Support our Veterans, vote Democratic

I have been canvassing a lot recently in several districts both federal and state, and one nice foot note I have is that the majority of the houses I am hitting with veterans I end up talking to someone who has had enough and is voting for Democrats. Staten Island and Brooklyn are no different.

via the SI Advance;

Harrison, an attorney from Brooklyn who is challenging Fossella, said veterans "are the group that has been hurt the most by the Bush administration over the last five years."

Fossella, he said, "wraps himself in the flags," but voted against granting Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans a $1,500 bonus and, in 2003, against expanding Tricare health benefits to National Guard and Reserve troops serving in the war.

"These are the kinds of things we have to reverse in this nation," Harrison said.

While Rep. Vito Fossella may flier the district with literature patting himself on the back for being the sole savoir of the VA hospital consider this;

1. Veterans benefits are horribly underfunded, even with this administration increasing funding recently. How many bills has Vito introduced to increase funding for Veterans benefits?

2. If Vito is so excited he saved the VA hospital, why as a member of the majority party who controls Congress was the hospital ever on the list for closures? If he has any power it would never have made the closing list, otherwise it just reinforces how ineffective he is for this district. Which one is it?

If you think Vito is strong on Veterans benefits think again. We should sparingly use our armed forces, because they are our sons and daughters and husbands and wives, and when we do need to send them off to fight on our behalf there should be no doubt that they are fully prepared and adequately protected. Filling up Walter Reed is not how I would consider supporting our troops and future veterans.

And how is this for veteran support of Harrison? The former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, General Clark endorsed Stephen Harrison.