Presidential Candidates On Veterans, Part II

Yesterday we took at look at four presidential candidates and examples of how veterans issues factored into their campaigns. Today's post contains five more front-runners:
 

JOHN EDWARDS: In November Edwards laid out a $400 million, five-point plan to aid in treating veterans with PTSD.  A main focus of the plan is to allow veterans to seek mental care outside of the VA system, and to increase the number of counselors available.  As the Associated Press reports:

"I strongly believe we must restore the sacred contract we have with our veterans and their families, and that we must begin by reforming our system for treating PTSD. We also must act to remove the stigma from this disorder," [Edwards said]...

...The VA currently has a backlog of as many as 600,000 claims, increasing delays for initial treatment by up to six months, according to the campaign. Edwards pledged the entire backlog would be eliminated by Memorial Day 2009 - four months after he might take office - and would cut the processing time by half.

MIKE HUCKABEE: Long before Huckabee enjoyed the level of attention he has now, the candidate spoke to New Hampshire voters in April about priority care for veterans [New Hampshire Telegraph]:

If elected president, Huckabee said he would make veterans’ health care a priority, even if funding required “chopping up” and selling the marble of every monument in Washington.

BARACK OBAMA: When retired Iowa Air Force veteran Andrew Hampton stood to ask a question of Obama the day after Christmas, the two ended up in a "tearful embrace." The veteran addressed a lack of veterans health care for the current generation, and said for a long time he wasn't getting medical benefits due to political decisions [Associated Press]:

"We can't desert them," a weepy Hampton told Obama. The crowd responded with a standing ovation, and Obama walked over and hugged him.

"You made the essential point, which is you earned your benefits," Obama said. He said if elected president, he would take care of veterans as a way of encouraging future generations to enter the military, as well as provide mental health screening and adopt a "zero tolerance" policy for homeless veterans.

FRED THOMPSON: Thompson took the opportunity of speaking at South Carolina's Citadel military college to reaffirm his proposed numbers for beefing up U.S. presence in Iraq -- and, therefore, creating a great deal more veterans [Associated Press]:

He proposes building a "million-member" ground force of 775,000 soldiers and 225,000 Marines - substantially higher than what the Pentagon has called for...Regarding care for current and former service members, Thompson advocates implementing many of the recommendations of a presidential commission on improving the treatment of wounded veterans. He also says service members need better pay and benefits "including a modern GI Bill with educational assistance that will help us recruit and keep our nation's finest in uniform."

 

JOHN MCCAIN: As a well-known veteran, McCain has said improving veterans health care is his number one domestic priority. In a South Carolina pancake house last month he spoke of this priority saying vets should have a card that allows treatment at any health care facility -- VA or not.  From the Associated Press:

Congress has still not passed the so-called Wounded Warrior bill to repair the system, McCain said. The war in Iraq will further strain the veterans' health care system, which must be expanded, the Arizona senator said.

“Thank God we have so many coming back,” he said. “We've saved so many lives we wouldn't have been able to in other wars.”