Veterans back Kerry, campaign officials say

A Bush spokesman said the criticism against the president is 'preposterous.'
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Officials with the John Kerry presidential campaign freely admit that veterans traditionally vote Republican.
But, they say, that's about to change this year.
That's because President Bush has cut or eliminated benefits for veterans, and they have the option of electing one of their own -- Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, said John Hurley, national director of Veterans for Kerry.
"Veterans are critically important in this election," Hurley said during a Thursday telephone conference with members of the Ohio press. "They are a group we are targeting. I expect the election to be close, and veterans can play a key role in deciding this election."
There are more than 26 million veterans nationwide, Hurley said, including about 1.1 million in Ohio.
Tim Steineman, Logan County Democratic chairman and head of both the newly-formed Ohio Democratic Veterans Caucus and Veterans for Kerry, said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is reaching out to veterans like no other candidate before him.
During the conference call, Hurley, Steineman and U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, said Bush has reduced or eliminated health benefits for some veterans, pushed for cuts to the veterans administration budget, and increased the copayments for prescription drugs for vets.
Response
In response, Kevin Madden, a Bush campaign spokesman said: "These attacks on the president's policies are simply not true. President Bush has proposed $67.7 billion in budget authority for the Department of Veterans' Affairs. That's an increase of $5.6 billion over the current fiscal year. As a result of President Bush's commitment to serving veterans, today we provide quality medical care to a million more veterans than we did in 2001."
Madden said the president has increased VA health care funding by more than 30 percent since he took office.
"President Bush has the highest level of respect for America's veterans. Attacks on the president's respect for veterans by John Kerry's surrogates are absolutely preposterous."
The Kerry campaign has signed up more than 12,000 veterans on its Web site as volunteers, Hurley said.
"Veterans typically vote Republican, but that won't be the case this year," he said. "Veterans are very angry at the Bush administration. Veterans are pouring out of the woodworks for Kerry."
Strickland, who serves on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, agreed, and said with the support of veterans, there will be a "major shift in this election."
After Kerry returned from Vietnam, he actively campaigned against the war, and said it was fought for political reasons. Some have criticized Kerry for the activism.
"The criticism of Kerry's comments after he came back are out there, but they are in the minority," said Hurley, also a Vietnam veteran. "When I came back [from Vietnam], I was angry, as was Kerry. He had the courage to speak out. He's done more for veterans than anyone else."
skolnick@vindy.com