Posted on 05/28/2004 2:34:46 PM PDT by RWR8189
ARLINGTON, VA— Bush-Cheney ’04 Wisconsin Veterans State Chair Ray Boland issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s contributions to veterans:
"Over the last three years, President Bush has led America with strength and steady resolve. The President’s commitment to the men and women who stand on the frontlines of freedom is clear. President Bush has increased the funding for veterans’ health care by 40 percent. As former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, I can tell you that 20,000 more Wisconsin veterans were receiving health care at the end of 2003 than in 2001. This is a 31.6 percent increase, which is well above the national average.
"John Kerry voted to use force in Iraq and then voted against $87 billion in funding to support our troops. Kerry has also voted against the weapons systems our troops are using to fight the War on Terror. John Kerry’s troubling record on national security calls into question his ability to lead our country during these challenging times."
No one reads these press releases and if they equal one line in a story about what Kerry said, the republicans are lucky. But if Bush, Cheney, or a republican senator or cabinet member would react with some passion to Kerry, it would be carried.
Bush's fault.
BUMP
Remember when Kerry tried to take on Cheney? Well, why can't Cheney be the attack dog and go after Kerry again?
Bush supporters rally around veterans
The Green Bay News-Chronicle - 5/28/04
Smaller in number but quite vocal, supporters of President Bush and the Republican ticket in the November elections welcomed supporters of John Kerry with their own rally outside the Brown County Arena on Thursday.
About 150 people, carrying pro-Bush signs and such signs as "Kerry is Scary," gathered at the veterans memorial plaza, getting honks of support from drivers and catcalls from Kerry supporters heading to his rally at ShopKo Hall.
The GOP event had a heavy emphasis on veterans, including retired Lt. Col. Joe Reypa of Minnesota, Bush's co-chairman in that state.
He cited 12 Kerry votes against military pay raises and 27 votes against weapons programs.
"The Democrats over here need to stop and smell history for a minute," he said. "You need to understand that appeasement does not work (and) the United Nations does not work in the best interest of the United States."
He said the "greatest generation" had given birth to "the naive, pampered and weak-kneed generation."
"You just have to ask yourself - who does Osama bin Laden want as our next president?" he asked.
Three other area veterans, Michael Edwards, Tom VanDrasek and Harold Grimes, also spoke. "I think that this is very important that we should show support for our president right now," said VanDrasek, a co-chairman of the Bush campaign in the county. "We need someone who unequivocally supports the troops."
Republican U.S. Senate candidates Tim Michels and Robert Welch and 30th District state Senate candidate Gary Drzewiecki addressed the crowd.
Michels, a former Army Ranger, said the media was not telling the whole story about Iraq and said "if we can have democracy take hold smack-dab in the middle of the Middle East, it will be the most important geopolitical event of my lifetime."
Welch blasted Kerry for siding with special interests including trial lawyers.
"When it comes to supporting our troops, he did not stand with us," Welch said. "He has not been supportive of our chance to make this country safer and the Middle East safer for decades to come, and we should not forget that."
The rally ended with U.S. Rep. Mark Green comparing the peaceful Republican rally to "obscenities, trying to burn the flag ... and throwing the flag at the motorcade as it goes by," references to demonstrations against a recent visit by Vice President Dick Cheney to Wrightstown.
The closest thing to a confrontation came at the end, when several Kerry supporters started chanting "down with Bush," while Bush supporters, to the same rhythm, chanted "four more years."
But the chanting stopped when the light rain that had fallen during the rally turned into a downpour.
http://www.greenbaynewschron.com/page.html?article=126030
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.