Clark accuses Edwards of voting against programs to help military veterans

[maddezmom]

Clark accuses Edwards of voting against programs to help military veterans

Friday, February 6, 2004

Wesley Clark accused Democratic presidential rival John Edwards on Friday of voting "against programs to help our nation's veterans" and called for increased health and retirement funding for former members of the armed forces.

~snip~

Clark said Edwards was the only Democratic senator who voted in 1999 "against closing corporate tax loopholes to prevent across-the-board cuts to veterans health care."

The same year, Edwards voted against adding $1.3 billion in funding for the Veterans Administration, Clark said. "And two years later, he did it again, voting against funding for veterans' medical care," the retired army general added.

~snip~

more:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/06/politics0927EST0536.DTL

[BootinUp]

1. Ouch!

Fire when ready!


I think Clark is going to put Edwards away rather handily.

[citizen snips]

18. Try to fire past this.

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/page.asp?id=631

[BootinUp]

23. Ok if you say so

more from the article:

Clark communications director Matt Bennett responded: "With his vote against protecting veterans benefits and now with his campaign's flailing response, John Edwards has proven yet again that he is the product of Washington -- a place where you can make bad decisions one day and run away from them later."

That prompted Edwards, campaigning in Bristol, Tenn., to challenge the criticism and stress his support for veterans in the Senate. "They're wrong about what they are saying," Edwards said.

Asked whether he remembered casting the votes Clark criticized, Edwards offered a testy response, "No, of course not. Do you remember every single vote?"

[citizen snips]

26. Fine than if you say so.

Well like I siad before look at his record.
http://www.johnedwards2004.com/page.asp?id=631

See anything wrong in there.

[AP]

28. Clark, a guy who's never voted for any legislation is complaining about

Kerry and Edwards who have to vote up or down on legislation and calls this a sign of being an insider? Ok.

[Bombtrack]

2. Clark-supporter here who'd like to see if these votes

weren't tacked on to some bad bill or something.

Can we get some validity before we Bash Edwards?

[JI7]

8. i wonder about this also

i can't see him voting against vet benefits in itself.

[Leilani]

17. Agreed

I support Clark, but would like to see the evidence of this.

If true, it's a legit argument. If not, I don't like this attack.

Veterans issues are very important to me,& I don't want it used as a political football.

[abburdlen]

3. Why does Edwards

hate us veterens? :shrug:

joking! Edwards is cool- Voted for him in his Senate race-
Personally I'd rather Clark focus more the difference between him and Kerry.

[BootinUp]

5. Edwards is running for POTUS

time for some vetting of his candidacy IMHO.

[Democrats unite]

4. Let's see here

Edwards coted for IWR (and to this day still insists it was the right thing to do), Edwards voted against funding for vets. Bush took the IWR to attack Iraq, Bush is also wanting to deny vets benefits. See a pattern here?

[BootinUp]

6. kick it up n/t

[jpgpenn]

7. Edwards is so utterly clueless and inexperienced ...

This doesn't surprise me!

[AP]

21. According to post 11 it looks like Clark is the one who's clueless

on this issue.

[HoosierClarkie]

29. Unfortunately Edwards can't remember.

Asked whether he remembered casting the votes Clark criticized, Edwards offered a testy response, "No, of course not. Do you remember every single vote?"

[Edwards4President]

30. Horrors! Edwards didn't remember details of a vote he cast 5 years ago

How dare he not give an off-the-cuff answer immediately upon learning that Wes Clark had accused him of voting a certain way about something sometime in the last five years. Who ever heard of someone waiting to check the facts before responding to such an accusation?

Yup, that Johnnie Edwards sure is a slick one.

[waldenx]

9. I thought Clark would never criticize a Dem

chalk that up to another lie.

[OKNancy]

22. A lot of his supporters wanted Clark to be more aggressive.

He's not going to sit back while the others do it to him. Why should he?

[citizen snips]

24. What did Edwards ever do to Clark?

[Edwards4President]

10. Are Clark and his supporters THIS afraid of Edwards that these attacks

just keep on coming?

[citizen snips]

14. I honestly thought Clark was better than that.

These attacks on Edwards will not help Clark at all.

[Edwards4President]

15. I agree. Clark is an honorable man

and should tell his handlers that he's not going to go out like this.

[citizen snips]

16. I respect Clark.

But these attacks will only hurt Clark himself.

