Political candidate takes on Republicans in the American Legion

Bob Krause, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate, said today that Republican collusion against Veterans’ spouse unemployment compensation in the Iowa House is part of a Republican pattern of honoring the veteran with tinsel but refusing meaningful relief.

The collusion involved the lobbyist for the American Legion, Laverne Schroeder, who is a former 18-year Republican state legislator and someone who is very well connected to the House Republican Caucus. At the last minute, before a bill helpful to Veterans’ spouses came to the floor, Schroeder registered the politically potent American Legion as opposing the bill, in what appeared to be an effort to derail the bill.

Republicans then voted against the bill on a party-line vote. The Legion had taken no formal position on the bill prior to that time.

Posted by: Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired, VT News Network

Mr. Krause’s full statement follows:

“Not only was this disgusting for someone who says that he cares about Veterans, but it shows a pattern within the Republican party.  Senator Charles Grassley has behaved in a similar fashion as the House Republicans when he signed on to a low cost amendment to ban flag burning, while at the same time voting against America’s veterans as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee by vigorously working to deny funding for health care for America’s veterans.”

“Steve King and Tom Latham, Republican Congressmen from Iowa, did pretty much the same thing — supporting amendments to ban the burning of the American flag, but denying veterans of decent health care during a war when they were in the majority. Iowa’s veterans need to wake up and realize that the Republican Party has not been their friend.”

“Last week’s activities by House Republicans in Des Moines was of the same ilk.  Once again, it shows that many Republican leaders are more than happy to cheer the boys and girls in uniform when they are off to war, but are not interested in shelling out a few bucks for those who are risking their lives for us. Where I come from, this kind of behavior is called ‘cheap.'”

“Let’s review what happened last week. House File 2010 allows Iowans married to a soldier, sailor or airman to collect unemployment compensation if they voluntarily quit work to follow their military spouse to a new location. In wartime, when the spouse quits in order to follow his or her service member, “voluntary quit” often does not mean “voluntary quit.” Instead, it means doing what is necessary to keep the family afloat and together – – especially on the relative low wages of some of the junior enlisted soldiers.”

“I support this important piece of legislation, and think that it needs to be a federal requirement for state unemployment compensation law. There is a war going on, and married military families have plenty to worry about. If you are married, you understand the importance of keeping a family together in times of stress. It is enough to worry about when the next overseas deployment is and what the family fallout might be from PTSD injuries or even death. You don’t need the extra worry of contributing to a low paid soldier’s family income and finding a new job in a bad economy. All told, this bill is needed to help keep soldiers’ families off food stamps, especially in time of war and national recession.”

“So what did the House Republicans do to support our soldiers and their families in time of war? They opposed the bill as being too costly to employers. It seems strange to me that these sunshine soldiers and summertime patriots do not understand that businesses make money in our society because service members protect their right to do it. This is one of the most shameful acts of economic tight-fistedness that I have seen in my long career of working with the military and national defense.”

“Not only that, they colluded with a lobbyist that I happen to know to try to make the Democrats look bad by unethically falsifying an American Legion position against the bill without the approval of the American Legion. I am an American Legion member, and I am disgusted that my membership has been impugned by this dastardly act.”

“So what can you do about it? [If an Iowa resident], please call your State Representatives and Senators! Tell them that this is a necessary bill that will support our American patriots in uniform and their families.

Tell them that an ethics proceeding needs to occur to remove unethical lobbyists from our State Capitol.

In addition [if an Iowa resident or not], ask your local American Legion Post Commander to contact Legion headquarters and ask them to voice their outrage at the behavior of the American Legion’s lobbyist.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Monday, February 01, 2010

Contact: Keith Dinsmore

573-230-5360

[email protected]

Robert L. Hanafin

Readers are more than welcome to use the articles I’ve posted on Veterans Today, I’ve had to take a break from VT as Veterans Issues and Peace Activism Editor and staff writer due to personal medical reasons in our military family that take away too much time needed to properly express future stories or respond to readers in a timely manner.

My association with VT since its founding in 2004 has been a very rewarding experience for me.

Retired from both the Air Force and Civil Service. Went in the regular Army at 17 during Vietnam (1968), stayed in the Army Reserve to complete my eight year commitment in 1976. Served in Air Defense Artillery, and a Mechanized Infantry Division (4MID) at Fort Carson, Co. Used the GI Bill to go to college, worked full time at the VA, and non-scholarship Air Force 2-Year ROTC program for prior service military. Commissioned in the Air Force in 1977. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1977 to 1994. Upon retirement I entered retail drugstore management training with Safeway Drugs Stores in California. Retail Sales Management was not my cup of tea, so I applied my former U.S. Civil Service status with the VA to get my foot in the door at the Justice Department, and later Department of the Navy retiring with disability from the Civil Service in 2000.

I’ve been with Veterans Today since the site originated. I’m now on the Editorial Board. I was also on the Editorial Board of Our Troops News Ladder another progressive leaning Veterans and Military Family news clearing house.

I remain married for over 45 years. I am both a Vietnam Era and Gulf War Veteran. I served on Okinawa and Fort Carson, Colorado during Vietnam and in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at Norton AFB, CA during Desert Storm. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 having worked on the Air Staff and Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon.