Preparing For War, Bush Spurns Veterans

www.thebostonchannel.com ^ | POSTED: 12:25 p.m. EST January 7, 2003 | Helen Thomas

[aSkeptic]

WASHINGTON -- Veterans groups are angry at President George W. Bush for supporting a 1995 government decision to rescind an old promise of free lifetime health benefits for military retirees.

This is the man who told veterans and active-duty military personnel after the 2000 campaign that he would make sure "promises made to our veterans will be promises kept." So why does he persist in short-changing the retirees, especially when he is preparing for another war and hoping to lure more volunteers for the military?

Many World War II and Korean conflict veterans have been hopping mad ever since the Pentagon welshed on the deal recruiters promised them when they signed up -- that if they served 20 or more years, they and their dependents would get free health care benefits for life.

[Hugin]

But he has had a chance to fix them and he hasn't. It's the one area I want him to act. That 15 billion going to Africa Aids goes instead to our own veterans and we've got it licked.

Works for me.

[Happy2BMe]

"Broken promises. Bush is wrong not to sign off on both of these.....at a minimum, he should sign off on one of them."

You Hit The BullsEye!

[DaBroasta]

I am a military retiree. I am not complaining about my health care. DoD takes care of me when I ask them to.

Same here. This is yet another stinking RAT dungpile left behind by the Raping Rhodes Scholar. The "Penguin's" double is hoping Americans are so stupid they'll believe her lie that Dubyah is the one responsible for it.

[Happy2BMe]

"That 15 billion going to Africa Aids goes instead to our own veterans and we've got it licked."

Sadly, there are more democrats that support concurrent receipt than Republicans.

We Republicans who are affected by this see it as the one area that has been neglected.

And now Dubya needs some vote cash and he's spending it on a foreign country.

Not good - NOT GOOD!

[uncbob]

This particular promise was made by thousands of recruiters to millions of GIs. The recruiters did so in good faith. Recruiters are agents of the government and the government should be bound by a promise made by thousands of them.

When I entered Navy Boot Camp in Jan 1959 the very first thing we were told at the Indoctrination center was " Forget Any Promise the Recruiter Made to You "

[jimt]

Many soldiers are recruited with promises that they can be trained and go into a specific field of the military.

That one you could put to a stupid recruiter. Mine never claimed I'd actually get to work in my MOS, just that I'd be trained in it. And naturally, I worked in my MOS for about a month or two.

The promise of lifetime health care for twenty year veterans is a whole different matter. EVERY recruiter promised that one, even mine. It was policy, and therefore it's an obligation.

Your point about "suing" the goobermint is well taken, and very true. That, of course, doesn't make it morally right.

[Mustang]

Please answer this one question...are you retired military with 20+ years of ACTIVE DUTY?

Your bitching doesn't seem you did. Sometimes the fine print is important words to read.

Mustang sends.

[jimt]

Ever have a car salesman make a "promise" while out on the lot just to have it disappear when at "the table"?

At that point the deal isn't done, and you can still back out. With folks that employ those tactics, it's a good idea.

But if you're promised something as a condition of the agreement, even verbally (assuming you can prove it), and the agent's boss tries to welsh on it later, they'll lose.

[xzins]

Yes....20 years of active duty.

BTW, do you have 20 years?

You cannot find a stronger Bush supporter than me. Every now and then even an old hag like Thomas has to say something correct or everyone would catch onto her.

Go to the VFW and DAV websites if you don't believe me.

Bitching....hell....I called it PO'd at having been lied to about our benefits by the Clinton Administration. THAT'S why Bush should sign off on it. He can lead it off by saying, "Correcting an inequity from the past administration...blah, blah, blah."

[jimt]

I've been in hi-tech and software sales for 25 years, and I've seen companies walk away from a deal rather than honor a promise or a price made by a sales person.

You're certainly correct.

My question was regarding the moral and legal position.

Morally, the goobermint should honor agents' promises. Legally, unlike a private business, they can't be sued and a favorable judgement obtained. Even with two private parties, while you'd be in a good position to get a judgement, you still might not get zip out of it.

