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Fighting Dems Blast GOP's Broken Promises to America's Veterans

September 6, 2006

Today, two Democratic Congressional candidates who are veterans of our armed forces and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler blasted the Bush Administration and the Bush Republicans in Congress for breaking their promise to America's veterans and military families.

Fowler, a decorated veteran of the Army reserve and co-chair of the DNC's Veterans and Military Families Council, was joined on a conference call by New York Congressional Candidate and 24-year Navy veteran Eric Massa and Minnesota Congressional Candidate and retired Command Sergeant Major Tim Walz (Army National Guard). Massa and Walz are two of the dozens of "Fighting Dems," veterans who have served in our country's armed forces and now are serving their country by running for Congress this year.

Their comments followed remarks by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the American Legion's annual convention and Vice President Cheney's remarks to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars earlier this week. President Bush is scheduled to address the American Legion convention in Salt Lake City on Thursday.

The following are excerpts from today's conference call:

DNC Veterans and Military Families Co-Chair Don Fowler: "Former Prime Minister Macmillan of Great Britain said one time, nothing clarifies the public's understanding as much as facts." The American people are decent people. They want to support the president. They do support our troops.

"But what has happened over the last three and a half years is that [the Bush] Administration has misled this country time and time again about troop levels, about political developments, about how things were getting better when nothing happened but they got worse. So, as Prime Minister Macmillan said, these facts are clarifying people's understanding. And that's why this rhetoric, this hate, this divisive approach [taken by the Bush] Administration has practiced throughout its tenure will not work this year.

Click here to download Fowler's remarks.

Minnesota Congressional Candidate Tim Walz: "The wishful thinking of this administration and this Congress is not a foreign policy. Trying to sell us this war and what we're seeing this week at the American legion and at the VFW is nothing more than marketing of a failed policy, and we have been consistent on this.

"We as the Democratic Party, we as veterans have been consistent on this. We want true national security, we want our military to be rebuilt and reconstituted to the point that it was. And we want our veterans to be treated with dignity and honor when they return home and we're going to see that happen. We have 68 days to turn that around and I think the country is going to do that."

"It's an honor for me to be here speaking for those soldiers that don't have the voice in congress now, but in a few short months they will have that voice. And I can pledge that we will do everything in our power to our last breath that this is done right. And it's not about politics, it's about principal."

Click here to download Walz's remarks.

New York Congressional Candidate Eric Massa: "When Secretary Rumsfeld stood before the American people and said that our soldiers are fungible, he telegraphed a very clear message-one that lacked true support, let alone an understanding of the difficulties and hardships facing, not only the men and women in uniform all over the world, but their families at home and those of us that went before them who know the challenges they are facing."

"That is why I am proud to stand with more than 60 Democrats who are veterans who have stood up all over this country to take the flag out of Karl Rove's hands and to tell President Bush that he can no longer use our military as a prop for his political purposes."

"This behavior must stop. Unfortunately, we see it continuing with the Vice President appearing before veterans and making such outrageous statements as they stand four square to support not only our veterans communities, but those military personnel in the field. If that were true, they would present this nation with a true strategy and a clear definition of purpose and victory. And today, after three years in Iraq, we have neither."

Click here to download Massa's remarks.