Veteran Issues

Despite constantly talking about supporting our troops, Norm hasn't supported the troops or the veterans. He's just loyally repeating the Republican talking points. The vets and the vets groups who pay attention, don't like him. See the ad that Vote Vets ran during the 2007 Super Bowl. Since Norm is taking a nuanced stand that will allow the January 2007 escalation to go forward, find out about how the troops deployed in the escalation will not have proper body armor or armor for their vehicles. Find out Norm's voting record on vet's healthcare ... here's a hint ... its not good.

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(11/13/07) Norm spent Veteran's Day lying to Minnesotans in Luverne, Jackson and Worthington. Fortunately, the Worthington Daily Globe published his Norm-speak^(TM) and I'm available to interpret it.

Read about Norm's Veteran's Day

(11/07/07) How much more difficult will it be for Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) to claim he supports the troops when he voted to strip important VA funding from the Labor, Health and Human Services bill 3 days before Veterans day. The timing couldn't be worse for yet another flip-flop. He changed his position after his concrete shoes, President Bush, vowed to veto the bill.

Happy Veteran's Day from Norm

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Norm votes again for cloture on Webb Amendment filibuster

(9/20/07) Does Norm's voting twice for the Webb Amendment which would require that troops get down time equal to their deployment time mean he supports the troops? Hardly. This is one of the rare examples.

Read more about this vote here.

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Norm attempts to claim that the troops
(7/12/07) There was an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 which would require that troops are home for as long or longer than their deployment. A Republican filibuster killed the amendment. Norm voted to end the filibuster. He's now trying to claim despite many anti-vet votes, that he supports the troops.

Read more about Norm's claim that he supports the troops and the details of his vote

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Walter Reed Fiasco
(3/22/07) Here are more concrete examples of what Norm and his fellow Republicans have done to our troops. What they have done is malicious and unconscionable. Norm voted in lockstep with his Republican colleagues in a manner that is hurting active troops, wounded vets and vets generally. Thanks to James Clay Fuller for his great posts:

James Clay Fuller: More on Bush failure to "Support troops"

James Clay Fuller: Supporting troops the Bush way: Crush 'em

Now that the atrocious conditions and treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center has come to light, it also comes to light that Norm has been there, according to the Winona Daily News entitled Coleman walks tightrope on Iraq. Apparently, he didn't find anything wrong with the facilities or the way the Army's beaucracy dealt with the wounded soldiers there. In another article in the Mankato Daily News (thanks to Blue Stem Prairie), Norm said this now that the hideous conditions in the VA system have become public:

"We've obviously got to do a better job with mental health services," Coleman said. But he disagreed that the Bush Administration is to blame and specifically rejected the idea that VA funding has been inadequate, saying overall funding for veterans has risen substantially.

"The dollars have been there," Coleman said. "I think there have been some human errors."

Always a faithful Republican, Norm refused to blame the Bush Administration. Furthermore and unsurprisingly, he wouldn't agree that the additional funds for vet healthcare he helped vote down might be responsible for the squalid care vets receive. Furthermore, in the Rochester Post Bulletin on 3/8/07 has this:

Sen. Coleman hasn't been as visible on the Walter Reed scandal, but on Wednesday he issued a release stating that he applauds President Bush's plan to establish a commission to investigate soldier and veteran outpatient health care.

"The recent revelations of the appalling conditions at Walter Reed Hospital are unacceptable, and I commend the president for acting quickly to rectify this serious problem," Coleman said.

Aides noted that Coleman met with members of the Minnesota VFW and American Legion this week, and the aids said that Coleman would work to ensure proper care for returning soldiers. To that end, Coleman plans to hold closed-door meetings around Minnesota this month with veterans and families. He plans to propose legislation based on their needs, said spokesman Luke Friedrich.

The dates and places for the meetings have not yet been set, Friedrich said, but will include at least one meeting in southern Minnesota.

So Norm thinks that the Bush Administration is competent to fix the problems in the VA system for which they are responsible. This is not comforting. The Bush Administration is responsible for the outsourcing of care in the VA system which has caused the understaffing, poor care and squalid facilities.

After the Washington Post broke the story of squalid conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center, the VA finally takes a look. Perhaps now they'll investigate the horrific bureaucracy and poor care due to inadequate staffing.

Substandard Conditions at VA Centers Noted

A review by the Department of Veterans Affairs of 1,400 hospitals and other veterans care facilities released yesterday has turned up more than 1,000 reports of substandard conditions -- from leaky roofs and peeling paint to bug and bat infestations -- as well as a smaller number of potential threats to patient safety, such as suicide risks in psychiatric wards.

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Some of the facilities were described as smelly or "filthy." Dust, dead bugs and cobwebs were reported to be shrouding the "unsightly" entry ways at the Iowa City VA Medical Center. At the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw, Mich., old, worn-out carpets are believed to "harbor residue/bacteria from patients' personal accidents" and, therefore, pose a risk of infection. The hospital needs to replace 20,000 square feet of carpet with commercial-grade tiles.
(WashPost 3/22/07)

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Norm's voting record vet health issues
Last fall, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) introduced an amendment to a Defense Appropriations bill to prevent the privatization of care in the VA system. Read a letter from Sen. Mikulski about this here. Norm voted to table and kill the amendment allowing the privatization at Walter Reed (Note: on the link to the actual vote, click on 'Republican' at the bottom of the page in the vote totals to see the list of Republicans voting to table the amendment).

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Norm has consistently voted against providing adequate funding for vets healthcare:

Health Care for Veterans Amendment (10/05/2005) - voted NO
To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation.

Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (11/17/2005) - voted NO
To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder.

Tax Rate Extension Amendment (02/02/2006) - voted NO
To support the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans.

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Update (2/4/07): Vote Vets ran this ad during the Super Bowl:

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Veteran's groups don't like Norm. The following ratings are from Empowering Veterans:

Awarded a Grade of D by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Awarded a Rating of 0%in 2004 by the Disabled American Veterans
Awarded a Rating of 50% in 2005 by the Disabled American Veterans
Awarded a Rating of 40% in 2006 by the Disabled American Veterans

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Feb 2007 -- The troops involved in the Iraq War escalation will not have properly armoured vehicles. Now that Norm is taking a nuanced position that may enable the Bush Administration to go ahead with the escalation, the Weasel Meter will track Norm's record on protecting our troops. The new troops coming into Iraq won't be getting any new armored vehicles, there's a shortage and the new troops will only make it worse.