Democrats are Wasting an Issue

In her response to President Bush's radio address Senator Patty Murray touched on a volatile issue, but as is usual with the current crop of clowns leading her unfortunate party got it wrong. She noted that there is massive inefficiency in Veterans Affairs, evidenced by the recent revelation of a one billion dollar shortfall in funding, and that our treatment of veterans -- men and women who were willing to risk their lives for all of us -- is shameful. So far so good. That is an important issue that needs to be addressed and a potential political bonanza for the Democrats.

But then she stepped..., no dove headfirst, into a puddle of mud. Instead of making the treatment of veterans the issue she merely cited it as a casualty of the war in Iraq and thus shifted attention away from the problem into a standard exercise in Bush bashing.

The pressing need for veterans, especially those of the Vietnam era, is help with health care expenses. By focusing specifically on veterans of the Iraq war she excludes a vast constituency, one that would be responsive to positive proposals from the Democrats for such assistance. Democrats have often complained about the cost of health care and demanded that the government do something about it. Here is a ready-made issue for them and they are flubbing it.

Read Murray's address here.