The Larry Kane Report

More than any recent Washington executive in memory, Vice President Dick Cheney likes to talk big and tries to wield a big stick, especially when it comes to things like war. He speaks casually of war, and smears any politician who brands opposition to the war as unpatriotic and not supportive of our troops. The Vice President is steadfast and unbending in his support for the war. I presume that he considers himself a patriot.
Well, I propose a new role for Mr. Cheney. The President should appoint him to lead a federal task force to fix the current crisis for so many Iraqi and Afghanistan war veterans who have come back to the ordeal of dealing with the Defense Department and the Veteran’s administration. The situation got so bad at the Walter Reed Medical Center that Defense Secretary Gates ordered an investigation.
It is more than just conditions of squalor. It is the case of the thousands of victims of post traumatic stress disorder that are being turned away. It the suicide rate and a lack of sensitivity for those wounded so badly that need our government’s help.

Congressman Rob Andrews, a strong supporter of our forces and a man opposed to the”surge”, just returned from Iraq. He tells me, “The troops are steadfastly committed to the mission because that is their nature. They are following orders that they themselves would not give.” Andrews, a moderate Democrat, understands the nature of war and has this deep respect for the Americans who are fighting there every day.

In this reporter’s view, patriotism means supporting our troops on the ground in the war zone, and after they return to what could be a nightmarish life.

The President must act quickly to right the wrongs against our returning veterans. That would be a real act of patriotism. And he should appoint the Vice President, the point man against war opposition as the point man to safeguard returning troops. Dick Cheney never served in our armed forces. Currently he serves as a lightning rod for national division. We should allow him to use his final time in office to heal the wounds of those who served under his watch.

The President should take immediate steps to make sure that they get the appreciation and respect that they deserve from a grateful nation. Anything less would be a disgrace.