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24 Years Later: Disappointed but No Longer Surprised

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So why am I disappointed?  My regard for the senator has suffered from something like “death by a thousand paper cuts”; some of it is from personal experience with his DC office and some of it is just from accepting the truth that is before me.  He’s just…not that good.  He’s really just “okay.”  I can attest that people who are “wired in” get responsive service.  People who are not wired in may not necessarily a call, assistance or much of anything.  I have personally witnessed rudeness from a (high level) DC staffer and had to complain to the local office, where I “knew” people.   We received an apology and a second meeting, but it was unfortunate that I had to place that phone call.  We’re not the only ones; word of this kind of stuff does tend to get around, and it’s is not a myth.  It’s very real and it’s very disappointing.  

I’m also disappointed because I see Senator Kerry as a part of the status quo.  When I recently viewed the senator’s most recent ad, touting his accomplishments for veterans – improved mental health benefits, enhanced education benefits and increasing the death benefit from $12,000 to $250,000, I thought “well done,” but….what’s the truth about this legislation?  The truth is the GI Bill of Rights was created in 2004, but was never passed.  Two amendments to a supplemental appropriation bill were added by Senator Kerry in 2005, but the increased death benefit, while welcome was ultimately flawed.  It created a two tiered system that prevented some families from getting full benefits and hinged on where their veteran family member died.  For instance, the family of a 43 year old man who died of a heart attack a week after multiple tours of duty – was unable to receive full benefits.  The Joint Chiefs opposed the amendments.

http://www.military.com/NewCon…

Work on the enhanced death benefits is still ongoing.  

The increased health benefits weren’t passed until last year, and were in large part a reactionary response by Congress to a series of critical Washington Post articles in the winter of 2007, that revealed the scandalous mismanagement at Walter Reed hospital, and the gross neglect of our servicemen and women.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

The improvements in benefits were in direct response to these articles, so it begs the question: what if the Washington Post hadn’t reported the story?  It’s reprehensible that it took a series of articles to make Congress pay attention.   Where the hell were these guys when this crap was going on, especially all those who tout their support for veterans?  It’s more than just “voting right”…it’s about caring enough to do the legwork consistently, not just when the media shows up.  

If you think it’s just Walter Reed, all you have to do is take a walk over to the Chelsea Soldiers Home if you want to see just how valued our veterans are.   We should all be embarrassed; see the old buildings, and the staff who try to make do with what they have.  On Court Street, Boston, there’s a homeless shelter for vets, an organization to which I contribute every year.  Ask yourself – if veterans services are adequate, then why do we have a homeless shelter for them?  Take a walk outside the shelter; you’ll be aghast at the numbers of (mostly) men gathering outside. Scraps from the table of plenty is what it is.  

Enhancements to education benefits were passed this year.  It is noteworthy that it is, after all, an election year.  

I am also disappointed in the tepid response from the Senator on gay marriage.  I think it’s a wishy-washy, lukewarm, Capitol Hill “want my cake and eat it too” political response designed to give him plausible deniability around certain crowds and to protect whatever his plans are for the future.  I see this as a civil rights issue, and I am disheartened that a senator from Massachusetts would respond in such a fashion.  Say what you like about Senator Kennedy – the man is never wishy-washy.  The man knows how to take a stand.  

Taking a stand takes passion and it takes caring about more than one’s political future and that’s what I see missing in Senator Kerry.  In fact, I believe when an elected official cares more about getting re-elected than he/she does about the work, that official ceases to be effective.  I am afraid if we just keep re-electing Senator Kerry on autopilot, he will never be any better than he is right now.  And why should he?  So many of us don’t demand it of him.  I just get the sense that he’s been able to coast along for years in Senator Kennedy’s shadow and hasn’t been called on it.  I would have thought the Weld experience would have been enough to instill new life into him…but, no.  I remember standing in the cold that election night, praying to God to give him one more chance.  I wish I hadn’t wasted that prayer.  

Now Senator Kerry has a Democratic challenger, who has gotten the requisite signatures and the delegates at the Convention – and the senator can’t be bothered to debate him.  I’ve seen all the excuses and bombast – and none of it is terribly compelling…not when I’ve been in the trenches for him.  Not when I’ve been in the trenches on Medicaid and disability issues, from the BBA of 1997 until now…and still want to hear something resembling passion, care and concern.  Personally, I don’t think a debate is a whole lot to ask of a candidate.  Without a debate, if I have to choose between a “just okay” senator without an ounce of passion in his soul – and an untried upstart who has the drive to get the signatures and the delegates – the upstart wins my vote, with the hope that he will take that same drive to the Senate.  

