A question for Rush Limbaugh

Correction: many questions for Rush Limbaugh. Begin with who pushed to have the GI Bill? Was it a Republican or was it a Democrat? Who was it who fought against this Bill because it was "too generous" for the troops? Was it a Democrat or was it several Republicans?

Limbaugh: Democrats will not say "We honor your service" to troops returning from Iraq
Rush Limbaugh asserted that troops returning from Iraq "will not receive anything from the Democrat [sic] Party along the likes of 'Job well done. We're proud of you.' And this is highly distressing. Not only will Democrats not say, nor leftists, say to any returning troops from Iraq, 'Good job. Job well done. We honor your service.' No, they did just the opposite. They sought to secure defeat of the U.S. military in Iraq." In fact, many Senate Democrats recently honored the service of U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read More

Now I'm not saying the Democrats have hallos above their heads when it comes to the troops and our veterans but they are a lot closer to obtaining them than most of the GOP in office. Bush and McCain fought against the GI Bill Jim Webb, a Democrat fought to provide the troops.

It was not a member of the Republican party fighting to make sure the VA was fully funded to take care of the wounded veterans. It was not a Republican holding hearings on the fact VA had less doctors and nurses working for them with two active occupations producing more wounded than they did during the Gulf War, but it was the Democrats.

It was not the members of the GOP wanting accountability from the Administration but it was the Democrats. They wanted to know how we ended up pulling troops out of Afghanistan in order to send them into Iraq without any factual need to do so or why the occupation of Afghanistan has ended up costing more lives every year since 2001. They wanted accountability from the defense contractors when the troops were being electrocuted. They wanted it when the treatment they were receiving at Walter Reed was deplorable and worse treatment than they would have received as an inmate in any of our prisons. That's right Rush, there are rules on how prisoners can be treated but apparently with the GOP in charge, there were none on how our wounded troops could be treated.

When it comes to the troops coming home and having to wait over a year to have a claim approved so they can have some income to make up for their lost incomes, it isn't the GOP caring. It isn't the GOP caring about National Guards and Reservists families living on food stamps because they lost income with their spouse deployed. It wasn't the GOP caring about the fact the Army found that the redeployments increased the risk of PTSD by 50% or the fact they were not getting enough rest in between deployments. Everything done since the occupations began and was allowed to continue was due to the GOP holding all the cards. Everything done for the troops has been begun when the Democrats took control. Now they will be held accountable.

Plus you seem to have forgotten that while the vast majority of Americans are against the occupation of Iraq because they paid attention to the facts, they do support the operations in Afghanistan because that was due to the attacks against us, we all support the troops. It's not their fault they were sent into Iraq and they do receive the full support of the American people. We all care about them. That includes Republicans and Democrats and Independents and Green Party and every other political affiliation. You seem to have forgotten that in order to fully support the troops you have to support the truth and the facts as well. You have to hold those who send them to risk their lives are held accountable for the decisions they make and for the results. If people like you had your way, Rumsfeld would still be in charge of the Department of Defense. While we do say they are doing a great job, we also care if they have jobs when they are no longer in the military, when they need income, need their wounds taken care of and do not end up homeless. You seem to think a pat on the back is fine and then send the wounded back into combat. To really care about the troops is to take care of them when they are also veterans.

While there are some in the GOP who do in fact support the troops when it really counts, too many of them are just like you. All talk and not much action to back it up.

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington