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TRANSCRIPT OF BARACK OBAMA'S SPEECH TO THE VFW
CONVENTION -- "...It's time to fully fund VA
health care,
and...we need to get rid of means-testing --
every
veteran should be allowed into the VA system."
Democratic presumptive presidential
nominee Sen. Barack Obama speaks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars
109th National Convention, Tuesday, August 19, 2008, in Orlando,
Florida. (photo: Joe Burbank) |
Presidential Candidates information page is here
...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/PRESI
DENTIALCANDIDATES.htm
For more about Barack Obama, use the VA Watchdog
search engine ... click here ...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessea
rch.php?q=obama&op=and
Speech here...
http://my.barackobama.co
m/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gG59gP
Speech below:
-------------------------
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama—as
prepared for delivery
VFW National Convention
August 19, 2008
Thank you, Commander Lisicki, for your leadership. Let me also acknowledge
the leadership of Virginia Carman, the president of the VFW ladies
auxiliary, as well as my friend Jim Webb who will be speaking here later
today. Finally, let me thank all of the members of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars of the United States of America for inviting me back to this
convention. It is a privilege to be among so many who have given so much
for our country.
I stand before you today at a defining moment in our history. We are in
the midst of two wars. The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at
large. Russia has invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia. Iran is
pursuing nuclear weapons. The next Commander-in-Chief is going to have to
exercise the best possible judgment in getting us through these difficult
times.
 Yesterday,
Senator McCain came before you. He is a man who has served this nation
honorably, and he correctly stated that one of the chief criteria for the
American people in this election is going to be who can exercise the best
judgment as Commander in Chief. But instead of just offering policy
answers, he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks. He said
that I have changed my position on Iraq when I have not. He said that I am
for a path of “retreat and failure.” And he declared, “Behind all of these
claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president” –
suggesting, as he has so many times, that I put personal ambition before
my country.
That is John McCain’s prerogative. He can run that kind of campaign, and –
frankly – that’s how political campaigns have been run in recent years.
But I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that
this defining moment demands something more of us.
If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without
acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss
its opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook
where we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then
the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of
politics. The calamity left behind by the last eight years is too great.
So let me begin by offering my judgment about what we’ve done, where we
are, and where we need to go.
Six years ago, I stood up at a time when it was politically difficult to
oppose going to war in Iraq, and argued that our first priority had to be
finishing the fight against Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Senator McCain was already turning his sights to Iraq just days after
9/11, and he became a leading supporter of an invasion and occupation of a
country that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, and that
– as despicable as Saddam Hussein was – posed no imminent threat to the
American people. Two of the biggest beneficiaries of that decision were al
Qaeda’s leadership, which no longer faced the pressure of America’s
focused attention; and Iran, which has advanced its nuclear program,
continued its support for terror, and increased its influence in Iraq and
the region.
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, I warned that war would fan the
flames of extremism in the Middle East, create new centers of terrorism,
and tie us down in a costly and open-ended occupation. Senator McCain
predicted that we’d be greeted as liberators, and that the Iraqis would
bear the cost of rebuilding through their bountiful oil revenues. For the
good of our country, I wish he had been right, and I had been wrong. But
that’s not what history shows.
Senator McCain now argues that despite these costly strategic errors, his
judgment has been vindicated due to the results of the surge. Let me once
again praise General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker – they are
outstanding Americans. In Iraq, gains have been made in lowering the level
of violence thanks to the outstanding efforts of our military, the
increasing capability of Iraq’s Security Forces, the ceasefire of Shiite
militias, and the decision taken by Sunni tribes to take the fight to al
Qaeda. Those are the facts, and all Americans welcome them.
But understand what the essential argument was about. Before the surge, I
argued that the long-term solution in Iraq is political – the Iraqi
government must reconcile its differences and take responsibility for its
future. That holds true today. We have lost over a thousand American lives
and spent hundreds of billions of dollars since the surge began, but
Iraq’s leaders still haven’t made hard compromises or substantial
investments in rebuilding their country. Our military is badly
overstretched – a fact that has surely been noted in capitals around the
world. And while we pay a heavy price in Iraq – and Americans pay record
prices at the pump – Iraq’s government is sitting on a $79 billion dollar
budget surplus from windfall oil profits.
