at it from an independent view, I know that Bush has crossed the line. Even so, it doesn't appear that sensibility is on the minds of our voting populous.
Nonetheless, this is clearly just another failure to recognize the American people first in favor of sending them to war. President Bush considers himself a war president. It's becoming obvious that he is, and he's not one to reward the people fighting his war.