Veterans Pick Their Presidential Candidates

VETERANS FOR (Fill in the Blank)

Once Again Veterans take on Active Roles in Presidential Political Campaigns.

By Robert L. Hanafin

If readers have not figured it out yet, the top issue on the American voters mind not only during the primaries, but also especially during General Election in November 2008 will be the Iraq War. The top issue, if not for American voters, at least for America’s Veterans will be ensuring that our troops that eventually become Veterans and those of past wars receive at a maximum mandatory funding of the VA or at a minimum maintaining the status quo in Supporting America’s Veterans and Troops.

Given those top two issues, plus the certainty that Swift Boating will more than likely once again be a political tactic, especially if a Veteran is nominated to represent their respective political party, Veterans and Military Family organizations have proliferated in preparation for 2008.  Following the lead from the model established by Senator John Kerry and President G.W. Bush during their ‘Political War of the Veterans in 2004,’ the number of such groups supporting a Presidential candidate going into the primaries has multiplied significantly. 

In order to be impartial as I possibly can and ensure it is clear to our readers that as a Staff Writer for VT, I remain neutral on who I personally support for State representative, Governor, President, and so on. PLEASE understand that the VT Network endorses no candidate for public office.

I am posting not only listing as many Veterans For Whoever (regardless of political party or views) groups I can find, but in a random order that covers as many candidates that have such groups officially (or unofficially) supporting them. With the exception of two campaigns that have contacted me, I do not intend to do any outreach to any campaign when I can direct the reader to their contact and website for details and related information.

This will be ‘without comment,’ except where clarification is required, in order for YOU our readers to do your own comparisons. This is also intended to be informational, providing anyone interested in comparing where Veterans and Military families stand on various candidates but also links to candidate campaigns that give additional detail.

In order to be fair and balanced giving each campaign adequate coverage, I will need to break this article down into several parts. 

This is in the spirit of WE report and YOU use your head.

Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired

Rudy Giuliani Supports America’s Veterans (Platform)
Veterans for Rudy  http://www.joinrudy2008.com/coalition/veterans

Dec 7th
• Create and Implement VetStat to Bring Accountability to the VA.
• Recognize the New Role of the National Guard and Reserve.
• Adopt the Recommendations of the Report of the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors (also known as the Dole-Shalala Commission).
• Immediately Create Comprehensive [Veterans] Recovery Plans.
• Restructure the Disability-Compensation Systems [Focusing on the veteran’s ability, not his or her disability.]
• Aggressively Prevent and Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.

1. Significantly Strengthen Support for Families [Of wounded soldiers].
2. Rapidly Transfer Patient Information between DOD and VA.
3. Strongly Support Walter Reed and other medical centers. [By increasing staff and resources as necessary and by providing up-to-date medical technology.

Readers will find detailed information on Candidate Giuliani’s Veterans and Troops platform at Veterans for Rudy at: http://www.joinrudy2008.com/article/index/1059

Senator Joe Biden – Fighting for America’s Veterans (Platform)

Veterans for Biden at: http://www.joebiden.com/getinvolved/vets_for_biden
Military Families for Biden at: http://www.joebiden.com/getinvolved/mil_fam_for_biden

1. Improve Health Care For Those Injured In Service.
2. Ensure Veterans and Soldiers Are Treated In the Best Facilities.
3. Ensure a Walter Reed situation won’t happen again.
     • Prohibiting private contracting of maintenance services at military medical complexes while the nation is at war.
     • Stopping budget cuts to military medical facilities while the nation is at war.
     • Require the Secretary of Defense to establish uniform standards for military medical treatment facilities.
     • Require the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on long-term care needs for the next 50 years. 
     • Secure Family Involvement and Stability For Injured Soldiers
     • Guarantee 12-months of Family and Medical Leave coverage for families of injured soldiers.
     • Extend medical care to family members while they are living at military treatment facilities.
     • Extend employment services to care-giving family members.
     • Strengthen existing anonymous crisis counseling and respite services.
     • Adequately Screen For and Treat TBI and PTSD.
     • Establish a protocol for pre-deployment assessment that can be used for comparison after deployment to assist in the diagnosis of TBI.
     • Require the Secretary of Defense to establish two centers of excellence – one for TBI and one for PTSD.
     • Authorize the use of non-VA facilities for the implementation of rehabilitation and community reintegration plans for veterans with TBI.
     • Establish a pilot program for assisted living services for veterans with TBI.                                           

