Veterans Feel Left Out, Ignored in Bush Speech
EmailIt’s not what President Bush said but what he left out of his State of the Union address that has outraged a major veteran’s group, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. In his nearly one-hour State of the Union address, President Bush never mentioned the 1.6 million veterans the war has already produced, while repeatedly asking the American public and Congress to support his plan to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq. "For the second year in a row, the president chose to mention the troops only really as a prop for his policies and ignored that these folks are coming home as new veterans," says Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and an Iraq war veteran himself. THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Blotter Wounded Vets Doing Well, But Payroll Problems Continue Video Nightline: Insult to Injury Video Primetime: Financial Friendly Fire Click Here to Check Out More of the Brian Ross Page The lack of a mention shows "veterans aren’t a priority for the Bush administration," says Rieckhoff. Rieckhoff says, in his view, it’s irresponsible for Bush to talk about increasing troops in the ongoing war without addressing shortcomings in health care and economic benefits that now plague an overburdened Veterans Affairs Administration.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage. "It might not be politically palpable for him, but he’s got to talk about how he’s gonna deal with folks with no arms, folks who’ve been paralyzed, folks who’re at Walter Reed and also the folks who’ve come home and are facing their second and third deployment," says Rieckhoff. Rieckhoff also says addressing the issue of returning veterans is not only the right thing to do but also critical to recruitment and morale. "It sends a bad message to young people if they don’t hear that Americans take care of their veterans," he says. "It’s going to make them reluctant to join, and it’s going to ultimately endanger our national security." A spokesperson for the White House told ABC News, "The president regularly expresses his strong support for America’s veterans and his commitment to insuring they receive the support they’ve earned," and to expect a large increase for the Veteran’s Department in the president’s proposed 2008 budget.
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Funny, I’m an Iraq combat veteran, and I don’t recall asking the Paul Rieckhoff person to speak for me. In spite of what this Rieckhoff person thingks, I don’t feel “outraged” and I also don’t feel that I am being used as a “prop” by anyone. It’s pathetic that some yahoo is using an organization to try and claim he knows what veterans are thinking. Speak for yourself, Rieckhoff.
Posted by: JP | January 24, 2007, 11:45 am 11:45 am
My father, a veteran of both the Korean conflict and Viet Nam, receives excellent care through the VA system and has for multiple years now. As a health care provider and Viet Nam veteran myself, I’d be vociferous in my objections if he wasn’t receiving the care I thought due him. I think Mr. Rieckoff has a different agenda that representing any veteran judiciously.
Posted by: J Pryor | January 24, 2007, 11:51 am 11:51 am
It is very disappointing to not have our Commander-in-Chief to acknowledge the commitment and strives our veterans have made. Not only should he be concerned about the physical health and economic statuses of our veterans, but also the MENTAL HEALTH. There are too many cases of depression, post-traumatic stress, even anger issues. Many men and women are having a challenging time coming back home. It’s a real shame.
Posted by: lyna | January 24, 2007, 11:53 am 11:53 am
I watched the president last night
and all that followed! I consider myself an independent, I will vote for the party that has a platform that relfects my thinking. Right now I am sick of the current administration and the
failure to admitt mistakes as far
as the war goes but on the other hand I am just as sick of the Democrats playing on everyones
emotions, re: the article above. Let’s face it America
we are facing an enemy that has
no intention of stopping. They will kill whoever and where ever
they can. Our government must work together to
protect us, our kids deserve a
future and if we don’t start working together they won’t have
a future.
Posted by: Joanne | January 24, 2007, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
The horrible truth begins to emerge from the disaster that is the Bush Family legacy. Their willingness to profiteer their Halliburton, Blackwater, etal army of contractors that really should be counted as soldiers in Iraq so that wasting soldiers lives for the monetary gain of Cheneys brigade does not sound quite as horrible as the reality of what this is all about…
Posted by: frodaddy | January 24, 2007, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm
If you want to boost the morale of our soldiers in fighting this war, you can not be too honest otherwise people will be “chicken scared” to join the army.We need more soldiers now more than ever to fight these madmen.