I really don’t have much to disclaim; I’m not an EOR supporter or a contributor.  I have been an active member of the Democratic Party for more than thirty years, and I have worked very hard for it, having done my share of GOTV calls, rides to the polls, envelopes, door-knocking etc.   I have gone to more state conventions than I can count.   I also think we deserve “more” than what we’ve been getting from the Senator.     And rather than listen to the angry mob…I did my own checking on the senator’s legislative record, which can be found here:  

http://thomas.loc.gov/

It’s…..not exactly awe-inspiring, but you can draw you own conclusions.  There’s a lot of “sentiments” that get passed, and not legislation.  

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Comments

  1. Your views are shared by many people who after so many years have run out of steam for Senator Kerry.

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    p>This morning coincidentally Kerry’s name was brought up in a conversation about the VP brouhaha and was dismissed as laughable…he would bring little to the ticket as a former losing nominee.  But then the conversation turned to his own race for re-election and he really had no enthusiastic support..instead what was mentioned were things like: refusal to debate, thinks he’s above having to campaign, self-promoting politician, detached from middle-/working class voters, poor constituent services, aloof, snobbish…gosh, not exactly how you want to describe your US Senator…and these were Democrats talking!

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    p>There is definitely a cold disconnect with Kerry and the people he represents. He has had a 24 year run in the shadow of Ted Kennedy and with no tough opposition to speak of…he is lucky: financially and politically.  He just lacks an ability to even fake “the common touch”…because he doesn’t really feel the pain others do…in sympathy or empathy.

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    p>He is using a commercial now featuring a US soldier…powerful and effective…we love the soldier…getting it on all stations so everyone can see and believe that “Kerry cares.”  

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    p>Contrast that to the action of our Sr. Senator this week. Two Mashpee young men die in service to their country.  Ted Kennedy, without fanfare, press alerts, or other attention grabbing announcements, quietly goes to the home of the fallen soldier, extends his and our collective sorrow for their loss and speaks in private with the grieving about their son…and leaves as quietly as he came…the right thing to do, the right place to be, at the right time.

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    p>Those human acts of kindness add up over time and make a difference and let people know who you really are when there is no self-interest to be gained, no publicity to be had…when the moment is just not about you.

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    p>When he ran for Lt. Gov. I remember that there was a wisecrack about him that went, “Kerry bleeds for the masses on stage, but he would rather not hang out with the people”…I have always believed that John Kerry has a difficult time connecting with people because those un-calculated, gut-reaction acts of human kindness just do not occur to him…it’s not how he is wired…and that is sad.

    • is how Kerry was suppose to stop by Boston for a campaign stop.  His campaign planner said that a lot of local politicians were away and so they were going to postpone it.  I told her that the people would like to speak with him since we have access to our local politicos all the time, but they didn’t care.  It’s all about show rather than speaking with the people.  The sad thing is that he’s really intelligent and could be so much more.

  2. You state here:

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    p>

    When I recently viewed the senator’s most recent ad, touting his accomplishments for veterans – improved mental health benefits, enhanced education benefits and increasing the death benefit from $12,000 to $250,000, I thought “well done,” but….what’s the truth about this legislation?  The truth is that the legislation that created these enhancements were in large part a reactionary response by Congress to a series of critical Washington Post articles just last year, that revealed the scandalous mismanagement at Walter Reed hospital, and the gross neglect of our servicemen and women.  The improvements in benefits were in direct response to these articles, so it begs the question: what if the Washington Post hadn’t reported the story?  It’s reprehensible that it took a series of articles to make Congress pay attention.   Where the hell were these guys when this crap was going on, especially all those who tout their support for veterans?

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    p>Categorically false claim.

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    p>Kerry’s death benefit & extended housing amendments passed on 4/13/2005:

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    p>http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm…

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    p>

    Senate Passes Two John Kerry Amendments for Troops

    Kerry’s Amendments Will Increase Death Benefit; Extend Housing for Survivors

    “We can make Washington work for the military families who sacrifice for our freedom”

    Washington, D.C. — The Senate today passed two amendments authored by John Kerry from his Military Family Bill of Rights to help the families of America’s troops. One amendment will allow families to stay in military housing for a full year after the death of a spouse. The other will enable all military families to receive $500,000 in total death benefits when a loved one dies in service to America.