4. Improved [Quality of] Care: 

– Direct the DOD/VA Interagency Program Office to develop and implement a joint electronic health record keeping system.
– Increase the number of caseworkers and prevent the ratio of case managers to patients from exceeding 1 to 20.
– Require that case managers be property trained in assisting their patients in navigating the VA system.
– Authorize medically retired service members to receive the active duty health care benefit for 3 years.
– Streamline and revise the Physical Disability Evaluation System by bringing it all under one command.
– Require the creation of a single manual for outpatient care services.
– Establish a board to review disability determinations of service members separated between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2009, with a disability rating of 20% or less.                                    

5. Reform Handling of Disability Claims                                                                                                                  – Update and simplify the disability determination and claims processing system. [Including periodic reviews of veterans’ disability to ensure proper compensation].
– Establish a lawyer corps that represents veterans’ free-of-charge during the adjudications process. [Based on a JAG model]
– Allow survivors to step in and pursue undecided claims or those under appeal that were pending at the time of a veteran’s death
– Require the VA to review educational and training requirements for claims adjudicators.
– Require the VA to publish the number of claims that are rejected each year in each region.

6.. Assist With Job Placement and Educational Services                                                                                                                                                                                 – Provide grants to non-profit organizations and veterans service organizations that provide job training and placement services.
– Increase funding and resources for the Helmets to Hardhats program 
– Allow Reservists and National Guard members who have been deployed while enrolled in college to return to school with the same academic standing that they had before they were called up. 
– At least 12 months grace period to begin paying student loans to help overcome the strain of deployment to a combat zone.

7. Joe Biden’s Record: Three Decades of Keeping the Promise
– Guaranteeing Funding for Health Care. 
– Helping Veterans With Agent Orange Related Illness.
– Cutting the Backlog of Veterans Claims
– Advocating for Concurrent Receipt [Repeal the Disabled Veterans tax
– Helping Military Retirees, Reservists With TRICARE.
– Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans.
– Celebrating Veterans:  Make National Veterans Awareness Week, the week of Veteran’s Day. 
– Honoring Our World War II, Korean, and Vietnam War Veterans.

Readers will find detailed information on Candidate Biden’s Veterans and Troops platform at Veterans for Biden at: http://www.joebiden.com/issues?id=0022
http://theiowacaucus.blogspot.com/2007/11/iowa-veterans-for-biden-announces.html

Alan Keyes – Born Alive Veterans for Truth
http://www.alankeyes.com/articles/070103stanek.php

Born Alive Veterans for Truth
http://www.alankeyes.com/articles/070103stanek.php

Candidate Alan Keyes on the Issues
http://www.alankeyes.com/issues_list.php
Defense and Foreign Policy – Isreal
http://www.alankeyes.com/issues_list.php#defense
The Iraq War
http://www.alankeyes.com/issues_list.php#iraq
The War on Terror
http://www.alankeyes.com/issues_list.php#terrorism

(Note: In searching for Candidate Alan Keyes’ Veterans platform, I was able to locate Defense, Foreign Policy and Israel, the Iraq War, and War on Terror, however there appeared to be no specific platform for Veterans. The only mention of ‘Veterans’ on Alan Keyes’ campaign website was – Born Again Veterans for Truth).