Posted by: Mildred | January 24, 2007, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
I think Brian Ross and his investigating leaves much to be desired. No wonder ABC is on the bottom of the ladder.
Posted by: Frank Agar | January 24, 2007, 2:01 pm 2:01 pm
Even for ABC News, this article is ridiculously biased and seems like the kind thing that usually comes from CBS.
When Clinton gave a SOTU speech, did ABC seek out gisgruntled groups the next day and highlight their criticisms promiently? (The answer is no they didn’t.)
Interesting that no media outlets are prominently reporting the very stong positive poll numbers of Americans who watched the speech. Gallup reports that over 70% of Anmericans had a favorable reaction to President’s speech last night. Those reports are being greatly downplayed and buried by the networks and wire services today. If it was Clinton, any reports of high poll overnight numbers for a SOTU speech would be prominently reported and highlighted.
Posted by: Ron | January 24, 2007, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Thank you ABC!
The armed services do provide a lot more transferrable training and skills than they used to, which is commendable, and it’s not as bad as it was in the 30′s, or after Vietnam, but we must do much more. Opening up medical benefits to all veterans several years ago was a big step.
Posted by: rob | January 24, 2007, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
Are we there yet? In other words, Do we have long range contracts for the Iraqi oil reserves? Because, it seems that Bush has no intention of letting the troops come home or leave Iraq until the Military has secured lucrative oil rights in that theater like Goodyear had in Liberia(100 years)for its rubber. Then its lookout Hugo! If you have oil and you don’t get along with Bush’s cronies, you are in the cross-hairs of the CIA.
Mason
Posted by: Willie Mason | January 24, 2007, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
This posting is a disgrace. To insinuate that our President doesn’t care about veterans b/c he did not include a sentence about them in his speech is a joke. Day after day, ABC continues to churn out more Bush-hating propaganda. It makes me sick.
When will all the Bush-haters realize that you are not tearing down the man, but the country? I know the automatic come back is that Clinton was impeached and this is just payback, etc. However, when does it stop? Doesn’t anyone out there realize that politics, like life, is a pendalum that swings back and forth. Sooner or later the pendulum is going to swing back your way and the guy (or girl) you are supporting is going to hold that office and they are going to pay a price that is far worse than you can imagine for this media-driven hysteria to criticize the President for every tiny and particular thing that he either does or does not do, every single day. ENOUGH ALL READY! He obviously is not our greatest President, but he is all we got now.
Wake up America, the next attack is coming and we are lost in the weeds. None of this partisan bickering will matter after we start conducting body counts again in our own cities. Its not fear mongering, its reality.
Posted by: jim jones | January 24, 2007, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm
This president hss not listened to anyone that gives him advice. His weapons team told him there was no weapons of mass destruction, and he totally ignored their reports. Now mothers and daughters are in a war. Fathers and sons. But you don’t see him sending his daughters.
Posted by: Van | January 24, 2007, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Did President Bush forget that a great American City, New Orleans, is still on its knees? Why was there no mention of the strife and painful journey of the citizens of New Orleans and Louisiana?
Posted by: Tony | January 24, 2007, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
I see that Jim Jones fed his troops KOOLAID but must have had his spilled as he still lives…this posting is no disgrace but your boy in the whitewash house IS…plus ABC radio network has no progressive or liberal shows…NONE…looks like you been flapping in the wind at your ABC friends who have done everything they could to prop up the BUSHBABY in case you did not notice…Jim Jones…go back to GUYANA and try again…
Posted by: frodaddy | January 24, 2007, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
How timely this article is. Just when I was thinking about this with “last night’s hero’s” — it might have been very good to see some of our veteran’s of Iraq in this category that Bush could thank personally before congress — ya think????
But then, Bush doesn’t want to talk about the many veteran’s because he doesn’t want American’s to see how a lot of them come home after his fiasco. Thank you for reminding us. God Bless them all!
