by Mark Silva
When Hillary Clinton takes the stage in Kansas City today, her explanation about her stance on the war in Iraq -- and her formula for ending it -- will be closely watched.
She will face the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
And the VFW leader says they don't want to hear about mistakes made in the past. They want to hear "who is best prepared to lead our nation forward.''
The Democratic senator from New York is one of four candidates for president who will address the veterans at their convention in Kansas City. So will President Bush later this week.
On the stage today: Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
On Tuesday: Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Republican former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, who has not formally declared his candidacy yet.
The president will appear Wednesday, on his way back to Texas from a two-day trip to Canada, where he will meet with the leaders of Canada and Mexico.
"It is unprecedented to have leading candidates address our organization before they have their respective party's nomination," says VFW Commander-in-Chief Gary Kurpius, a Vietnam combat veteran from Anchorage, Alaska.
“What we want to hear is how, if elected to our nation’s highest office, they will prosecute the war on terrorism,'' he says in a statement issued by the VFW.
"We want to hear how they will protect America, what their positions are on national security, military readiness and homeland security, and how they will enhance military and veteran healthcare programs, increase benefits, and expand Quality of Life initiatives.
"What we don’t want to hear are criticisms of the past," he says, "because the issue at hand is who is best prepared to lead our nation forward."
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Comments
If they don't want to hear about past mistakes, they really shouldn't bother listening to John McCain. His plan for the future is to continue the past mistakes indefinitely.
Posted by: Tony | August 20, 2007 9:48 AM
The Treatment of veterans that served the Nation is neither fair nor reasonable. Those that say they are trying to help Veterans are doing little but seen as doing a lot. The following is not addressed nor will they be unless America and the voters make them. None of them is on the forefront of the listed issues.
Some of the issues are as follows:
• The amount of time just to get a compensation and pension examination and putting the Veteran off hoping that they will go away.
• Having the compensation and pension examination done by a qualified doctor as outlined in the worksheet to get the compensation.
• The rating officer making a decision on the compensation and pension examination findings lowering or denying them based on a judgment without medical training or even seeing the veteran to save paying them. The veteran having to appeal the ruling to get it and the time require doing it.
• The way that Combined Ratings are figured, using percent efficient left to figure the added disabilities.
• The rate table used to pay veterans is not equitable jumping 40% between 90% disability and 100% disability if a veteran can get 100%.
• Payment of mileage to Veterans going to hospital has not changed since 1977 yet, fuel prices are at least three times what they were then.
• When there is a mistake at the hospital or training program the Veteran must file and 1151 and bring a tort in Federal Court compensated for even though the Veterans Administration knows what happened, the hope being that the Veteran dies and it does not need to pay.
Washington tells America that they are taking care of Veterans but they do just enough to quiet those that don’t know the real issues. Those in office now could fix things but they have not!!
Posted by: Charles Schmidt | August 20, 2007 12:06 PM