The politics of Veterans Day
November 9th, 2007 – 11:20 AM by Dennis J. McGrathWith Veterans Day approaching, the intersection of politics and Iraq veterans is cropping up.
This week a chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War was denied permission to march in a Veterans Day Parade in Long Beach, Calif., on the grounds that they don’t reflect the spirit of the parade. Here the organization’s take on the dispute. Here’s a story from the Long Beach Press Telegram.
Ashwin Madia |
And yesterday, I received two press releases that sounded the alarm about politicians playing politics with Iraq veterans — and which themselves sounded awfully political.
Vets for Freedom lashed out at Congress for failing to pass legislation boosting health care and other benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war vets. The group is established as a non-partisan organization, but like many other 527-registered groups, its political affiliation is thinly veiled. The left-leaning SourceWatch describes the Vets for Freedom ties to the GOP here.
Closer to home, the Constitution Party of Minnesota issued a release complaining that the two major parties merely use veterans “as political pawns.” It then went on to use the upcoming Veterans Day to announce it was launching a three month campaign to honor veterans, followed by an “election-season kick-off event to be held in February.”
Another interesting factoid to note: although the Iraq war is a burning issue in the presidential campaign, none of the front-running presidential candidates have served in the military, with the notable exception of Sen. John McCain.
In August, Sen. Barack Obama picked up an endorsement from the only Iraq veteran serving in Congress, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.).
Steve Sarvi |
In Minnesota, two Iraq veterans are running for Congress. Marine Corps veteran Ashwin Madia of Plymouth is running as a Democrat for retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad’s Third District seat. Madia, who was a captain in the Marine Corps., served as a judge advocate in Baghdad.
In the Second District, Steve Sarvi is running as a Democrat against Rep. John Kline, himself a retired Marine. Sarvi, a former mayor of Watertown, served in Iraq for 16 months with the Minnesota National Guard.
Addendum: Moments after I posted this item, I checked my e-mail and found yet another example of cashing in on Veterans Day for political gain. The e-mail was from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and it gave failing grades to Republican Sen. Norm Coleman for his votes on veterans’ health care.
7 Responses to "The politics of Veterans Day"
The most telling veterans’ news this week was, 1) they make up 11% of the population and 27% of the homeless, and 2) a growing number of reservists are unemployed because of extended tours. We have so much wealth in this country and still can’t fund programs to ensure these things don’t happen? It doesn’t make sense.
“Another interesting factoid to note: although the Iraq war is a burning issue in the presidential campaign, none of the front-running presidential candidates have served in the military, with the notable exception of Sen. John McCain.”
Is it much of a surprise? Vets, as a percentage of the population, are diminishing. If anything, the number that serve in public office over-represent their frequency in the general population.
Here’s another addendum: I received this e-mail from Matthew Miller, communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee:
Dennis—I saw your blog where you said our press release pointing out all the times Norm Coleman has voted against veterans benefits was “cashing in on Veterans Day for political gain.” I’m sorry you feel that way, but I couldn’t disagree more. Cashing in on Veterans Day for political gain is waving and saluting as you march in a parade, but then quietly voting against the benefits veterans need when no one’s looking.
If you really want to write about what we honor on Veterans Day and how politicians misuse it, try taking a look at Norm Coleman’s voting record and matching it up to his statements. You’ll find his record when the TV cameras are turned off isn’t what he’d like Minnesotans to believe it – and that is information that readers of the Star Tribune could actually use.
*..[veterans] make up 11% of the population and 27% of the homeless..* - Jen
In other words, this is a very small voting block that neither shops nor pays taxes. Show me a politician who’s gonna give them the time of day (except on Veteran’s Day).
We’re at war; we have been for years and that fact is not likely to change anytime soon. Every day is “Veteran’s Day” when we’re at war; these are the people who are putting themselves at risk to do their duty to their country as they see it.
And we haven’t been involved in a war this long since Viet Nam. I suspect that the day to honor veterans takes on a different meaning when the war “isn’t over, is ongoing.” So if the politicization of Veteran’s day really depresses you, you had better keep your meds handy–because you are likely to have to deal with this situation for some time, as these wars drag on.
And because there is no consensus in the United States about whether we should be fighting in Iraq, and there is no consensus about how the war on terror should be fought. And because how this country deploys its fighting men and women and treats them after their service is completed *is* always a political issue of the highest importance.
UPDATE:
Quoted on today’s Star Tribune:
“President Bush said Saturday that Congress’ Democratic leaders should celebrate Veterans Day by finally passing a spending bill covering programs for veterans.”
“Congressional leaders let the fiscal year end without passing this bill they know our veterans need,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “The time to act is running out. … The best way members of Congress can give thanks to our veterans is to send me a clean bill that I can sign into law.”
Does Bush invoking Veteran’s Day for a bill covering veteran’s funding count as “politicizing Veteran’s Day?”
If so, was the Democratic Congress stupid for voting the money to veterans long before Veteran’s Day rolled around? Should they have waited for the holiday to fund the veteran’s spending, so they’d get more attention and credit for it? Look:
“Bush’s dig at Democrats didn’t tell the whole story.
Congress has never delivered to Bush a veterans affairs spending bill by Veterans Day, even when Capitol Hill was run by Republicans. And even veterans’ groups have been reluctant to criticize this year’s Congress for the delay, because they are thankful for large budget increases already engineered by Democrats since they assumed the majority in January. They added $3.4 billion to the veterans’ budget in February and $1.8 billion in May.”
I think *needs* to politicize Veteran’s Day, in light of his record and the terrible GOP record on thanking veterans. “Politicizing Veteran’s Day” is his only option now, given the fact that he and his party passed up every chance to fund veterans programs every year that he had a GOP congress. It took a Dem congress to get the billions veterans got this year.
But here is Bush making an ass of himself once again, “politicizing Veteran’s Day,” lecturing Dems on the subject of thanking veterans–and inadvertently calling attention to his own rotten record and his party’s rotten record on veteran’s issues.
Bill,
You mean like “politicizing” a memorial service?
Careful.