Presidential Candidates On Veterans

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Presidential Candidates On Veterans
David Botti


HILLARY CLINTON: Late last month Clinton visited a veterans home in Iowa as part of her "Holidays with Hillary" event series. The Wall Street Journal reports that she gave a specific proposal on low-interest loans:

Speaking to a crowd of mostly elderly and wheelchair-bound veterans from World War II and the Vietnam War, Mrs. Clinton announced her plans to enact an updated version of the GI Bill of Rights that would expand education, housing and entrepreneurial benefits. The plan would also allow veterans to use low-interest, no-fee loans to purchase, build or improve a home valued at up to $625,000. A proposed microloan program would give veterans up to $100,000 to start a small business.



RUDY GIULIANI: Gearing up for Florida's January 29th primary, Giuliani, flanked by supporting veterans in that state, talked about beefing up the military and the resolve of this current generation's soldiers (Orlando Sentinel):



Giuliani said the Army needs 10 more brigades and the Marine Corps' ranks should be increased to 200,000. He added that the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard need similar buildups...Giuliani said he doubted the mettle of the current generations of Americans, wondering if they could live up to the standard of those who fought, and won, World War II and the Cold War. He said those doubts were dashed after the Sept. 11 attacks.



JOE BIDEN: Stumping through New Hampshire in August, Biden had this to say in the Nashua Telegraph:



“If the government has any sacred responsibility, it is to care for those we send to war that come back in bad shape. We are not taking care of the kids who are coming back.’’

Biden said his proposals would cost at least $1 billion a year to achieve, and he defended the cost of such spending.

“If I only have $10 to spend and you tell me it takes $9 to take care of these vets, I am going to spend all those $9 before I spend any money on you,’’ Biden said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, these are the only people making any sacrifice right now.’’



MITT ROMNEY: On Veterans Day Romney visited a company that makes microphones for fighter pilot helmets. He talked about troop strength and educational benefits:



[Romney] has pledged to add 100,000 active-duty troops if elected president, as well as to increase spending on military gear.

He told the workers at Gentex Electro-Acoustics that updating the G.I. bill to better keep pace with inflation is needed, as are the tuition and equipment changes.

"We've got to say that the children, the college students, of our armed services personnel should always know that they're going to receive the special, lowest rate available in every state where their parents might serve so they're able to enjoy education without having to pay an excessively high cost," Romney said in this early voting state.



Each of the candidates has specific online information to address their platforms on veterans issues.

Clinton: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/veterans/
Giuliani: http://www.joinrudy2008.com/issues/view/17
Biden: http://www.joebiden.com/issues?id=0022
Romney: http://www.mittromney.com/index.jsp?do=search&q=veterans

Posted Thursday, January 03, 2008 11:32 AM

Presidential Candidates On Veterans, Part II
David Botti
Yesterday we took at look at four presidential candidates and examples of how veterans issues factored into their campaigns. Today's post contains five more front-runners:


JOHN EDWARDS: In November Edwards laid out a $400 million, five-point plan to aid in treating veterans with PTSD. A main focus of the plan is to allow veterans to seek mental care outside of the VA system, and to increase the number of counselors available. As the Associated Press reports:



"I strongly believe we must restore the sacred contract we have with our veterans and their families, and that we must begin by reforming our system for treating PTSD. We also must act to remove the stigma from this disorder," [Edwards said]...

...The VA currently has a backlog of as many as 600,000 claims, increasing delays for initial treatment by up to six months, according to the campaign. Edwards pledged the entire backlog would be eliminated by Memorial Day 2009 - four months after he might take office - and would cut the processing time by half.




MIKE HUCKABEE: Long before Huckabee enjoyed the level of attention he has now, the candidate spoke to New Hampshire voters in April about priority care for veterans [New Hampshire Telegraph]:



If elected president, Huckabee said he would make veterans’ health care a priority, even if funding required “chopping up” and selling the marble of every monument in Washington.




BARACK OBAMA: When retired Iowa Air Force veteran Andrew Hampton stood to ask a question of Obama the day after Christmas, the two ended up in a "tearful embrace." The veteran addressed a lack of veterans health care for the current generation, and said for a long time he wasn't getting medical benefits due to political decisions [Associated Press]:



"We can't desert them," a weepy Hampton told Obama. The crowd responded with a standing ovation, and Obama walked over and hugged him.
"You made the essential point, which is you earned your benefits," Obama said. He said if elected president, he would take care of veterans as a way of encouraging future generations to enter the military, as well as provide mental health screening and adopt a "zero tolerance" policy for homeless veterans.



FRED THOMPSON: Thompson took the opportunity of speaking at South Carolina's Citadel military college to reaffirm his proposed numbers for beefing up U.S. presence in Iraq -- and, therefore, creating a great deal more veterans [Associated Press]:



He proposes building a "million-member" ground force of 775,000 soldiers and 225,000 Marines - substantially higher than what the Pentagon has called for...Regarding care for current and former service members, Thompson advocates implementing many of the recommendations of a presidential commission on improving the treatment of wounded veterans. He also says service members need better pay and benefits "including a modern GI Bill with educational assistance that will help us recruit and keep our nation's finest in uniform."


JOHN MCCAIN: As a well-known veteran, McCain has said improving veterans health care is his number one domestic priority. In a South Carolina pancake house last month he spoke of this priority saying vets should have a card that allows treatment at any health care facility -- VA or not. From the Associated Press:



Congress has still not passed the so-called Wounded Warrior bill to repair the system, McCain said. The war in Iraq will further strain the veterans' health care system, which must be expanded, the Arizona senator said.

“Thank God we have so many coming back,” he said. “We've saved so many lives we wouldn't have been able to in other wars.”


Each of the candidates has specific online information to address their platforms on veterans issues.

Edwards: http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/veterans/
Huckabee: http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=25
Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/
Thompson: http://fredfile.fred08.com/veterans/
McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/9cb5d2aa-f237-464e-9cdf-a5ad32771b9f.htm




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