Let’s be clear: our troops have completed every mission they’ve been
given. They have created the space for political reconciliation. Now it
must be filled by an Iraqi government that reconciles its differences and
spends its oil profits to meet the needs of its people. Iraqi inaction
threatens the progress we’ve made and creates an opening for Iran and the
“special groups” it supports. It’s time to press the Iraqis to take
responsibility for their future. The best way to do that is a responsible
redeployment of our combat brigades, carried out in close consultation
with commanders on the ground. We can safely redeploy at a pace that
removes our combat brigades in 16 months. That would be well into 2010 –
seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, we’ll keep a
residual force to target remnants of al Qaeda; to protect our service
members and diplomats; and to train Iraq's Security Forces if the Iraqis
make political progress.
Iraq’s democratically-elected Prime Minister has embraced this timeframe.
Now it’s time to succeed in Iraq by turning Iraq over to its sovereign
government. We should not keep sending our troops to fight tour after tour
of duty while our military is overstretched. We should not keep spending
$10 billion a month in Iraq while Americans struggle in a sluggish
economy. Ending the war will allow us to invest in America, to strengthen
our military, and to finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in
Afghanistan and the border region of Pakistan.
This is the central front in the war on terrorism. This is where the
Taliban is gaining strength and launching new attacks, including one that
just took the life of ten French soldiers. This is where Osama bin Laden
and the same terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans on our own soil
are hiding and plotting seven years after 9/11. This is a war that we have
to win. And as Commander-in-Chief, I will have no greater priority than
taking out these terrorists who threaten America, and finishing the job
against the Taliban.
For years, I have called for more resources and more troops to finish the
fight in Afghanistan. With his overwhelming focus on Iraq, Senator McCain
argued that we could just “muddle through” in Afghanistan, and only came
around to supporting my call for more troops last month. Now, we need a
policy of “more for more” – more from America and our NATO allies, and
more from the Afghan government. That's why I've called for at least two
additional U.S. combat brigades and an additional $1 billion in
non-military assistance for Afghanistan, with a demand for more action
from the Afghan government to take on corruption and counternarcotics, and
to improve the lives of the Afghan people.
We must also recognize that we cannot succeed in Afghanistan or secure
America as long as there is a terrorist safe-haven in northwest Pakistan.
A year ago, I said that we must take action against bin Laden and his
lieutenants if we have them in our sights and Pakistan cannot or will not
act. Senator McCain criticized me and claimed that I was for “bombing our
ally.” So for all of his talk about following Osama bin Laden to the Gates
of Hell, Senator McCain refused to join my call to take out bin Laden
across the Afghan border. Instead, he spent years backing a dictator in
Pakistan who failed to serve the interests of his own people.
I argued for years that we need to move from a “Musharraf policy” to a
“Pakistan policy.” We must move beyond an alliance built on mere
convenience or a relationship with one man. Now, with President
Musharraf’s resignation, we have the opportunity to do just that. That’s
why I’ve cosponsored a bill to triple non-military aid to the Pakistani
people, while ensuring that the military assistance we do provide is used
to take the fight to the Taliban and al Qaeda in the tribal regions of
Pakistan.
Today, our attention is also on the Republic of Georgia, and Senator
McCain and I both strongly support the people of Georgia and the Americans
delivering humanitarian aid. There is no possible justification for
Russia’s actions. Russian troops have yet to begin the withdrawal required
by the cease-fire signed by their president, and we are hearing reports of
Russian atrocities: burning wheat fields, brutal killing, and the
destruction of Georgia’s infrastructure and military assets.
This crisis underscores the need for engaged U.S. leadership in the world.
We failed to head off this conflict and lost leverage in our ability to
contain it because our leaders have been distracted, our resources
overstretched, and our alliances frayed. American leadership means getting
engaged earlier to shape events so that we’re not merely responding to
them. That’s why I’m committed to renewing our leadership and rebuilding
our alliances as President of the United States.
For months, I have called for active international engagement to resolve
the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I made it crystal clear
before, at the beginning of, and during this conflict that Georgia’s
territorial integrity must be respected, and that Georgia should be
integrated into transatlantic institutions. I have condemned Russian
aggression, and today I reiterate my demand that Russia abide by the
cease-fire. Russia must know that its actions will have consequences. They
will imperil the Civil Nuclear Agreement, and Russia’s standing in the
international community – including the NATO-Russia Council, and Russia’s
desire to participate in organizations like the WTO and the OECD. Finally,
we must help Georgia rebuild what has been destroyed. That is why I’m
proud to join my friend, Senator Joe Biden, in calling for an additional
$1 billion in reconstruction assistance for the people of Georgia.