[Edwards4President]

11. Edwards' Reply to Clark's Attack

"This latest political attack from General Clark is absurd. Unfortunately, this is what politicians do when they are losing -- they dip into the gutter and throw whatever they find, whether it is true or not. While Clark is now breaking his pledge to run a positive campaign, Senator Edwards is different - he believes that this election isn't about smearing other Democrats, it's about changing the country, creating jobs, and ending the two Americas we live in separated by wealth and privilege.

"Senator Edwards has a long history of standing up for veterans and has voted repeatedly to increase funding to support them. His wife is the daughter of a decorated Korean war veteran, and he will always fight for the brave men and women who have served in our military. General Clark should know better than to try to imply otherwise.

"Just like yesterday's baseless attack, today's negative charge from General Clark is simply not true. The fact that Senators McCain and Hagel - two of our country's great war veterans - cast the same vote as Senator Edwards shows just how wrong Clark is. In fact, in the very vote before the vote Clark is describing, Senator Edwards voted against any across the board budget cuts."

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/page.asp?id=630

[Edwards4President]

12. More Facts:

Fact Sheet: Edwards Has Voted To Increase Veterans Funding
Edwards Has Voted To Increase Veterans Funding

1999: Edwards Voted For $99 Billion VA/HUD Appropriations Bill. Edwards voted to provide $99 billion in new budget authority for the Departments of VA and HUD for fiscal year 2000.

2000: Edwards Twice Voted For $106-7 Billion VA/HUD Appropriations Bill. Edwards voted to provide $107 billion in new budget authority for the Departments of VA and HUD for fiscal year 2001. Edwards had previously voted for a $106 billion VA/HUD appropriations bill.

2001: Edwards Twice Voted For $113 Billion VA/HUD Appropriations Bill. Edwards twice voted to provide $113 billion in new budget authority for the Departments of VA and HUD for fiscal year 2002.

Edwards Voted To Increase Spending On Veterans Programs By $967 Million. Edwards voted for an amendment that would increase spending on veterans programs in FY2002 by $967 million.

2003: Edwards Voted Against FY 2004 Budget That Shortchanged Veterans' Funding. In 2003, Edwards voted against a budget resolution that included $350 billion in tax cuts, but only $13 billion for veterans to receive concurrent disability and retirement benefits. The budget proposal would drive some intended beneficiaries of VA programs from the system, and shift much of the burden for veterans' medical care from the government on to the veterans themselves.

Edwards Twice Voted For Proposals To Increase Funding For Veterans' Programs. Prior to voting against the budget, Edwards voted for a Dorgan (D-ND) amendment to increase funding for veterans programs by $1.09 billion - to match the level proposed by a coalition of veterans groups - and offset the new spending by decreasing newly proposed tax cuts. Edwards also voted for a Democratic substitute budget that in part would have increased funding for veterans' programs by $13 billion while reducing tax cuts by $1.24 trillion.

Edwards Has Voted, Cosponsored Bills To Increase Veterans' Health Benefits.

1999: Edwards Voted To Extend Benefits Under TRICARE Military Health Care Program. Edwards voted to reform the TRICARE military health care program, extending benefits that were substantially similar to health care benefits offered under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program.

1999: Edwards Voted To Fund Provide Veterans' Health Programs With Medicare Funding. Edwards voted to create a program that would allow the VA in a select number of sites to bill Medicare for health services provided to beneficiaries who qualified for both VA and Medicare benefits.

1999: Edwards Voted For An Amendment To Increase Funding For Veterans Health Care. Edwards voted to increase funding for veterans health care by $2 billion in fiscal year 2000, paying for that increase by making an across-the-board cut in other discretionary programs.

1999: Edwards Voted To Increase Spending On Medical Care For Veterans. Edwards voted in favor of establishing a reserve account for increasing spending by $3 billion per year on medical care for veterans for each of the five subsequent years, paying for that increased spending by reducing new tax reductions provided in the bill.

1999: Edwards Voted To Add Certain Cancers To Those Covered By VA. Edwards voted in favor of expressing the sense of the Senate that "lung cancer, colon cancer, and brain and central nervous system cancer should be added to the list of radiogenic diseases that are presumed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be service-connected disabilities."

1999: Edwards Cosponsored A Bill To Provide Medical Services To Purple Heart Veterans. Edwards cosponsored a Robb (D-Va.) bill to extend eligibility for hospital care and medical services to veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart.

