Purple Heart group gets flak over nod to Sen. Clinton

Scripps Howard ^ | 20-FEB-06 | LISA HOFFMAN

[ncountylee]

WASHINGTON -- It was a simple plaque, the sort handed out every day on Capitol Hill by interest groups showing their appreciation for a legislator's efforts on behalf of their cause.

In this case, it was the Military Order of the Purple Heart organization that presented an award to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., last Thursday.

The nonprofit group honored Clinton for her stewardship of measures calling for a commemorative Purple Heart postage stamp and the establishment of Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Recognition Day, as well as her advocacy for veterans' health care.

But a story on the conservative media outlet NewsMax.com left the impression among some readers that Clinton had been awarded a Purple Heart medal itself by the group.

While the article described her award as "symbolic," its opening sentence implied otherwise. "New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has put in for a Purple Heart award _ and she received the decoration yesterday," the Friday story said.

Angry veterans erupted in protest.

No fans of Clinton to begin with, the upset vets pilloried the Purple Heart group, which is made up of recipients of the military's heart-shaped award to those wounded or killed in combat.

"Of all people, is Jane Fonda next?" retired Marine John Cooney of Jacksonville, N.C., wrote via e-mail to the Purple Heart group after the NewsMax.com story appeared.

[FairOpinion]

CHECK OUT THE LAST PARAGRAPH!

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Battle heating up to save Purple Heart stamp
Hillary Clinton and veterans join forces as first-class rate goes to 39 cents today.

January 8, 2006

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/nation/story/14051169p-14882483c.html


With first-class stamp prices rising today from 37 to 39 cents, the Postal Service is getting 2 cents' worth from a wounded veterans group and a senator eyeing a presidential run.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., are in a petition and letter-writing campaign to extend the life of the Purple Heart stamp. With a growing constituency behind them as the Iraq war wears on, they might succeed.

"We're taking into consideration people's desire to have this, and we're working on it," Postal Service spokesman Jim Quirk said Friday. "We're just trying to decide how best to go about it."

Each time the price of stamps goes up, the Postal Service sells what remains of the old issue but makes no new ones. Then new images get a turn.

In May 2003, the Postal Service unveiled a 37-cent stamp bearing the image of the Purple Heart.

Less than two years later, with the war raging, the Postal Service announced its plan to raise the first-class rate to 39 cents. Purple Heart recipients knew what that meant - and they began a campaign to stave off their stamp's demise.

In their fight, the service organization for Purple Heart recipients turned again to Clinton, a key supporter in the original stamp campaign. She was a solid choice, if not the most obvious one.

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Clinton, meanwhile, has a personal and political connection to the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The group's legislative director, Hershel Gober, a Purple Heart recipient, is an Arkansas native. When Clinton's husband was governor of that state, he tapped Gober as director of the state veterans affairs department. And when Bill Clinton became president, Gober came to Washington as deputy secretary and, during the last year of the administration, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In the Purple Heart stamp campaign, Gober said, "I reached out and asked Hillary if she could help us."

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[Walkingfeather]

They would kill to win 6th grade class president..... probably already have.

[FairOpinion]

PING to my post 21 as to the explanation of Hillary's ties to the group's director.

[CaptRon]

Well, if she's done for vets what she's done for the economy of upstate New York the have a right to be pissed.

[Onelifetogive]

Sure this was done by a Clinton "suck-up" head of the PH Organization.....but it could not have been more effective if Rove had orchestrated it himself. Without this "honor" for her Beastiness, Veterans across the country would not be screaming mad. In an election year, I like screaming mad veterans...

[buck61]

I would suggest all vets who belong to any vet org. to desist immediately, most if not all are controlled by the left.
Most veterans hospitals are left, liberal, managed.

[stainlessbanner]

ping

[Dustbunny]

Just making people think she actually has a heart.

[tumblindice]

Democrats are to unearned military medals as
Magpies are to bright, shiny things they find.

Welcome to that new political game show, "How Low Can You Go!"
Put your hands together, won't you, for returning champions, Bill and Hillary Clinton! So, Senator--when you and Bill promised, `the most ethical administration'--exactly how hard did you laugh?"

"Oh Wink, we laughed our ****** off! Figuratively speaking, that is, I've still got mine! (Slap) Our loyal trolls ate that stuff up with a spoon, know what I'm sayin'? Why, we were both gulping for air . . ."

[MineralMan]

"I would suggest all vets who belong to any vet org. to desist immediately, most if not all are controlled by the left.
"

Boy, that sure doesn't seem to be the case at my VFW post. Not too many leftists there.

[darkwing104]

Boy, that sure doesn't seem to be the case at my VFW post. Not too many leftists there.

You can say that about Unions also but what about the national leadership?

[darkwing104]

So the Military Order of the Purple Heart organization just may have a credibility problem. Or they got caught trying to make the Marxist Hilderbeast appear sympathetic to the Military.

[river rat]

"Big damn deal. If John F'n Kerry could "earn" three of them, they were already worthless."

I would advise against repeating that statement in the vicinity of anyone that EARNED one.

The craven act of an asshole like Kerry, is insufficient to diminish the hallowed significance of that Award.

Semper Fi

[miele man]

"If John F'n Kerry could "earn" three of them, they were already worthless."

I beg to differ, strenuously. I cannot believe you'd even think this or even voice this. Tell this to a Vet who has been wounded (for real).

[Osage Orange]

Next thing you know...they will give one to Johnny Heinz.

[miele man]

This is follow-up information and is the result of the earlier thread to some degree. Glad to have this info.

[Triggerhippie]

Hello! That is why I put the word "earn" in quotes.

My comment was that awarding those medals to people like them does cheapen what those medals are supposed to be about. I know that both of you agree with that. I'd bet that every FReeper out there would agree as well...

If it were under my control neither would have them.

Anyway, if you want to discuss how the award was diminished by Kerry's (and now Hillary's) acceptance of those awards, you'd have to talk to them.

[Triggerhippie]

I cannot believe you'd even think this or even voice this.

You can't believe that I think (or voice) that John F'n Kerry's awards are BS and that they tarnish the reputation of the award?

I can't believe you'd think that Kerry actually deserved his medals. I certainly can't believe that you feel that Hillary deserves hers.

[miele man]

I didn't catch the sarcasm you intended by "earn" in your original post. You've corrected mine and Sand Rat's mistake. No problem. However, you turn around and mis-characterize my comments. There is absolutely nothing in my post to mis-understand. I think Kerry is a POS and Hilary is even less. To think the Purple Heart folks would even think of giving her a Purple Heart "award" or any kind of military commendation is beyond preposterous. That she accepted shows she has no shame or real pride.