Senate Repubs play political games with Veterans' medical care bill...

[pinto]

Kerry Drops Campaign Trip for Senate Vote That Wasn't

By Paul Farhi and Helen Dewar
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, June 23, 2004; Page A07


Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry abruptly interrupted his campaign yesterday to return to Washington for a Senate vote that, as it happened, never happened.

In the end, however, Kerry never got to vote. Republicans declined to bring the Democratic-sponsored amendment to the floor while the candidate was here. So Kerry hung around for a while but then headed back to the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Republicans were mulling what to do.

In between these events came a cascade of blame. Kerry's camp angrily charged that GOP leaders had used procedural maneuvers to shelve the vote in an attempt to disrupt his campaign and deny him an issue he has championed. Republicans shot back that Kerry, who has had long absences from the Senate during his campaign, was using the issue to grandstand.

Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) had offered the amendment that Kerry and nine veterans service organizations supported. It would mandate annual spending for veterans' medical needs for the next 10 years, including an $8 billion increase next year. The amendment was offered as part of the $447.2 billion defense authorization bill on which Congress has been working for more than a month, and which Republicans are eager to pass.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61940-2004Jun22.html

[merh]

1. The veterans are not stupid, they will see this as the political ploy

that the GOP has made it out to be. They will not forget this. (IMHO)

[pinto]

2. I hope so...............n/t

[merh]

3. They have been battling the cuts to their benefits for years, they

play close attention to the votes and they have a better network than we do. They will see through it.

[physioex]

4. Now that Kerry must be out campaigning...

These people are out playing with votes. I think most people understand what they are doing, let's hope more people do....