Posted by: Paulet | January 24, 2007, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
I also remeber a group of men who went to war. Only to come to home to a whole country who failed to recognize the efforts of the vetrans who served their contry. Vietnam. We can just add BUSH to the list.
Posted by: Ed May | January 24, 2007, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
Certain things were more important to talk about than others. Veterans were not important enough to discuss, it is not an issue in crisis state.
Posted by: paul | January 24, 2007, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm
Veterans aren’t “important enough” to merit discussion during a national crisis? Excuse me? Veterans are the ones who bailed your sorry civilian backsides out during previous REAL crises. “Paul” is one of the many reasons I find myself more and more embittered towards civilians as a whole.
Most of you want to just see us veterans come home and be appropriately grateful that you put forth the effort to stick a yellow ribbon magnet on your SUV. You want us to be appropriately grateful that we, too, can shop in an air conditioned Wal-Mart for stuff we neither want nor need. Well, I’m NOT grateful. If you can’t show at least a little respect and consideration, then why don’t you just try shutting the heck up?
Posted by: Lisa | January 24, 2007, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm
For “Jim Jones” a.k.a. “Karl Rove”
Hello! Bush is a liar. The pictures he paints of the evil terror mongers has about as much credibility as Sadam’s WMDs. Little by little the truths are sifting through the MOIs. Indeed, the world has changed since 9/11. Our enemies are in surprising places! Don’t loose hope, even now justice closes in…
Posted by: mark | January 25, 2007, 1:26 am 1:26 am
What do the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans expect from this President? When we were at war in Vietnam, he pulled strings (his father’s) to get out of going. Do you think he cares about the troops that much? Wait and see the answer when his term in office ends.
Posted by: Joe | January 25, 2007, 3:55 am 3:55 am
What do you think is on George W. Bush’s mind? On the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan? I think not. He’s talked about History and his place in it many times. This is his only concern. How history sees his, not how we look at his, Presidency.
Posted by: Joe | January 25, 2007, 5:23 am 5:23 am
This article is not meant to speak for veterans who are not outraged. I have a friend who returned from Iraq with permanent brain damage due to a gunshot wound and he is not “outraged” over the lack of assistance he has received (I on the other had am outraged). This article is designed to shed light on the Bush’s shamefull disregard for veteran’s of this war. Many of them are coming home with permanent disfigurement and are not getting the assistance and attention that they deserve from the man that sent them to into battle. The civillian population deserves to hear the truth about this and decide for themselves if they feel outrage. If you are a veteran who is not outraged, I thank you for your service, but your honorable self-sacrifice does not remove Bush, who has lived a life of extreme privellege, out of the hotseat.
Posted by: M.B. | January 25, 2007, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
In response to a comment that people who criticize Bush are tearing down this country, you can’t be serious! It is being torn down internationally by this administration and their actions. There is absolutely no accountability in this administration, look back and see what has actually happened here. Check out something other than Fox News. A world poll shows that 73% of the world disapproves of the actions of this country! Wake up!
Posted by: kclaf | January 27, 2007, 11:03 am 11:03 am
The VA tries as best as it can to deliver service to the veteran, and for the care that I and my father and my uncles (all of us combat veterans) have received, we are grateful; however more could have been done when our lives had our future in front of us but that is hindsight.
The present administration gives short shrift to the needs of the Veterans Administration to provide care to the current casualties of this war. That this war is being financed by tax cuts is beyond comprehension.
Posted by: L W | January 27, 2007, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
Quit your nonsense about Bush Admin. Just get the innocent soldiers home, who are fighting ordinary people, without military uniform. If it is oil and econonmic market then better protect only those areas. tell people, do not be shy mr. president-cheney and co.
you are the crimes of the century and you have to be punished for so many lies thrown at this nation. Veterans, are not you ashamed of yourselves who are siding with this admin. who is fighting unknown-enemies, who could not be distinguish?
Posted by: marjangeh | January 31, 2007, 10:06 am 10:06 am