Readers are more than welcome to check out the Keyes campaign for yourselves at: http://www.alankeyes.com/issues.php

Senator Barrack Obama – Honoring Our Veterans (Platform)
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/veterans/

1. Sheltering and Rehabilitating Homeless Veterans.
2. Fighting for Illinois Veterans’ Fair Share of Disability Benefits.

•  
  • Following reports that veterans in Illinois were receiving less in disability benefits than those nearly anywhere else in the country.

3. Forced the VA to notify veterans in Illinois and other states traditionally underserved about their right to seek a review of their past claims.
4. Feeding Recovering Wounded Veterans.

•  
  • Introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded military members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members recovering in a military hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their own meals

5. Improve Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• Passed legislation to limit the Department of Veterans Affairs ability to force Veterans with severe PTSD to prove that they deserved their disability payments. Publicly pressured the VA to finally abandon the effort in November of 2005. 
•  Worked with Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) to pass an amendment ensuring that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) the signature injury of the Iraq war. The blast from improvised explosive devices can jar the brain, causing bruising or permanent damage. Concussions can have huge health effects including slowed thinking, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance, attention and concentration deficits, and irritability.

6. Easing the Transition of New Veterans into Society

• Introduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act. The Lane Evans bill would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves. Require the VA and the Department of Defense to work together to track new veterans entering the VA for better budget planning and monitoring of emerging health trends.
• Passed an amendment that became law requiring the Defense Department to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA’s electronic medical records system. Delay in developing such a system created obstacles for service members transitioning into the VA health care system.

Veterans for Obama at http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/VeteransforObama

U.S. Military Service Men & Women Support Ron Paul

Military and Veterans for Paul
http://www.militaryforpaul.com/about.html

MilitaryForPaul.com is a group of military service men & women and veterans
that support the candidacy of Ron Paul for President. It is their goal to advocate for
him both within and outside of the military community. They believe he is the only candidate running for President that is transparent and honest to the U.S. military. They believe he is the only candidate with the right combination of experience and principle for the job. As members of the United States Military, they swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and they believe he is the only candidate that follows the Constitution and fights for both economic and personal freedom.

The Facts: Why Support Ron Paul?

1.  "The Best Friend Local Veterans Have" (The Baytown Sun – August 27, 2006)
2. VIDEO: "If it weren’t for Ron Paul, I wouldn’t be alive today"
3.  Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) PAC endorsed Ron Paul for Congress
4. Paul takes in more military donations than any other 08 Presidential candidate
5. Congressman Paul’s Military & Veterans voting record

For additional details or questions contact Military and Veterans for Paul at http://www.militaryforpaul.com/about.html

Writer’s Note: Though running as a Republican, Congressman Paul is Libertarian by ideology and support in Texas. (My clarification) The Libertarian Party has approached him to run on a Libertarian Party ticket if he should not get the Republican nomination. I believe it is safe to say that the Libertarian Party has not reached a rank and file agreement on approaching Paul while he is a Republican candidate in the primaries, but he most likely will siphon off votes from any Libertarian or Republican candidates. It remains to be seen if he would accept the Libertarian National Committee’s resolution if he lost the Republican nomination.

http://www.lp.org/fp/article_546.shtml
http://www.lp.org/media/article_545.shtml

The Green Party Platform

The Green Party has a wide selection of announced Presidential Candidates, Jared Ball, Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, and Kat Swift. In addition, there are two draft candidates, Elaine Brown and Ralph Nader.

Rather than take the time consuming route of looking up where each candidate stands on Veterans Issues, I admittedly took the short cut (to the chase) of focusing on where Veterans, Military Families, and our troops fit in the Green Party platform. (No Comment)

The Real Difference
http://www.therealdifference.org/issues2.html

Contact the Green Party for additional details or questions regarding their Veterans and Military Families Platform at http://www.gp.org/platform.shtml

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO

Coming up in Part Two:

AND A FEW MORE

HAVE A GREAT VETERANS TODAY DAY – SALUTE!