Ex-Senator Simpson doesn't think Vietnam Vets are worth taking care of

I was watching Countdown last night because I heard a friend of mine and of all veterans, Paul Sullivan was going to be on the show. Low and behold, I was stunned to hear what Senator Simpson had to say about Vietnam veterans and Agent Orange. When veterans are treated like this behind their backs, the whole nation should be outraged!

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OLBERMANN: On Monday, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, announced what he called a long overdue rule delivering justice to some of America's veterans-- long overdue in the sense, meaning, since the Vietnam War.

But in our fourth story: a top Republican is unhappy about the rule and he's blaming the veterans. Secretary Shinseki's announcement was about Agent Orange. Agent Orange-- the toxic defoliant which America dumped on Vietnam to kill the growth of plants that were used as cover by the Viet Cong. More than 19 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed during the war. Most of it, Agent Orange, sprayed on inland forests near Vietnam's borders, north of Saigon, and on a mangrove forest lining Saigon's shipping channels -- meaning it was not just killing trees. It was being breathed in by American soldiers. Soldiers who did not know exposure would later be linked to potentially fatal conditions such a Hodgkin's disease, soft tissue cancers and non- Hodgkin's lymphoma. So, in 1991, Congress passed a law to get treatment to Vietnam vets suffering from any of 12 diseases did have to prove they were caused by Agent Orange. On Monday, Shinseki wrote, quote, "The president and I are proud," unquote, to provide additional treatment under the 1991 law. It has been extended to cover Parkinson's, some leukemias and some heart disease. Enter former Republican Senator Simpson.

read more here

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#38964662

Congratulations Keith Olbermann!

Keith, I watched you since you started with Countdown. You really won my heart as soon as you took on what was happening to the veterans before any other station was reporting on it. You are a joy with your sense of humor, your intelligence, but most of all your compassion. Congratulations on the contract and may you enjoy many more viewers.

MSNBC 'votes for four more years' of Olbermann
RAW STORY
Published: Monday November 10, 2008


Firebrand MSNBC host Keith Olbermann will be hosting Countdown for at another four years, the network announced Monday.

Network president Phil Griffin called Olbermann "the core of MSNBC's current success." The anchor's impassioned rants aimed at President Bush, John McCain and Republicans in general coincided with a significant uptick in the third-place cable network's ratings.

"I'm delighted that we can continue to lock Countdown into the nation's political dialogue through at least the next election," Olbermann said in a news release. "Personally, I noticed that as of about six weeks ago, I'd been doing this show longer than I did SportsCenter, so it's delightful to have a true home."
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McCain is veteran's adversary

Rachel Maddow is covering for Keith Olbermann on Countdown this week. Tonight she played a clip of the exchange between a Vietnam Vet "in a funny looking hat" as McCain put it. The Veteran asked McCain how he can say he has received awards from all the veterans groups when his voting record has been against them year after year. The veteran stated the years and offered to state the Bills McCain voted against. The truth is something McCain cannot run away from no matter how hard he tries to not remember he is not only a veteran, but one who is receiving veteran's benefits as well.

McCain's Policies Being Brought Out Of The Shadows
By ddayblog
John McCain was perfectly content for this election to be about Sen. Obama's readiness and to remain invisible as the alternative in the corner. Unfortunately for him, it's not shaping out that way.

He was hammered by a veteran yesterday, forced to explain his rejection of the new GI Bill and his continued opposition to improving veteran's health care.

McCain tried to backpedal and obfuscate and claim that he has "received the highest award from literally every veterans organization in America". The problem is that's not true.
The recognition McCain has received from veterans groups is not "high awards" but failing grades:
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a grade of D for his record of voting against veterans. (By contrast, Obama got a B+.)
• Disabled Veterans of America noted McCain’s dismal 20 percent voting record on veterans’ issues. (Obama had an 80 percent.)
• In a list of "Key Votes," Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) notes McCain "Voted Against Us" 15 times and "Voted For Us" only 8. (Obama voted for VVA 12 times, and against only once.)http://airamerica.com/blog/2008/jul/08/mccains-policies-being-brought-out-shadows

While Bush seems to have gotten away with the fact he linked McCain's name with the passage of the GI Bill, McCain seems to think he can do it as well. McCain said that he wanted it to be better than what it was because it did not go far enough, yet before the Bill was passed, McCain was also on record for months saying the Bill was too generous.