    Both amendments are part of John Kerry’s continued fight for a comprehensive Military Family Bill of Rights. They are now part of the defense supplemental bill being voted on by the Senate this week.

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    p>When was the “Military Family Bill of Rights” introduced?

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    p>In fact, he first unveiled it during his 2004 presidential campaign.  Unfortunately, he lost that election, so he couldn’t implement it as President.  But here is the speech where he introduced it in March 2004:

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    p>http://www.globalsecurity.org/…

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    p>So did he forget about it once he lost the presidential election?  No.  He went forward with it, by introducing it in the Senate.  Here is his op-ed on it in March 2005:

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    p>http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm…

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    p>

    The Military Family Bill of Rights will:

    • Expand Tricare to all Guard and Reserve members, whether mobilized or not. Members’ failing physicals affects combat readiness, yet as many as one in five do not have health insurance.

    • Allow widows to stay in military housing for one year. For those with young children, the current policy of 180 days can mean starting a school year in one state and finishing it in another.

    • Establish a Military Family Relief Fund. Just as we let Americans donate a few dollars to finance presidential elections on their tax forms, they should be able to thank our troops. This program will meet the needs we can’t predict with the flexibility our service members and veterans deserve.

    • Allow penalty-free withdrawals from individual retirement accounts for deployment-related expenses, such as increased child care.

    • Offer a tax credit to small businesses that make up the difference between Reserve and National Guard members’ civilian and military pay.

    • Expand programs for post-traumatic stress disorder and require more outreach. As many as one in six soldiers returning from Iraq show symptoms of the disorder, yet barely half of all Veterans Affairs medical centers have treatment centers.

    • Increase the military death benefit. During last year’s campaign, I proposed increasing the benefit so that, combined with the service members’ group life insurance, the families of those who die in service to our nation would receive $500,000. No one can put a price on a life, but the current $12,000 is insulting. The president recently embraced a formula to reach $500,000 but limited it to deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress should embrace the broader benefit for all troops, regardless of where they die, and act immediately to make it law.

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    p>What Kerry did was to take the Military Family Bill of Rights, and split it up as amendments to legislation that was sure to pass.  He got these amendments passed in a Republican controlled Congress in 2005 and beyond.  His latest success in the current Democratically controlled Congress was the HEART Act which Obama co-sponsored with him (check for details in the link):

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    p>http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/re…

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    p>It also closed a tax loophole KBR was using which the Boston Globe exposed.

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    p>All of this was originally unveiled in 2004, and then introduced in the Senate in 2005.  Dare I call it fulfilling a campaign promise?  Your claim that his passing these important pieces of legislation was as a result of the Walter Reed scandal is an outright lie, easily proven false by the fact that that only happened in 2007:

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    p>http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

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    p>(Dana Priest’s article appeared in the WP Feb. 22, 2007, nearly THREE YEARS after Kerry originally proposed the Military Family Bill of Rights)

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    p>A word to the wise:  don’t go after Kerry on veterans’ benefits.  His record is nothing short of stellar.

    • Which is primarily what Senator Kerry’s “record” is made of – proposals. Isn’t it true that most of the legislation he’s sponsored has been sent to committee, much of which never passes?  Evidently, the Senator didn’t have the influence or the juice to get the 2004 bill or much else passed.  It’s interesting that Senator Kennedy seems to manage to work both sides of the aisle and get things done.  Where are we going to be without him?

      <

      p>And you’re deliberately obfuscating by ignoring the fact that the health benefits were enhanced as a result of the Walter Reed scandal.  The bill passed in 2005 contained death benefits and housing….not health benefits or education benfits.  The mental health updates were passed in 2008, long after the Walter Reed scandal broke.   It is, what it is.  

      <

      p>And the death benefits enhancement isn’t over; while we’re on the topic of the death benefits, the two-tiered approach that the Senator took with his amendment denies full benefits to families if their loved one comes home from combat and dies at home of a heart attack a week later, despite multiple tours of duty in a combat zone.  A Kerry aide claimed in an article by Military.com (July 6, 2005)that there would likely be follow up legislation.  What’s interesting is that the Hometown Heroes bill, which passed in 2003, provided line of duty benefits for fire and police who die as a result of a heart attack or stroke.  It’s hard to imagine that such a bill providing the same for veterans couldn’t get passed then?  

