VFW Passes Over Veteran in Illinois

[ProSense]

VFW Passes Over Veteran in Illinois

By DON BABWIN
The Associated Press
Friday, November 3, 2006; 7:30 PM

CHICAGO -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars' political action committee Friday endorsed a Republican congressional candidate with no military experience over a Democrat who lost her legs in combat in Iraq.

The endorsement of GOP state Sen. Peter Roskam over Tammy Duckworth angered some Illinois veterans, as well as national figures such as former Sen. Bob Kerrey, a veteran who lost a leg in Vietnam.

Snip...

Roskam's support for veterans, national security, defense and military personnel issues led to the endorsement, the PAC's national director, Salvatore J. Capirchio, wrote in a Nov. 1 letter to the candidate, provided to The Associated Press by the campaign.

Snip...

Flanked by more than 20 veterans at a news conference, Duckworth said she was never contacted by the organization or asked to fill out a questionnaire, as typically happens when organizations are deciding which candidates to endorse.

Snip...

Roskam has repeatedly said the military needs to "finish well" in Iraq. He caused a stir during a debate when he said the district wasn't a "cut-and-run district" _ something Duckworth supporters called inappropriate, given her injuries.

[C_U_L8R]

1. The VFW is a disgrace

they should be ashamed of themselves

[KyndCulture]

2. This story is SICK

the more I hear the more disgusted I am.

[dave502d]

3. My dad was in WWII.

He never walk in the door of a VFW or American Legion, he told me
they never did anything for him why he was in the war.So the drunks
can all go to hell.

[Vorta]

9. Same thing with my uncle (Korea and Vietnam)

There are some men who never talk about their military service and others who never stop talking about it. My experience is that the career military guys like my uncle tend to be the ones you could know awhile before they ever said anything about having been in the military. Others manage to work it in right away, and they tend to be the ones who served a short period of time.

[madrchsod]

4. that`s no surprise

how many of these guys go to the va hospitals and bitch about the care they get then they vote for the fuckers who cut the va funding..fuck roskam why does`t he join?

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

5. I am absolutely sick about this.

My grandfather, a veteran of WWI and the winner of 2 Purple Hearts, was the Illinois Commander of the VFW in the 1950's and a Democratic delegate to the 1952 and 1956 Democratic conventions.

When this story was reported tonight on the local news here in Chicago, I said to Mr. Wonderful: "I'll have to go to the cemetery tomorrow to check on Grandpa's grave. I'm sure he's rolling by now."

Mr. Wonderful replied, "Check your father's and your brother's graves as well". Daddy was a WWII vet Pacific theatre, my brother Terry was in Vietnam from November 1967-November 1968 and Tom "lucked out" and spent October 1970-October 1971 on the DMZ in South Korea.

To quote a campaign commercial that's running in Illinois right, albeit it's for Judy Barr Topinka, the Puke candidate for Governor "what were they thinking".

When Roscum said that Tammy Duckworth wanted to "cut and run" from Iraq a few weeks ago, I called his campaign headquarters and asked the twit that answered the phone did Roscum ever serve in any branch of the US military in any capacity?

The answer: the twit hung up on me.

Disgraceful, totally disgraceful.

[montana500]

6. Absolutely disgusting.

I will be calling these people to let them know how I feel.

[IndianaGreen]

7. The VFW and American Legion are GOP-front organizations

The VFW and American Legion are GOP-front organizations just as the National Association of Evangelicals is a GOP-front.

Democrats are the ones that historically have protected and fought for veterans' benefits, while it is the GOP and Bush's regime that have cut benefits. Despite that, the VFW and the American Legion have supported Bush and GOP candidates.

Even more disgusting was to see John McCain endorse Roskam, a chicken hawk, over a war hero like Tammy Duckworth. Par for the course for a man that participated in the sliming of John Kerry and supported Bush's torture bill.

[Vorta]

8. Bunch of drunks

That's my experience- the VFW is little more than a chain of private bars that raise some money for charity. I have never met anyone who hangs out at the VFW who wasn't an alcoholic.