VFW, Armed Services Ranking Member, Endorse Charlie Dent

At a Saturday news conference including the Ranking Member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee as well as a platoon of about twenty veterans, LV Congressman Charlie Dent announced his endorsement by the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Political Action Committee (VFW PAC). He and Congressman Buck McKeon also set the record straight concerning some vicious mailers distorting Dent's record on veterans. One includes a photograph of a soldier with blood streaking down his face. Another shows a soldier holding a prosthetic device.

VFW's PAC issued its endorsement to Congressman Dent “based on (his) strong support for veterans, national security and defense, and military personnel issues.”

Dent has voted to increase spending on veterans’ health programs by 64.3 percent since 2005. He has also voted for every appropriations bill for veterans since his election to Congress.

"My opponent would have you believe we have actually cut that funding and taken away their Tri-care and taken away their benefits," said Dent. "It's simply outrageous."

“I’m immensely proud to receive the endorsement of the VFW PAC. Supporting out troops and our veterans is one of the highest obligations I have as a Congressman, and has remained among my highest priorities,” Congressman Dent said. “To be once again endorsed by the organization that so fervently represents our fighting men and women, both in the field and when they come home, is a great honor.

“My principal opponent in this race has not been so clear in his priorities. He’s been distorting my record, and frankly, in many cases, is just completely untruthful about my record, particularly as it relates to our armed services and our veterans."

"My opponent has not been forthcoming on any of these major issues except to send out attack pieces to try and condemn me on obscure procedural votes from years ago, suggesting that somehow I've not been helpful to our veterans.

"He even went so far as pictures of our troops with blood coming down their face, suggesting that I've not been helpful. A fellow holding a prosthetic and saying I've not been helpful and basically saying we're cutting their funds."

"Nothing is further from the truth."

Congressman Buck McKeon, who will chair the Armed Services Committee if Republicans gain a majority in the House, said this about Dent. "I am the Ranking Member of Armed Services, but he has been to Iraq and Afghanistan more than I have. ... We're in kind of a silly season now. People say a lot of things, and it's unfortunate. ... When people get behind, they do this sort of thing."

"I know that Charlie's working hard to ensure that the men and women returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan get the care that they need. Charlie's been working with the Veterans' Addiction program run by Treatment Trends in Allentown; PTSD, which is a big problem, one of the many challenges facing today's vets; and this program will enable the implementation of a community-based, drug and alcohol addiction and PTSD treatment center dedicated to serving veterans and their families.

"He voted for and is a strong proponent of the new GI Bill. This gives veterans that have served since 9/11 a full, four-year education. ... Charlie's a strong voice on common sense, national security priorities. He's opposed bringing terrorists, detainees, to this country for trial. That's one of our victories that we had, even though we're in the minority."

Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX), unable to attend Saturday's news conference, nevertheless condemned Callahan’s attack ads in a written statement: “The baseless attacks against Congressman Dent are an outrage. As a seven-year Prisoner of War in Vietnam, I find his opponent’s attacks offensive and untrue. In fact, I voted the same way Congressman Dent did. The reality is a vote for Charlie Dent is a vote against Speaker Pelosi and the out-of-touch, off-course White House. This Administration wanted wounded warriors to pay for their own care. Charlie Dent knows better than that and stood up against the President's absurd idea.”

Going back to the mailer containing a photograph of a soldier holding a prosthetic, Dent notes that "my opponent supported the health care law. And that health care law will raise taxes on that prosthetic - it's a Class 1 device taxed at 2.3%.

"He's going to raise the tax on that wounded warrior's prosthesis. He's gonna' raise it on his wheelchair and make it very difficult for him to get that wheelchair. He's going to tax wheelchairs, prosthetics. They're taxing bandages and tongue depressors. They're taxing bedpans.

"But most of all, my opponent John Callahan is taxing our patience."

In addition to Buck McKeon, Saturday's news conference was attended by several retired colonels, a retired Coast Guard Admiral, and a doctor who has done four tours in Iraq. Two of Dent's staffers are also Iraq war veterans.

Amazingly, the local papers skipped a news conference called by two U.S. Congressman, even though there was pizza. Blogger Chris Casey, himself a veteran, states that "it really bothers me that young men and women regularly put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms, and the main stream media so cavalierly dismisses the opportunity to be a truly "FREE PRESS."