2000: Edwards Voted To Increase Funding For Veterans Health Care. Edwards voted to increase the budget function for veterans health care by $500 million per year, paying for that increase by requiring cuts in other spending by an equal amount.

2000: Edwards Voted To Make Military Retirees Eligible For Military Health Care. Edwards voted to repeal a 1964 restriction on military retirees' being eligible for military health care benefits after they reach age 65. Under the amendment, Medicare would pay for health services received from military health care providers for services covered by Medicare.

2000: Edwards Voted To Allow Veterans To Concurrently Receive Medicare And Military Health Coverage. Edwards voted for "concurrent receipt," which would allow veterans to receive both military health care benefits as well as Medicare benefits.

2000: Edwards Voted For Pharmacy Benefit For Veterans. Edwards voted for the defense appropriations conference report, which included a new pharmacy benefit for retirees.


2000: Edwards Cosponsored A Bill To Restore Health Care Equity For Medicare-Eligible Retired Military. Edwards cosponsored a McCain (R-Ariz.) bill to restore health care equity for Medicare-eligible uniformed services retirees.

2000: Edwards Cosponsored A Bill To Restore Health Care Coverage To Retired Military. Edwards cosponsored a Johnson (D-SD) bill to restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services.

2001: Edwards Voted To Increase Veterans Health Spending And Roll Back Tax Cuts. Edwards voted to deny another $1.7 billion in tax cuts annually over 10 years and to increase funding in the veterans function each year by the same amount. The stated intention of supporters of the amendment would be to have the additional funds spent on veterans' health care.

2001: Edwards Cosponsored A Bill To Allow Disabled Veterans To Receive Both Retirement And Disability Pay. Edwards cosponsored a bill to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both military retired pay by reason of their years of military service and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability.

2000-01: Edwards Cosponsored Two Bills To Improve Outreach To Inform Veterans Of Benefits. In 2000 and again in 2001, Edwards cosponsored bills to improve outreach programs carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for more fully informing veterans of benefits available to them through the Veterans Affairs department.

Edwards Introduced A Bill To Eliminate Backlog At Veterans' Administration.

2003: Edwards Introduced Bill To Unclog Veterans Health System. In June 2003, Edwards introduced a bill to unclog the veterans health system in which more than 100,000 veterans have had to wait for more than a year to have medical claims resolved.

Edwards Voted, Cosponsored Bill To Provide Services For Homeless Veterans.

1999: Edwards Cosponsored A Bill To Provide Counseling To Homeless Veterans. Edwards cosponsored a bill to require certain entities that operate homeless shelters to identify and provide certain counseling to homeless veterans.

2001: Edwards Supported An Amendment To Enact A Tax Credit For Hiring Homeless Veterans. Edwards voted for a new tax credit to encourage employers to hire homeless veterans.

Edwards Voted To Increase Veterans' Pensions.

1999: Edwards Voted For Increase In Retirement Benefits. Edwards voted for the biggest military benefits increase since the early 1980s, which included retirement benefits.

Edwards Cosponsored Bills To Establish Education Center At Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

2000, 2002: Edwards Twice Cosponsored Bills To Authorize Education Center At Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In 2000, Edwards cosponsored a bill to authorize the design and construction of a temporary education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Edwards cosponsored a similar bill in 2002.

[AP]

20. That's a good reply. Any Clark supporters want to respond?

[citizen snips]

13. This is Edwards voting record for veterens.

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/page.asp?id=631

1999: Edwards Cosponsored A Bill To Provide Counseling To Homeless Veterans. Edwards cosponsored a bill to require certain entities that operate homeless shelters to identify and provide certain counseling to homeless veterans.


2001: Edwards Supported An Amendment To Enact A Tax Credit For Hiring Homeless Veterans. Edwards voted for a new tax credit to encourage employers to hire homeless veterans.

And there is a lot more.

[AP]

19. The most curious thing about this is, if Clark was going to do this at all

why didn't he do it before SC and OK? Aren't there alot of military people in those two states? This misrepresentation actually could have helped him there.

(Or was he afraid of helping Kerry in SC?)

[JI7]

25. in sc, yes, but

do you think it's because clark and edwards were very close in new hampshire and oklahoma ? clark was expected to take oklahoma, but edwards almost took the race so he may feel he needs to be more aggresive.

[AP]

27. Could be. Had he been close in SC with Edwards, he might have trotted out

this misrepresentaion there (where there's a huge military population).

He must be close in one of the upcomming states with a big military population.