Life isn't fair, but the government should try to be.

[DB]

"Veterans groups are angry at President George W. Bush for supporting a 1995 government decision"

Well I'd start with first line... That 1995 "government" decision was made by Bill Clinton. Strange how he is simply reduced to "government" when it suits her... So what she is really saying is veterans are upset Bush hasn't yet reversed Clinton's 1995 decision...

[Mustang]

I'm retired Navy w/26 years Active Duty. Please visit my FR profile.

My question is to your above #29 post. We retired military are NOT getting screwed, shafted or spurned by GWB.

Look, Helen Thomas is a dried prune of the left. To give her voice credence is insulting.

Maybe our differences are being lost in the "heat" of fast key pounding.

Mustang sends w/ Best FReegards.

[catpuppy]

Helen Thomas and many of the comments on this thread are simply wrong. Freedom Calls (POST #38) has it right. Retired Veterans are covered for life. Period.

The Bush Administration is under fire for not pushing legislation to change the law that makes a disabled military retiree forfeit a dollar of military retired pay for every dollar of Veterans Administration disability compensation he receives.

[ErnBatavia]

that woman is ugly. From her heart to her appearance...ugly.

Indeed, it in fact CAN be appropriate to malign a hog periodically....reminds me of the last part of that old saw, "....but ugly runs to the bone"

[yoe]

Helen Thomas?!What a hoot! This old windbag, the breathless supporter of Clinton/rapist/impeached/flag burning/womanizing sob. What an incontinent fool. Her boy bill is still her president; so be it - they deserve each other!

[xzins]

We should be friends.

Bush made a mistake not signing concurrent receipt and 100% medical coverage for retirees (as promised.) He'll have other chances to change that. I WANT him to do it.

But it is not even close to a SINGLE ISSUE for me. I am a Bush supporter on almost everything.

Thomas is a hag, but she's almost fun anymore at Fleisher press conferences. I heard he calls on her just so he can show the nation how stupid the left sounds. (But even she has to get one right every now and then.)

Anchors Aweigh and Caissons Rolling,

X

[He Rides A White Horse]

Bush hates veterans. I saw it on TV once. It must be true.

He pushes old people in wheelchairs down slopes for fun. I saw that on TV too.

He wants to poison the environment, because he has these rich oil buddies who are, well, evil. Don't ask me how I know, I saw it on TV. So there.

He doesn't like minorities either, because TV said so. He practically helped drag James Byrd to death in case you haven't noticed. They said so on TV.

[NMFXSTC]

94% of the House and 86% of the Senate supported full concurrent receipt (HR 303 and S170 respectively). Now, where did those bills go? To GWB himself...and he did not sign them nor support them...in fact, he met with USS Warner behind closed doors and came up with "Purple Heart Plus". Meanwhile, the USS and USHR were supposed to meet and reach a compromise, but Rep. Hasert was instructed by GWB NOT to allow the House to meet with the Senate!

If you think 94% and 86% couldn't override a veto, you're daffy! Why didn't it happen? Because in order to introduce a veto moti0on it comes down to one man...Hasert...and he would never have done it because of GWB's instructions!

[Happy2BMe]

"If you think 94% and 86% couldn't override a veto, you're daffy! Why didn't it happen? Because in order to introduce a veto moti0on it comes down to one man...Hasert...and he would never have done it because of GWB's instructions!"

Go figure. Friends and I are scratching our heads as to why he is being so distant on this issue.

Tons and tons and tons more money than we are asking for is spent each year on just supporting the added illegal immigrant burden on the social services infrasructure each year. . . yet that money is handed out like candy.

The Democrats are sniffing this out too - there are many who are proud to endorse it.

Could it be Powell? Rumsfeld? Who??

What's up, DUBYA!??

[Happy2BMe]

Can you turn your sarcasm button off a sec please?

Unless you have been wounded or injured on active duty while wearing the United States military uniform in honorable service to your nation - please just spectate.

Thank you.