From The Hill

Sen. McCain seeks cover with GI bill
By Roxana Tiron
Posted: 04/22/08 08:14 PM [ET]
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Tuesday unveiled an overhaul of the GI bill to defend himself from veteran-group criticism and steal a bit of thunder from Sen. Jim Webb (Va.), a potential Democratic vice presidential candidate.


The move comes after McCain, a former Navy officer and prisoner of war, was heavily criticized by thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for not supporting Webb’s bill. The criticism was unusual for McCain, who has relied on his military credentials during the campaign.

“We should encourage service members to remain in the military, and they should be rewarded with additional benefits if they do,” McCain said in a release announcing his proposal.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sen.-mccain-seeks-cover-with-gibill-2008-04-22.html

May 22, 2008 The War Room


Thursday, May 22, 2008 16:28 EDT
Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition
By a vote of 75-22, the Senate approved an expanded version of the GI bill today. Proposed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., it's the biggest expansion of the bill in the past quarter-century, according to the New York Times. But it has also been opposed by, among others, President Bush and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Bush, McCain and the others who've opposed Webb's bill argue that the expanded provisions -- the government would pay tuition and expenses at a four-year public university for anyone who spent three years in the military after 9/11 -- will hurt the military's efforts to retain its troops. Bush has threatened to veto Webb's bill, and McCain introduced one of his own. He did not vote today.

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/05/22/gi_bill/

May 26, 2008 Washington Post
For Memorial Day, McCain Critical of Webb's G.I. Bill
By Michael D. Shear
ALBUQUERQUE -- Sen. John McCain asserted that the G.I. Bill sponsored by Virginia Sen. James Webb will drive soldiers out of the armed services at a time when the country is trying to expand the size of the military.

Speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony, McCain praised Webb as "an honorable man who takes his responsibility to veterans very seriously." And he said the bill, which would increase benefits for veterans after serving one tour, is a way of offering the nation's
"deep appreciation" for the veterans who have served.

But McCain insisted that he takes "a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans." And he predicted that Webb's bill would reduce the military's retention rate by 16 percent.

"Encouraging people to choose to not become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly," he said.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/26/mccain_slams_webb_on_gi_bill_i.html

If you Google McCain and GI Bill Too Generous, you'll find even more. Yet readers are fully aware of the deplorable record McCain has to deal with, as the veteran pointed out in the Town Hall meeting. McCain is only comfortable being seen as a war hero who happens to be a veteran but wants to run away from what veterans, like him, need from the nation in return. I suppose the benefits he receives are not too generous for him. After all, as he constantly reminds people, he was a POW in Vietnam. It would be great if that event in his life would translate into taking care of the war heroes who fought and were also wounded in service to the same nation McCain did.

Veterans and members of the service organizations are fully aware of McCain's record. Too bad he isn't. It would also be wonderful if the media managed to confront him about what he says today and what he's said in the Senate all these years. MCain is a veteran but he is also an adversary of them when they needed him to stand up for them.

Why didn't Keith Olbermann interview Paul Sullivan?

Supporting the troops Posted: Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:23 PM by Countdown

Paul Rieckhoff, the Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who joined us on Countdown tonight, has compiled a comprehensive website devoted to the new GI Bill.

I just posted this on Countdown's site.

I can't believe I was disappointed in a Countdown show. When Keith interviewed Paul Rieckhoff, he interviewed the wrong Paul. Paul Sullivan of Veterans For Common Sense, is the one behind the law suit against the VA. He's been working on this longer than Rieckhoff has. While I do admire Rieckhoff and applaud him, there is an important voice in all of this that is not getting the same attention. I would love to see Paul Sullivan address his work for the veterans. Sullivan worked for the VA and he knows how it works as well as how it is supposed to work. Had it not been for his efforts, we would not know how despicable the heads of the VA have been in hiding data instead of doing the right thing.

