[Fred Mertz]

But it would cost as much as $5 billion a year to expand payments to 670,000 disabled veterans, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld earlier this month told lawmakers that the president would veto any bill including the change.

This Rummy guy is a major part of the problem.

I haven't paid a dime to Tricare and don't plan to either. I'll just die young.

[BenR2]

But it would cost as much as $5 billion a year to expand payments to 670,000 disabled veterans, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld earlier this month told lawmakers that the president would veto any bill including the change.

This Rummy guy is a major part of the problem.

I haven't paid a dime to Tricare and don't plan to either. I'll just die young.

////////////
Disagree. Don't blame the messenger.

The buck stops at GWB's desk, dammit, and he is HABITUALLY trying to wriggle out of the blame (it was the CIA's fault, etc).

To think that GWB -- who has not vetoed a SINGLE bill, yet, in his entire term -- would threaten to veto a bill that takes care of our retired military says a great deal to me about his total cluelessness (or, is it simply callous disregard?) of the Conservative voting base that pulled his chestnuts out of the fire in the 2000 election.

I am disgusted with Skull-and-Bonehead Bush.

[carenot]

I haven't paid a dime to Tricare and don't plan to either. I'll just die young.

Ha, Fred.
We are too old to die young. :)

[Redleg Duke]

"I'll just die young."

Promises...promises...all you give us are empty promises!

[MissAmericanPie]

"But it would cost as much as $5 billion a year to expand payments to 670,000 disabled veterans, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld earlier this month told lawmakers that the president would veto any bill including the change"

Let's weigh this, ten billion to Africa to throw away down a tin pot dictators rat hole. Five billion on a Farm Bill, let's don't even peek at the prescription drug program. Yet the skin flints in D.C. can't afford to pay our brave men both disability and retirement.

Bush who has never vetoed a liberal bill, CFR, the education bill, a billion more to the U.N., jumps up with a snarl and threatens our veterans with his nasty veto pen. We call that double dealing where I come from.

[exodus]

and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld earlier this month told lawmakers that the president would veto any bill including the change.

To: Brian S; SLB; Squantos; Militiaman7; leadpenny; BufordP

This Rummy guy is a major part of the problem.
I haven't paid a dime to Tricare and don't plan to either.
I'll just die young.
# 6 by Fred Mertz
***************

Rumsfeld is a flunky.

Rumsfeld only does or says things that he has permission to do or say.

President Bush is the one who said he would veto veteran benefits if Congress passed them, just as Bush is the one who said he would sign a bill to extend the "assault weapon" ban.

[Crossbow Eel]

"I haven't paid a dime to Tricare and don't plan to either. I'll just die young"

Man you're ignorant

Tricare is the best thing that ever happened for vets in 40 years.

I'll spare all the facts because you don't care but look them up and you'll be in for a shock how much tricare beats the hell out of champus !

Here's a few:

You still get free med care and prescriptions at military hospitals. You also get this after you turn 65 which is new.

Add to this the choice to go to thousands of civilian hospitals and doctors off base for free or a few dollars if you don't want to go to a base !

It's not perfect but it beats 99% of anything out there now !

Add to this the lifetime co-pay cost went down from 25% under champus to only a $5000 under tricare. A triple bypass costs $150,000 so this is a huge savings !

[vaudine]

Fred and others:

It is true many in Congress did not see promised lifelong med. care as a "contract". Things aren't perfect.

However, since receiving Tricare (Congress did it, but Bush signed it) my husband no longer has to pay for a supplement to his Medicare. That is like a pay increase of 120.00 a month.

Although he would prefer to go to the base for dental and glasses, cuts in the military in the past two decades preclude that. Especially true under Dem. controlled Congress. He does get eye exams at the VA hospital and either takes their issued glasses or buys his own if he doesn't like the style of those.

We live within 50 miles of a base and get most prescriptions there, free. If they do not have it, he pays a 9.00 copay to Rite-Aid or Walmart.

Also under Tricare, he can go to a dr. of his choice and not have a new dr. everytime as he used to on the base.

As a dependent, I use Tricare when Blue Cross doesn't pay (from my former employment.)

What do you and the other vets think you will get from the Dems--Dean, Kerry, Edwards, or more likely--Hillary. Good grief--have you forgotten how contemptuous the Clintons were of the military? Everything would go to pot.(probably
literally)

vaudine