Veterans Accuse Dems of Distorting Facts About Bush
By Robert B. Bluey
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
July 30, 2004
Boston (CNSNews.com) - Veterans who support President Bush accused Democrats of spreading misleading information about the state of affairs for the millions of veterans who rely on the government's health care benefits.
On several occasions throughout the Democratic National Convention, speakers have criticized Bush on the issue of veterans' benefits. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the vice presidential nominee, raised the issue in his speech Wednesday night.
"Let me tell you," Edwards said, "the 26 million veterans in this country will not have to wonder when we're in office whether they'll have health care next week or next year. We will take care of them because they have taken care of us."
Edwards was referring to a repeated Democrat line of attack that Bush allegedly cut spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"It's blatantly a lie," said Griffin T. Dalianis, a Vietnam veteran from Nashua, N.H. "Our own hospital in Manchester is receiving money now that has been moved into Veterans Affairs. It will give us a full-service hospital. Right now, disabled veterans, and I am one, have to travel over 140 miles roundtrip to get any kind of services outside of a little wound."
The Democrats' claim has been debunked by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Bush, in fact, has overseen a 27 percent increase in funding for veterans. That number would increase to 37 percent, based on this year's budget proposal.
The article posted by Brad Cloven raises an important point--but one that falls down based on the reporting of the Washington Post this spring on the White House memo asking several bureacracies to be prepared for much lower budget requisitions after 2005 than the ones Bush has promised now. Veterans affairs is to get $500 million increase in the upcoming FY, for example, but has been asked to prepare for a $900 million cut. Let me know if you want the citation, i haven't found it right off but want to get jiggy keeping up with the debate.
RP