Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Republicans to Military Veterans -- SCREW YOU!

I know conservatives are missing the part of the brain that processes facts (in cases when a brain can be medically proven to exist). That is why they all scream the same talking points like a bunch of sheep. "Why do liberals hate America?" "Blame America First." Blah, blah, blah, boring, boring, can I hear your dumb phrases that you've lifted from Rush one more time without ramming a sewing needle through my head? Here is yet another piece of actual evidence -- you know, the "real" kind that is an undisputed fact no matter how many nauseauting right wing "think tanks" come out to perfect their art of proving themselves right no matter how wrong they are. Once again, the Republicans, who pretty much centered their entire 2004 election campaign around being THE party that supports the military even though most them never served, have given a resounding SCREW YOU to the military veterans of this country. Below, the latest. Anyone notice all those "Rs" in the NAY column? I look forward to tossing my lunch after hearing how the "America First" support group will spin this one:

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109th Congress - 1st Session as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate Vote Summary uestion: On the Motion (Motion to Waive Sec. 402, S. Con. Res. 95 (108th) "Emergency designation" Re: Murray Amdt. No. 344, As Modified ) Vote Number: 89 Vote Date: April 12, 2005, 03:26 PM Required For Majority: 3/5 Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 344 to to H.R. 1268 (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005 )

Statement of Purpose: To provide $1,975,183,000 for medical care for veterans.
Vote Result: Motion Rejected


ALL DEMOCRATS VOTED YES Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---46 Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Clinton (D-NY) Conrad (D-ND) Corzine (D-NJ) Dayton (D-MN) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Specter (R-PA) only republican to vote yes Stabenow (D-MI) Wyden (D-OR)

ALL REPUBLICANS VOTED NO MONEY FOR VETS HEALTHCARE...NAYs ---54 Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Allen (R-VA) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burns (R-MT) Burr (R-NC) Chafee (R-RI) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) DeWine (R-OH) Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Roberts (R-KS) Santorum (R-PA) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) CALL YOUR SENATORS AND Snowe (R-ME) NEWSPAPERS AND TV NOW. Stevens (R-AK) DEMAND AN ANSWER. Sununu (R-NH) Talent (R-MO) Thomas (R-WY) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

6 comments:

Bill Baar said...

Clinton flat lined the VA's healthcare budget for years. Bush has brought record increases. This is cheap shot

Bill Baar said...

Take a look at http://www.factcheck.org/article144.html

Bush wants to focus care on Service Connected and indigent Vets. Folks who need it most. Clinton opened system up to higher income Vets looking for cheaper drugs. We should put Combat Vets and lower income Vets ahead of the line.

Anonymous said...

Now there's some original thinking..once again, something is Clinton's fault.

Obviously the GOP-controlled Budget Committee in the House was pushing for generous increases over the years, right?

Crackpot Press said...

Clinton didn't send a 130,000 troops into harms way under false pretense.

Notice how we are no longer "fighting to defend America" but "fighting to free Iraqi's"

I saw the doc "Gunner's Palace" which follows our troops in Iraq. One line that keeps sticking with me. One of the marines says "I am not fighting for Iraqi freedom, I am fighting to stay alive"

Anonymous said...

Can somebody please let conservatives know that Republicans have been in control of all three branches of government since 2002? And can somebody please point out that Bush isn't even mentioned in this post? It's about the SENATE. This vote took place in the SENATE. It's going to be 2050 and their response to everything is going to be "Look what Clinton did!" Clinton did not center his entire Presidency and polticial campaigns around vacuous patriotism, and Clinton's people did not attack dissenters and label them unpatriotic traitors like we hear ad nauseaum in the right wing echo chambers. Lastly, and most importantly, this isn't a game. Our soldiers are dying. Our soliders are being maimed for life. Our soldiers will have psychiatric problems for life. A colleague of mine has been counseling returning veterans and it is not pretty I assure you. On the other side of the coin, Iraqi civilians are dying and Iraqis are being tortured. The people in Richmond, VA had a community wide coniption a couple of years ago when it was announced that a statue of Abraham Lincoln was gong to be put up there. The Civil War ended in 1865. The Iraqis are going to hate us for just as long, if not longer. So, please, just once, spare me the ridiculous compare and contrast methodology. Because Clinton, under completely different social and economic factors, reduced military funding does not make this most recent and abhorrent action by the SENATE okay.

Anonymous said...

Bill --

FactCheck is an excellent site and I use it quite often. Your link is instructive, however the blog post does not accuse President Bush of reducing veterans funding. It specifically points out a recent vote in the Senate. This was an ammendment to a larger spending bill. In 2005 we have many more military veterans with more seriosu problems than under Clinton's administration (and "his" all Republican Congress if my memory serves me). This vote took place in April of 2005. Your FactCheck link is from February of 2004 -- when the political campaings from both parties were heating up. I see the connection, but it's thin.