These are the judgments I’ve made and the policies that we have to debate,
because we do have differences in this election. But one of the things
that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can’t
disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism. I have
never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national
security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it
because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national
interest. Now, it’s time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the
same.
Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I
love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this
audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and
Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought
together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a
Red America or a Blue America – you served the United States of America.
So let’s have a serious debate, and let’s debate our disagreements on the
merits of policy – not personal attacks. And no matter how heated it gets
or what kind of campaign he chooses to run, I will honor Senator McCain’s
service, just like I honor the service of every veteran in this room, and
every American who has worn the uniform of the United States.
One of those Americans was my grandfather, Stanley Dunham.
My father left when I was 2, so my grandfather was the man who helped
raise me. He grew up in El Dorado, Kansas – a town too small to warrant
boldface on a road map. He worked on oil rigs and drifted from town to
town during the Depression. Then he met my grandmother and enlisted after
Pearl Harbor. He would go on to march across Europe in Patton’s Army,
while my great uncle fought with the 89th Infantry Division to liberate
Buchenwald, my grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, and my mother
was born at Fort Leavenworth. After my grandfather left the Army, he went
to college on the GI Bill, bought his home with help from the Federal
Housing Authority, and he and my grandmother moved west in a restless
pursuit of their dreams.
They were among the men and women of our Greatest Generation. They came
from ordinary places, and went on to do extraordinary things. They
survived a Depression and faced down fascism. And when the guns fell
silent, America stood by them, because they had a government that didn’t
just ask them to win a war – it helped them to live their dreams in peace,
and to become the backbone of the largest middle class that the world has
ever known. In the five years after World War II, the GI Bill helped 15
million veterans get an education. Two million went to college. Millions
more learned a trade in factories or on farms. Four million veterans
received help in buying a home, leading to the biggest home construction
boom in our history.
And these veterans didn’t just receive a hand from Washington – they did
their part to lift up America, just as they’d done their duty in defending
it. They became teachers and doctors, cops and firefighters who were the
foundation of our communities. They became the innovators and small
business owners who helped drive the American economy. They became the
scientists and engineers who helped us win the space race against the
Soviets. They won a Cold War, and left a legacy to their children and
grandchildren who reached new horizons of opportunity.
I am a part of that legacy. Without it, I would not be standing on this
stage today. And as President, I will do everything that I can to keep the
promise, to advance the American Dream for all our veterans, and to enlist
them in the cause of building a stronger America.
Our young men and women in uniform have proven that they are the equal of
the Greatest Generation on the battlefield. Now, we must ensure that our
brave troops serving abroad today become the backbone of our middle class
at home tomorrow. Those who fight to defend America abroad must have the
chance to live their dreams at home – through education and their ability
to make a good living; through affordable health care; and through a
retirement that is dignified and secure. That is the promise that we must
keep with all who serve.
It starts with those who choose to remain in uniform, as well as their
families. My wife Michelle has net with military families in North
Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia over the last several months. Every time,
she passes on their stories – stories of lives filled with patriotism and
purpose, but also stories of spouses struggling to pay the bills, kids
dealing with an absent parent, and the unique burden of multiple
deployments. The message that Michelle has heard is what you all know and
have lived: when a loved one is deployed, the whole family goes to war.
The VFW has done an extraordinary job of standing by our military families
– helping out with everything from a phone card for a soldier who is
overseas, to an extra hand around the house. As President, I will stand
with you. We need a Military Families Advisory Board to identify new ways
to ease the burden. We need more official support for the volunteer
networks that help military spouses get by. And we need to make sure that
military pay does not lag behind the private sector, so that those who
serve can raise their families and live the life they’ve earned.
For those who return to civilian life, I will support their American Dream
in this 21st century just as we supported generations of veterans in the
20th. That starts with education. Everyone who serves this country should
have the same opportunity that my grandfather had under the GI Bill.
That’s why, unlike my opponent, I was a strong and early supporter of Jim
Webb’s GI Bill for the 21st Century – a bill that Senator McCain called
too generous. At a time when the skyrocketing cost of tuition is pricing
thousands of Americans out of a college education, this bill provides
every veteran with a real chance to afford a world-class college
education. And that’s what I’ll continue to stand up for as President.
We must also stand up for affordable health care for every single veteran.