I love Olbermann and have since he began his show. I think it's fresh, honest, intelligent and humorous. I absolutely love Oddball. That said, I am disappointed that Rieckhoff seems to be the only one getting the attention working on veteran's issues. There are many important voices in all of this and Paul Sullivan is one of them. I don't think he's receiving a tenth of the publicity he should be getting while he spends countless hours working on behalf of all veterans. Sullivan is tenacious, passionate and a powerhouse! In all the years I've been doing this, there have been very few who come close to his dedication. While watching the show, I got angry that he was not the one interviewed at the time the law suit against the VA has provided the people of this country a clearer view of what has been going on behind the veterans backs by the same department that is supposed to be taking care of them. While people like me have been aware of how bad it is for veterans, average Americans, while they clearly care, are not about to invest this many hours researching any of this. They rely on the mainstream media to provide them with the facts. Sullivan's voice has to be added to all of this or the media, once again, does a disservice to the viewers.

By Paul Sakuma, AP

Execuitive Director of Veterans for Common Sense Paul Sullivan is part of a class-action lawsuit filed Monday against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that is struggling to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from the wars abroad.

Lawsuit says VA mishandled claims

By Laura Parker, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — A coalition of disabled Iraq war veterans sued the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday, accusing the VA of illegally denying or delaying claims for disability pay and mental health treatment.
The lawsuit names Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, among others, and asks for sweeping changes in the way the federal government handles claims of more than 1.6 million veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11.

go here for more

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-07-23-iraq-vets_N.htm

Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://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

Homeless veterans protest FOX and O'Reilly

On MSNBC Countdown tonight, Keith Olbermann showed homeless veterans showing up from a shelter to let Bill know they were real and yes, homeless. Keith did such a fantastic job on his commentary, I almost forgot to post it. Now I can't remember the woman's name who said she delivered a petition to O'Reilly with thousands of signatures on it. Somehow I doubt O'Reilly offered them some of his pocket change which could have kept the entire group fed for about a year. I'm sure they'll be more on this tomorrow when Olbermann updates his site. You know there will be more posting on YouTube about his comment.


UPDATE here's a link

Yesterday, we organized a group of vets to deliver your 17,000-signature petition to the FOX building in NYC, and it went better than we could've ever imagined. The story was even featured on Keith Olbermann's show last night... the very same day!
Watch as the vets delivered the petition:
http://foxattacks.com/blog/27414?utm_source=rgemail

You are having a huge impact with this campaign, in just three years we have dramatically changed the public's perception of FOX. Election time is around the corner, and we all know what's going to happen at FOX.

The vets in NYC who took the lead on this were mad and ready to do something (speaking as a New Yorker, I can attest to good old-fashioned NYC disdain for truthiness). Carol Gardener, the executive director of Fitzgerald House, which provides transitional housing to homeless vets, is so passionate about taking care of these heroes that she would not be deterred. And Jonathan and Nichole worked hard and fast to get them all the support possible, from getting the petition printed to a press release to anything else they needed.
And then we get the reports from Olbermann, the Huffington Post, and the NY Daily News, with more on the way!
Watch Keith: http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/27412
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/01/fox-news-oreilly-offer-_n_84404.html
New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/rush_molloy/index.html
It was a wonderful day, and now the blogs and other media are picking up the story.
Forward this email on to your friends. Show them what activism and accountability looks like -- and how you made it happen. And help keep it happening financially by becoming a subscriber: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/552/p/10040/donate
All the best,Robert Greenwald, Jonathan Kim, and the crew at Brave New Films.
P.S. Filmmaker Dan Lohaus made the great documentary "When I Came Home" about homeless veterans. He filmed the petition delivery, and was instrumental in making this all happen. You can learn more about the situation for homeless veterans in America by checking out his film: http:///whenicamehome.com/
You can even organize a screening for it with Brave New Theaters here: http://whenicamehome.bravenewtheaters.com
P.P.S. Here's the original FOX Attacks! "Non-Existent" Veterans:
http://foxattacks.com/vets