Congress Blocks Ceremony For Frank Buckles, Last Surviving WWI Veteran

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — West Virginia's two Democratic senators blamed House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday after their hopes of having the remains of World War I veteran Frank Buckles honored in the Capitol Rotunda were dashed, at least for now.

Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin III both released statements saying the Ohio Republican had blocked the Capitol honor. Asked if that were true, Boehner spokesman Mike Steel said the speaker and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., would seek Defense Department permission for a ceremony for Buckles at Arlington National Cemetery.

Buckles died Sunday on his farm in Charles Town, W.Va., at the age of 110. He had been the last surviving American veteran of World War I.

The episode turned what West Virginia lawmakers had hoped would be easy approval for the rare honor for Buckles into a finger-pointing dispute with partisan overtones.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/03/congress-blocks-ceremony-frank-buckles_n_831159.html

[Wilms]

1. Support the Troops!

And things like that.

[47of74]

18. As usual, Republicans only care about supporting the troops...

...when it is something they can use to their political advantage. Otherwise they don't give a flying f--k about our soldiers or our veterans.

[No Elephants]

25. As always, Republicons support the troops only if so doing costs nothing.

Words, flag pins--fine.

Veterans' health care, not so much, unless maybe they've been exposed and shamed very publicly and persistently, as when conditions at Walter Reed finally hit the media fan and the story refused to die.

[blackspade]

2. John Boehner, classy as always.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

34. NEVER MISSES A CHANCE TO BE AN S.O.B.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Rhiannon12866]

3. This really crosses the line, disrespecting a war hero for partisan reasons.

:grr:

[Kip Humphrey]

4. The Orange Boner strikes again!

[old mark]

5. Was Mr.Buckles a Democrat? ...nt

[Lasher]

7. I don't know but both WV Senators are Democrats.

Buckles lived in Charlestown, which is in Republican District WV-02.

[baldguy]

8. Republican lawmakers are opposed to anything that Democrats are in favor of.

[madokie]

12. It's pretty much as simple as that too

This crop of congress critters on both sides of the isle aren't worth a good bowel movement.

[Blue_Tires]

23. +1

[old mark]

16. That might be one of the problems...I live in a strong Democratic county in a now GOP state...

Last time the republicans had control, our county got absolutely nothing from the state government beyond what was absolutely untouchable...and our largest employer is now various levels of government...all union jobs...which just might be a big target for our new GOP Governor.

His budget is to be made public next week...

Politicians suck.

mark

[Lasher]

19. Republicans have been at war with Democrats for 30 years.

How many more years will it take for Democrats to take notice and fight back?

[old mark]

29. I have no idea...some people even here are clueless, as are most of them

in Washington, evidently...


mark

[Lasher]

30. Checking out your signature line, looks like we have a lot in common.

I was once a CWA steward but exactly ditto on the rest. I sawed bass in the '70s too, and kept it up for a couple more decades or so. Still got my axe and amp.

[Demeter]

6. What Were They Thinking?

or is this a two-year-old's tantrum: "No! No! No!"

[CBHagman]

9. For those wanting to contact the speaker's office...

...here is the basic link and the usual details:

I'd entreat you to be nice to staff answering phones and keep the focus on honoring Mr. Buckles.

http://johnboehner.house.gov/

Butler County Office
7969 Cincinnati-Dayton Road
Suite B
West Chester, OH 45069
[phone]
[phone] fax


Miami County Office
12 South Plum Street
Troy, OH 45373
[phone]
[phone] fax

Washington, D.C. Office
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
[phone]
[phone] fax Toll-free number

Residents of the 8th District
of Ohio may use the toll-free number: [phone]

You might also want to get on the horn with your own representatives/senators.

[greiner3]

10. My father was a social worker in a VA hospital;

Starting in the mid-50s. He told me stories of the last surviving widow of a Civil War soldier dying; married late in life. I believe it was as late as the 90s when the last Spanish-American War veteran died. All these veterans of all the wars are little remembered soon after their deaths much less soon after the last bullet fired ending yet another war.

Strange thing is in all of recorded history men and sometimes women would willingly join an army 'for glory.' Glory! Death is more like it and as it turns out mostly as fodder for yet another despot's hope of conquest on the backs of so many people.

[hedgehog]

38. My great-uncle Timothy was a Spanish-American War vet. His

comment to us kids at a funeral around 1970 was "I don't know why we invaded - those poor people had nothing, nothing at all."

The more things change, the more they stay the same!

[SpiralHawk]

11. Chickenhawk Republicons dump on our US vets

as usual. What a pack of chickenhawk assclowns the republicon 'pretend patriots' are...

[Dennis Donovan]

13. There's two categories for a Capitol Rotunda viewing...

There's "Lying in State", which is for Presidents, high govt officials and military brass (with the exception of the Unknown Soldiers, who didn't fall into any of those categories), and there's "Lying in Honor", which is broader in definition. Rosa Parks and the Capitol Police officers that were killed in the line of duty in 1998 were "Lying in Honor" vs "Lying in State".

That said, denial of either by Boner makes no sense to me whatsoever.:shrug:

[Lasher]

14. A good explanation is offered upthread.

Republican lawmakers are opposed to anything that Democrats are in favor of.

[Dennis Donovan]

15. But the measure was introduced into the house by a Repug - Shelley Moore Capito

:shrug:

[Lasher]

17. And in the Senate by Democrat Jay Rockefeller.

WV has two Democratic Senators. That's the only thing I can figure. I don't know of a better explanation but I'm open to suggestion.

[crim son]

20. Unfuckingbelievable.

And so STUPID! This will be remembered.

[realisticphish]

21. Um, ok

I'm just glad my state has Sherrod Brown to at least partially counteract Boner

[realisticphish]

22. Seriously, though, does anyone have more info?

Any explanation as to what actually happened? There are conflicting reports, with Boner claiming no legislation was blocked. Sure, I'm not inclined to believe him, but it's a weird thing to lie about, and this just seems bizarre, even for pubs

[Pacifist Patriot]

26. He can easily claim no legislation was blocked because I don't think such a request...

technically constitutes "legislation." Wouldn't it be a resolution?

[Kingofalldems]

24. K and R

[Vidar]

27. I'd like to see the VFW and American Legion speak up on this.

[BlueIris]

28. What an awesome display of patriotism there, Mr. Speaker.

Not.

[plumbob]

31. Why doesn't he just finish up and invite Fred Phelps?

Sickening

[BlueIris]

36. Or Rick Warren.

Oh, wait...

[Major Hogwash]

32. Buckles was also a WWII POW of the Japanese. You'd think McCain would speak up about this.

Since he "lived in a box".

That's what they said at the 2008 RNC.
I watched it.

[tpsbmam]

33. Petty & shameful. K&R nt

[laconicsax]

35. I have to say...

Displaying a corpse for a week doesn't come to mind when I think "honoring someone who has died."

[realisticphish]

37. true enough

but it IS the social convention, in the words of Sheldon Cooper

[laconicsax]

39. Well, someone has to stand up and say, "Ewww!"