Veterans/Political Fronts

After posting disappointing campaign fundraising numbers for the second quarter in a row, Sen. John McCain downsized his Iowa staff, including his veterans outreach aide.

Veterans gathered at the Fort Dodge Public Library on Thursday for a session on veterans affairs led by Robert Hamill, a staff member of U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. One of the biggest concerns was the waiting periods and bureaucratic delays regarding their health care needs. Hamill said the Thursday’s discussion was part of a series of similar sessions across the state. He mentioned two bills under consideration in Congress: the “Coming Together for National Guard and Reserve Families Act” and the “Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.”“DCCC Launches Ads Attacking GOP’s Record on Troops and Veterans“: Gearing up for the 2008 election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began targeting 14 vulnerable Republican districts this week by launching its Independence Day ad campaign. “Republicans are going home to talk up their support for our nation’s troops and veterans. But, their constituents deserve to know that the Republican record on veterans is all talk and no action,” said campaign chairman Chris Van Hollen. “America’s troops and veterans deserve more than patriotic speeches this Independence Day.”

“This Unusual Alliance is for the Soldiers“: Internet activism has forged an unlikely alliance between 15-year-old YouTube video producer Lizzi Palmer, the hard-rock band Drowning Pool and a group called Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. They want to help educate young people about veterans’ health care issues and encourage youth to actively participate in the political process. The campaign, “This Is For the Soldiers,” is encouraging supporters to send a petition to U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, asking the California Democrat to take action on the Lane Evans Bill (H.R. 1354) pending in the House. This bipartisan legislation would require mandatory mental-health counseling for combat veterans and ensure a better transition for troops leaving the military.