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      p>As for being part of the status quo, and merely being reactionary – let’s not forget the sole survivor bill….here we are six years into a war…and up until this year, a sole survivor could be discharged and brought home – and then stripped of major benefits.  

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      p>There’s another disability enhancement bill, filed by a freshman out of NY, Rep. Hall, which will reduce the backlog of disability claims by severely wounded veterans, which average about 6 months right now.  It’s called the Disability Claims Modernization Act; Rep. Hall called the backlog a “national disgrace.”  

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      p>The Widow’s Tax bill, which would end the reduction of widow’s disability benefits by 1/3 at age 62… was a House Bill that was decades overdue.  Thousands of women faced these draconian reductions….but decades? Guess who else has been up there for decades?

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      p>I can go on and on….because I don’t just read the Senator’s press releases.      

      • You think by throwing out all of this info you have proven a damned thing?  Where are the bill numbers and names?  Why are you mixing up House bills and Senate bills?  I mean, do you really think you are going to fool anyone?

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        p>So let’s explain it to you real slooow:

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        p>The increase in the death benefit, or as it was called in the bill, death gratuity, was first proposed by Senator John Kerry In January, 2005. This was in S. 460 http://www.govtrack.us/congres…

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        p>The bill was absorbed into a larger bill S.1042
        http://www.govtrack.us/congres… which passed the Senate in Dec of 2005.  As clearly stated in the GovTrack summary, the  – Military Death Gratuity Permanent Increase bill was clearly part of this bill.  

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        p>The eventual bill that was passed by both houses and signed into law by Pres Bush was H.R. 1815.  It is common for a House Bill to be the one that is passed out of Congress, one bill is simple absorbed into the bill by the other house.  As govtrack notes: http://www.govtrack.us/congres… clearly contains this section: — Military Death Gratuity Permanent Increase bill

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        p>H.R. 1815  was signed on Jan 6, 2006: Became Public Law No: 109-163

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        p>That is how Senator John Kerry increased the death benefit for our servicepeople killed in war from $12,000 to $250,000.  It was all done and a public law in January of 2006.

        <

        p>And, by the way, this is what you said in your diary:

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        p>

        The truth is that the legislation that created these enhancements were in large part a reactionary response by Congress to a series of critical Washington Post articles just last year, that revealed the scandalous mismanagement at Walter Reed hospital, and the gross neglect of our servicemen and women.

        <

        p>Again, I have proven you wrong.  You said the legislation was CREATED in reaction to the Walter Reed scandal.  Well, wrong, they were CREATED in 2004.  And you mentioned 4 items, that included the housing and death benefits.  You can’t change your argument midstream.

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        p>Clearly, you have lost this argument, so kindly update your diary, or you have proven to BMG that you are not credible, and refuse to admit when you made a mistake.  Heck, we all make mistakes — it is very difficult to keep track of how laws are passed in Congress.  But I have now corrected you twice, and instead you reply with more insults to the Senator.

  3. incredible work Kerry did on that issue.

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    p>I wrote a diary on it a few weeks ago:

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    p>http://vps28478.inmotionhosting.com/~bluema24/s…

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    p>For anyone who doesn’t know about it, back when we did not know a lot about AIDS and how it was transmitted, Jesse Helms inserted legislation that banned people who were HIV positive from coming to the United States, and barred HIV positive legal residents already here from becoming U.S. citizens.  This was a draconian law, yet it has stubbornly remained on the books.  It makes having AIDS conferences in the U.S. problematic, and it puts us in the same category as Saudi Arabia and Russia, who also have a ban in place.

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    p>Well, now we are on our way of wiping this law from our books.  Kerry teamed up with Smith (a Republican) to get the HIV travel ban lifted.  The President has signed it into law.  Now there is but one step left, which is to get HHS to change their rule, and the ban will be gone.

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    p>This is a big deal for many in the gay community.  I met a gentleman who has been an AIDS activist for 25 years at Netroots Nation in Austin, TX who openly wept when he was told about Kerry’s bill, and that it had overwhelmingly passed the Senate.  For him, this isn’t a game of adding up accomplishments; this law meant something to him.  It meant friends who could never, ever visit him in the States will be able to, and that so many more people can come to AIDS conferences.  Kerry’s actions in the Senate are quite significant, but this was passed as an amendment, so you will not find it with a perfunctory search on Thomas.  But I guarantee you:  it changes lives, for the better.