That's why I've pledged to build a 21st century VA. We need to cut through
the red tape – every service-member should get electronic copies of
medical and service records upon discharge. We need to close shortfalls –
it’s time to fully fund VA health care, and to add more Vet Centers. We
need to get rid of means-testing - every veteran should be allowed into
the VA system. My opponent takes a different view. He wants to ration care
so the VA only serves combat injuries, while everyone else gets an
insurance card. While the VA needs some real reform to better serve those
who have worn the uniform, privatization is just not the answer. We cannot
risk our veterans’ health care by turning the VA into just another health
insurer. We need to make sure the VA is strong enough to treat every
veteran who depends on it. That’s what I’ll do as President.
And we must expand and enhance our ability to identify and treat PTSD and
Traumatic Brain Injury at all levels: from enlistment, to deployment, to
civilian life. No one should suffer in silence, or slip through the cracks
in the system. That's why I've passed measures to increase screening for
these unseen wounds, and helped lead a bipartisan effort to stop the
unfair practice of kicking out troops who suffer from them. This is
something I’ve fought for in the Senate, and it’s something that I’ll make
a priority as President.
Economic security for our veterans also depends on revamping an
overburdened benefits system. I congratulate the VFW for what you’ve done
to help veterans navigate a broken VBA bureaucracy. Now it’s time for the
government to do a better job. We need more workers, and a 21st century
electronic system that is fully linked up to military records and the VA’s
health network. It’s time to ensure that those who’ve served get the
benefits that they’ve earned.
Just as we give veterans the support they deserve, we must also engage
them and all Americans in a new cause: renewing America. I am running for
President because I believe that there is no challenge too great for the
American people to meet if they are called upon to come together. In
America, each of us is free to seek our dreams, but we must also serve a
common purpose, a higher purpose. No one embodies that commitment like a
veteran.
Just think of the skills that our troops have developed through their
service. They have not simply waged war in Afghanistan and Iraq – they
have rebuilt infrastructure, supported new agriculture, trained police
forces, and developed health care systems. For those leaving military
service, it’s time to apply those skills to our great national challenges
here at home.
That means expanding programs like Troops-to-Teachers that put veterans at
the front of the classroom. That means tapping the talent of engineers
who’ve served as we make a substantial investment to rebuild our
infrastructure and create millions of new jobs. That means dramatically
expanding national service programs to give Americans of all ages, skills
and stations the chance to give back to their communities and their
country. I’ll also enlist veterans in forging a new American energy
economy. That’s why I’ve proposed a Green Veterans initiative to give our
veterans the training they need to succeed in the Green Jobs of the future
– so that they put themselves on a pathway to a successful career, while
ensuring that our national security is never held hostage to hostile
nations.
This is how we can help our veterans live their dreams while helping our
country meet the challenges of the 21st century. And this is what we have
learned from so many generations of veterans, including those of you here
today – that your contribution to the American story does not end when the
uniform comes off. We need those who serve in our military to live their
dreams – and to continue serving the cause of America – when the guns fall
silent. That’s what the VFW stands for, and if I have the honor of being
your President, that’s what my Administration will work for every single
day. Because I believe that we have a sacred trust with those who serve in
our military. That trust is simple: America will be there for you just as
you have been there for America. It’s a trust that begins at enlistment,
and it never ends.
I thought of that trust last week when I visited the Pearl Harbor
Memorial. I saw where the bombs fell on the USS Arizona, and where a war
began that would reshape the world order while reshaping the lives of all
who served in it – from our great generals and admirals, to the enlisted
men like my grandfather. Then I visited his grave at the Punchbowl, the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
I still remember the day that we laid my grandfather to rest. In a
cemetery lined with the graves of Americans who have sacrificed for our
country, we heard the solemn notes of Taps and the crack of guns fired in
salute; we watched as a folded flag was handed to my grandmother and my
grandfather was laid to rest. It was a nation's final act of service and
gratitude to Stanley Dunham - an America that stood by my grandfather when
he took off the uniform, and never left his side.
This is what we owe our troops and our veterans. Because in every note of
Taps and in every folded flag, we hear and see an unwavering belief in the
idea of America. The idea that no matter where you come from, or what you
look like, or who your parents are, this is a place where anything is
possible; where anyone can make it; where we look out for each other, and
take care of each other; where we rise and fall as one nation - as one
people. It's an idea that's worth fighting for - an idea for which so many
Americans have given that last full measure of devotion. Now it falls to
us to advance that idea just as so many generations have before.
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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