Why Would Any Military Person Suppoert Bush?

Here's just a small sample of what has occured during this administrations time in office regarding our military.

Kenneth Norris: This is how Bush supports our troops, USA Vanguard, January 30, 2004
"Do you support our troops? If so, prepare to be outraged that our commander in chief does not. The Bush Administration's 2004 budget proposed gutting Veterans Administration (VA) services, including health care funding. Proposed cuts included: denying at least 360,000 veterans access to health care; $250 annual premiums; increased pharmacy co-payments; a 30 percent increased primary care co-payments; and increased waiting time for a first medical appointment. Because of budgetary shortfalls, the VA suspended the enrollment of veterans not injured in service earning between $24,450 and $38,100 annually. VFW officials estimated the administration's VA budget is at least $2 billion short of meeting the demand for quality health care. The FY 2004 budget approved by Congress calls for reducing VA funding over a 10-year period by $6.2 billion. Cuts are in the areas of veterans' health care and disability benefits." (2/3)

Gautham Rao: Bush Administration Mistreats Military [And Vets], BuzzFlash, November 22, 2003
"If there ever was any doubt that President Bush and the Republican-led Congress have failed to offer support to U.S. troops sent to fight an unnecessary and costly war, this compendium of excerpts from news stories, editorials and speeches makes the case." (See also Sandra Jontz' "Some Army Troops Unpaid For Weeks, Denied Medical Care" in Stars and Stripes," and BuzzFlash, "Indignities Endured by U.S. Military Veterans"). (11/25)

BuzzFlash News Analysis: Indignities Endured by U.S. Military Veterans, Buzz Flash, November 11, 2003
"Today it's clear to many veterans that the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress think of them on other days of the year besides Veterans Day. They're thinking of veterans as they work to cut off VA healthcare. They're thinking of veterans when they refuse to address lingering health problems from the first Gulf War. They're thinking of veterans when they block full retirement and disability benefits. And they're thinking of veterans when Bush decides, yet again, not to attend a soldier's funeral or pay a visit to those who are recovering from injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center just a few miles from the White House... . BuzzFlash is committed to revealing the numerous ways in which Bush has gone back on his pledge to be an advocate for veterans. Excerpts from news stories, editorials and speeches detailing Bush's and Congress' actions are provided here. (See also Dave Lindorff's "Bush's War on Veterans: The White House Attack on the Troops" .) (11/15)

Paul Krugman: Support the troops, New York Times, November 11, 2003
"[S]ince it's Veterans Day, let's talk about how the big squeeze on spending may be alienating a surprising group: the nation's soldiers. One of George W. Bush's major campaign themes in 2000 was his promise to improve the lives of America's soldiers --and military votes were crucial to his success. But these days some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration come from publications aimed at a military audience. For example, last week the magazine Army Times ran a story with the headline "An Act of 'Betrayal,'" and the subtitle "In the midst of war, key family benefits face cuts." The artic'le went on to assert that there has been "a string of actions by the Bush administration to cut or hold down growth in pay and benefits, including basic pay, combat pay, health-care benefits and the death gratuity paid to survivors of troops who die on active duty.' " (11/15)

Mark Benjamin: Sick, wounded U.S. troops held in squalor, Washington Times, October 18, 2003
"Hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers including many who served in the Iraq war are languishing in hot cement barracks here while they wait -- sometimes for months -- to see doctors. The National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers' living conditions are so substandard, and the medical care so poor, that many of them believe the Army is trying push them out with reduced benefits for their ailments. One document shown to UPI states that no more doctor appointments are available from Oct. 14 through Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day." (See also: Steven Rosenfeld: The Pentagon's Achilles Heel). (10/21)

Heather Wokusch: Lawsuit for Gulf War veterans targets WMD businesses, Smirking Chimp, August 22, 2003
"A lawsuit on behalf of over 100,000 Gulf War veterans [link] has the Bush administration on edge and businesses running for cover. The class action suit names 11 companies and 33 banks alleged to have helped Iraq with its chemical weapons program in the 1980's, despite knowledge Saddam Hussein was actively using WMD against both Iranians and his own people. At the time, Reagan's Middle East envoy was one Donald Rumsfeld, hard at work opening doors for Hussein's regime to purchase millions in aircraft, hardware and other potential weaponry." (8/26)

For further reading the links can be found here: http://www.crisispapers.org/topics/veterans-issues.htm