Why Military and vets need to vote Democrat in 06

Over the week end I published the first draft on why military and veterans and their families need to vote for Democrats. Some news over the week-end makes it more important now than it did when I first wrote the diary.
The Veterans Disability Commission received permission to "look at" disabled veterans that receive Spcial Security Disability and compare it with the Veteran Affairs compensation they receive when they become disabled by military service, no one is saying if they intend to have a grand father clause or not, or if they plan to implement it across the board on veterans and their families already receiving it. Think of the nightmare that would create with family budgets. Is this "comapssionate conservatism" if it is I don't need it or want it and I definately can't afford it. Can other veterans and their families?

Why you should vote Democrat in 2006 and 2008, I never thought I would be saying those words myself. I am a military man, through and through.. I joined the Army at age 18 in 1973, I served this nation from the Vietnam War era, served on the DMZ in South Korea, armed combat patrols, border incidents.I went to Germany and saw the Cold War up close and personal, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the feeling of impending doom from the Soviet Union. I left the Army in 1982 after helping to establish this nation's desert warfare training center at National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
I joined the National Guard and wrangled my way into a unit that was being activated for Desert Storm and went off to practice my profession, one last time, war. This is what an Infantry NCO trains for, to keep his troops alive thru combat, bring them home alive, write as few a letters home to greiving parents and wives as possible. I believed in General Patton's credo, "don't bleed for your country, make the other guy bleed for his". Honestly military types have the tendency to vote Republican, because they talk the talk, but the past five years have shown us they are "spinning the veterans and the active duty military" and here is how and where:
1. We can't financially afford to vote for Republicans, our families will suffer if we do
2. The federal government (Bush and friends) have empaneled a Veterans Disability Review Commission, the report is due out in February 2007, after the mid-term elections, are they that afraid of the recommendations? Some of the idea's being floated already are a complete review of PTSD, the awards, the percentages paid and if compensation is being paid at the appropriate level (usually means cuts are coming B) They are studying the idea of off setting your potential Social Security Disability payments against your Veterans Disability compensation payments (translation is if you are wounded in action or medically harmed on active duty, they want you to pay whatever your Social Security Disability Insurance payments, insurance for which you paid into with payroll payments, against your compensation from the VA for wounds you receive in combat or training, excuse me do republicans really think a service member is going to get rich off VA and SSD compensation? Compare it to the multi-million dollar settlements the same republicans gave to the victims families of the Twin Towers, does it even appear fair? Hell no. Let's be honest none of us joined the military to get well compensated for being blown up, shot or mentally destroyed, where and who is being asked to sacrifice, you and your family, again, why?
3. You were sent to war by men who say things like "you go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want" excuse me, Afghanistan and the Taliban were a war that was necessary payback for 9/11, the move to Iraq was the Republicans agenda item, a want to, not a need to, all the pretenses for going have been destroyed by facts. You were sent to war on the basis that he had to go because Saddam "gassed his own people" by a group of men who are no better, they ordered the use of chemical weapons and illicit drugs on enlisted soldiers in 1974 and 1975 while members of the Ford White House,. Donald Rumsfeld was both the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of Defense, and Dick Cheney was his successor as Chief of Staff, both positions had the need to know and approve of the continuation of the "human experiments" that violated the Nuremberg Codes of 1947. Congress forced the tests to end in 1976. President Ford ordered the end to them, they did not stop them because they were wrong, they stopped when they got ratted out. http://www.nap.edu/....
4. These men used in the tests by the DOD and the CIA were found to be dead and disabled at a 75% rate in a March 2003 IOM report paid for by DOD, 2098 men dead and 2200 disabled http://www.iom.edu/.... , since March 2003 the DOD and the VA have not found or addressed one soldiers or their widows claims for veterans benefits.These are the republicans that keep telling you "A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept" ask the Edgewood Test vets about the "promise"....
5. Here is a manual wrote by the VA in October 2003 that shows the extent of the tests and the known medical problems on pages 13 and 14, pages 33 and 38 show there are no known tests to determine exposures, months later let alone 3-5 deacdes later. Yet on April 3 2006 http://www.vawatchdog.org/.... a VA spokesman said when and if any of these veterans were hurt in the tests they needed to be examined and tested to see if they were exposed, WTF, a contadiction in known facts, the manual says there are no tests. What and how are they going to treat your exposures to DU from the new battlefields of the Middle East. How come almost 70% of Desert Storm veterans are drawing VA compensation, yet the VA and DOD say there are no known medical problems from the First Gulf War. This administration's credibility sucks on veterans health issues, and your families future is riding on these people's policies.
6. Caring for Veterans on the cheap http://www.tomdispatch.com/.... shows that in the past 14 months that the government has treated 144,424 service members or their family members for wounds or mental issues related to deployments, over 200,000 anxiety or anti-depressants have been filled, some by soldiers being sent back to combat, Prozac warriors, makes you question life in service.
7. The current administrations policies have led to lowered recruiting standards to fill the ranks, yes the service has a lot, a tremendous amount of willing committed patriots, but standing next to these fine men and women are some people who in better times would not be there with you. They are now approving plans to recall retirees back to active duty, in a national emergency, they have always had that authority, but with the new rules, they can activate the critics of the current policies and then under the UCMJ prosecute you for further statements, go ahead speak your mind then, you might find your retirement pay reduced after your last tour of duty, the thanks from a "grateful nation", remember back on active duty, you no longer have "free speech" insubordination is a real charge and has severe financial consequences, again affecting your family.
8. Bottom line voting republican is now harmful to your health, financial security, and the happiness of your family. Can you really afford to vote republican again? I encourage you and your family members to talk to their relatives and explain this or hand them a copy of this, and ask them to vote their heart and their conscience, anyone but a republican gets my vote in the next election cycle, my family is depending on it......a disabled vet
9. Bottom line is you just can't afford to vote republican, your wallet can't stand it

Poll
how should military types vote
get family and friends to vote (democratic)
33%
don't say anything and vote to stay (republican)
0%
be true Americans and vote right
0%
vote their wallets every one else does
0%
give me one good reason to vote republican ( can't can you)
66%
going to listen to Mr Dopey (rush the addict)
0%
Votes: 3
Results