    • 21 years after the fact.  The Helms language was inserted into a supplemental bill in 1987.  Where was the bravery, le courage d’coeur in say, 1989?  1990?  1995?  2000?  Heck, even 2005?  The thing is…it’s not “brave” now.  It’s a pretty safe bill in this day and age.  

      <

      p>And it’s a nice dodge on the civil rights issue of gay marriage, but your example does underscore nicely what I’ve said. It took decades for Senator Kerry to act because he’s part of the status quo in Congress.

      <

      p>And this bill hasn’t passed yet.  A betting man would not be betting the house against a JFK bill getting through Congress.

      • … in the face of the the ones who will defend the incumbent no matter what he hasn’t done….

        • Your compatriot has filled his/her diary with distortions which I am correcting, and he/she is failing to update the diary with the new information.

          • I hope you feel better about it.  You try so terribly hard to put a shine on a sneaker.  If the Senator isn’t rewarding you already, I hope you receive something for your diligence and service.  You certainly deserve it.  

      • From the Washington Blade:

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        p>http://www.washingtonblade.com…

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        p>

        President Bush signed a sweeping global AIDS relief bill at a White House ceremony Wednesday afternoon that includes language repealing the U.S. ban on HIV-positive foreign visitors and immigrants.

        The bill-signing ceremony took place less than a week after the House of Representatives voted 303 to 115 to approve a Senate-passed version of the legislation, which reauthorizes the highly popular U.S. foreign aid program known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

        The Senate passed the bill one week earlier by a vote of 80 to 16.

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        p>Bay Windows:

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        p>http://www.baywindows.com/inde…

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        p>

        Mass. Sen. John Kerry was a leader of this effort. Below is a press release from Immigration Equality about the vote.

        New York, NY, July 17, 2008 – Immigration Equality hails the Senate’s vote to lift the HIV immigration and travel ban. The Senate voted today to repeal the language that bars people with HIV/AIDS from entering the U.S., as part of the legislation reauthorizing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The Senate approved PEPFAR by a vote of 80 to 16.

        “Congress has finally moved to end the HIV ban – a ban based on myth and misinformation,” said Rachel B. Tiven, Executive Director of Immigration Equality. “For twenty years, the United States has barred HIV-positive travelers from entering the country even for one day. Today the Senate said loud and clear that AIDS exceptionalism must come to an end.”

        …

        Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) led the effort to repeal the HIV ban. Said Senator Kerry, “Today we are one step closer to ending a discriminatory practice that stigmatizes all those living with HIV, squanders our moral authority, and sets us back in the fight against AIDS. By passing PEPFAR today the Senate not only has made a powerful statement about our commitment to eradicating HIV/AIDS but we have also voted to overturn the HIV travel and immigration ban that has no foundation in public health or common sense. There was no reason for this policy to still be on the books, and I am proud to have been part of eliminating this draconian ban. I sincerely hope we can get this to the President as quickly as possible to finally end this misguided policy.”

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        p>The one last step left is that the Department of Health and Human Services needs to change its rule.  And, even though I am sure you think it is Senator Kerry’s fault that they haven’t done it yet (because, you know, to you everything is Senator Kerry’s fault), HHS is part of the executive branch.  Kerry, being in the Senate, is part of the legislative branch.

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        p>Immigration Equality explains:

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        p>http://immigrationequality.org…

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        p>

        When the President signs the Pepfar bill (which could be as early as this Wednesday) the statutory HIV ban will be removed. That is, the HIV ban will no longer be written into the Immigration and Nationality Act which is extraordinarily good news. This is just the first step though, in a two step process. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has the authority to decide which illnesses constitute “communicable diseases of public health significance.” Currently, HIV is on this list, meaning that the HIV ban will not immediately be lifted with the passage of Pepfar. So, what happens next?

        .

        We must now set our sights on HHS. and urge them to strike HIV from its list. Immigration Equality is working in coalition with other organizations now to determine the best way to approach HHS. In order for the ban to be fully repealed, HHS will have to issue proposed regulations, allow for public comments, and then issue final regulations. This could be a lengthy (and contentious) process.

        <

        p>They have already begun calling on HHS to change their rule.

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