Posted on 06/22/2004 1:32:28 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry canceled a trip to the swing state of New Mexico Tuesday to make a rare appearance in the Senate.The Massachusetts senator wants to vote for a measure that would require mandatory funding of health care for veterans, a key constituency that he's trying to win in his race against President Bush. Kerry is a Vietnam War veteran who rarely gives a speech without calling for better benefits for those who have served in the military.
"I have met thousands of veterans as I travel across this country who fought with pride and honor, but still don't have the quality health care they need," Kerry said in a statement issued Monday night while he was campaigning in Colorado. "I will return to Washington to fight for them."
The president opposes mandatory veterans health care funding. Bush campaign advisers say mandatory funding would put all veterans in the federally funded health care system, even those who have health coverage elsewhere, and would reduce the amount available to cover veterans who need the care most.
"The administration believes it is best for veterans to maintain flexibility," said Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt. "The mandatory approach is an inflexible one and the rigidity does not best serve veterans."
The Bush administration has increased benefits, veterans' enrollment in VA health care and spending overall for that department. But the administration has prohibited new enrollments of veterans with the highest earnings unless their health problems are related to their military service.
The Kerry campaign says under the administration's policy, about 500,000 veterans are scheduled to be left out of the VA health system.
Funding for veterans health care was $26.4 billion this year, according to the Kerry campaign. The amendment that Kerry is returning to vote for would increase funding next year by 30 percent, or nearly $8 billion, to cover all 26 million veterans. The amount would rise in later years to cover new veterans coming into the system and the rising cost of their care.
"We need to keep faith with those who have served our country, and that includes ensuring the care and benefits they need and deserve," Kerry said in his statement.
Kerry had planned to fly from Denver to New Mexico Monday night, then deliver a speech describing his plan for federal investments in science and technology on Tuesday morning in Albuquerque. But about an hour before Kerry was scheduled to leave Denver, his campaign announced that he was flying back to Washington instead.
Kerry has missed the vast majority of votes this year, including other votes to increase veterans benefits.
Of 132 votes in the Senate this year, Kerry has voted just 14 times, according to an Associated Press tally. Massachusetts Republican Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey last week called on Kerry to resign from the Senate because he's missed so many votes, but Kerry said he's serving his constituents well by running for president.
Does the include the vets Kerry labeled war criminals?
Does this include the vets that say Kerry is unfit to serve as POTUS?
Deserters, war criminals, and anti-Kerry veterans need not apply. They should stay with Medicare. One of the ironies of the VA is that veterans in the VA program cease to be a drain on the Social Security system. In other words, the main fight is whether monies should be taken from the VA pocket and placed in the Social Security pocket. Each department has its own space to protect and resists an attempt by the other to infringe on its bureaucracy.
So this one he remembers to attend but before he "forgot" to attend the unemployment boost.
He must have BIG problems with veterans because he rushed to vote in favor of a vote that will definitly not need his vote to pass.
There oughtta be a law that a senator unable to show up in the Senate at least 50% of the time, because he is campaigning for some other office, has to quit the Senate. Hello Kerry, your state elected you Senator, not Presidential Campaigner.
Bill Richardson is on the short-list of VP's for Kerry, right? And Kerry just cancelled a trip to New Mexico? Wonder if there's more to the story.
Is this vote number 4 or 5 for this year?
susan ostritch (nails on chalk dukakis campaign chair) was very firm on Bill O last night that brek girl edwards will be hanoi john's Veep choice.
Kerry cancels trip to New Mexico...He explained how he doesn't have a valid PASSPORT to visit south of the border.
Ah. Trying to bribe the vets to vote for him. I'm sure they're not impressed.
Imagine if President Bush neglected his job the way the pompous pompadour does.
"I will return to Washington to fight for them."
I'd be interested to know his record on past votes for health care benefits for veterans.
She said the same thing about hellary two months ago.
LLS
Oh, NOW he wants to vote!
Nothing political behind these actions
Maybe some nasty stuff is about to break about Richardson. Considering what he's been up to since becoming gov, I wouldn't be surprised.
Two weeks ago she said it was going to be McCain. I do not think Susan is in Kerry's inner circle.
Let's see: $158,100/15 = $10,540 per vote.
Not bad, not bad at all. I want to make that kind of money.
I think any attention brought to his voting(or non) record is a good thing, it has to hurt him.
Fox & Friends going to commercial showed the line for the Toon's book signing and Brian says "That's around a whole city block". Let me tell you, that crowd is nothing compared to the ones Howard Stern attracted. And I'm sure the Howard crowd was more fun. ;-) At the Wall St. one, I met Uzo, who later showed up here as 'Willowy Dame', and Jay Leno down at a Philly one where I also had lunch with a very cute blonde from Reading. She also went there alone since all her friends who were supposed to go punked out like mine.
Fat Billy is just running the usual NM Dim machine, although he has ticked off some of the good old boys (like he cares, this state has always been just a ticket to DC for him). He won't accept the Veep slot with Long John because he's too politically astute to tie himself to this loser. He want's the whole enchilada (you know this if you've seen him eat... not pretty) and can mainttain his visibility by pontificating on the face shows constantly.
This must be Kerry's Clinton strategy.
"I feel your pain!"
"It's for the vets!"
'I did not have good relations with that Vietnam veteran!"
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