Gee, Bush wouldn't want to let a few OLD disabled veterans get in the way of his NEW war...

As the granddaughter of a disabled veteran, I found this news item particularly appalling. Apparently, Bush has threatened to veto a defense spending bill that will provide additional pension benefits for disabled veterans because it might interfere with the new "war on terrorism" and bombing Iraq. According to this morning's Washington Post: "We simply cannot continue to add ever-expansive obligations to the defense budget," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in a letter to the conferees, who could decide the issue this week. "This would divert critical resources away from the war on terrorism, the transformation of our military capabilities and important personnel programs such as pay raises and facilities improvements."

You gotta love these people. They are more than willing to spend billions (desperately needed for social services, the fight against AIDS + HIV, education, health care... and so on) to send American kids off to get maimed or killed in Iraq and "the war against terrorism," but when it comes to the kids they sent to get maimed or killed in Vietnam or Korea years ago, they suddenly get budget-conscious.

My grandmother Melba (the disabled veteran referred to earlier) said she was so mad when she saw that article that she pitched the newspaper across the room.