thank you all veri much __PUNCT__
nation command marti conats __PUNCT__ thank you for the kind introduct __PUNCT__
nation adjut bob spanogl __PUNCT__ auxiliari presid __DATE__ pulvermach __PUNCT__ ryan __PUNCT__ auxiliari secretari pam gillei __PUNCT__ thank you all __PUNCT__
if i mai speak for the gang at temp post __NUM__ we ar honor to be in the compani of our fellow member of the american legion __PUNCT__
appar it fall to me as well to offer an offici welcom the great state of arizona __PUNCT__
our governor is out of town __PUNCT__ up in denver for some big parti thei throw there __PUNCT__
i guess my invit got lost in the mail __PUNCT__
all of us take pride in be member of thi great organ __PUNCT__
after it found in __NUM__ the legion serv mani of the more than four million american veteran of the first world war __PUNCT__
todai just on of those veteran surviv __PUNCT__ a man of __NUM__ name frank buckl __PUNCT__
frank live in west virginia __PUNCT__ and last week in orlando the folk at the vfw convent gave him a stand ovat __PUNCT__
i have a feel that you __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ will want to join in a round of applaus for the last doughboi __PUNCT__
in all the year sinc __PUNCT__ the men and women of the legion have stai faith to their mission of servic to on anoth and to countri __PUNCT__
in europ __PUNCT__ asia __PUNCT__ the middl east __PUNCT__ and elsewher __PUNCT__ america veteran have face differ enemi __PUNCT__ but thei have alwai found the same friend and alli in the legion __PUNCT__ the vfw __PUNCT__ and other veteran __PUNCT__ servic organ __PUNCT__
all of us return from war with a few experi we gladli forget __PUNCT__ but the friendship and camaraderi we brought home ar forev __PUNCT__
for keep us all togeth __PUNCT__ and help those most in need __PUNCT__ we all in the debt of the american legion __PUNCT__
the men and women of the legion believ in their countri caus in the world __PUNCT__ and you have serv and sacrif for it __PUNCT__
you know that when our leader speak of thi nation histori and purpos in the affair of the world __PUNCT__ thei should do so with confid __PUNCT__ gratitud __PUNCT__ and abov all with moral clariti __PUNCT__
there ar those who sai that our dai as the free world leader ha pass __PUNCT__ that our moment is wane __PUNCT__
thei point to the anti __PUNCT__ american that is sometim heard in europ and elsewher __PUNCT__ and take thi as a sign that america no longer ha the strength or the moral credibl to lead __PUNCT__
the critic tend to pass or quiet down when global threat and danger appear __PUNCT__
in time of troubl __PUNCT__ free nation of the world still look to america for leadership __PUNCT__ becaus thei know the strength of america remain the greatest forc for good on thi earth __PUNCT__
my oppon had the chanc to express such confid in america __PUNCT__ when he deliv a much anticip address in berlin __PUNCT__
he wa the pictur of confid __PUNCT__ in some wai __PUNCT__
but confid in oneself and confid in on countri ar not the same __PUNCT__
and in that speech __PUNCT__ senat obama left an import point unclear __PUNCT__
he suggest that the end of the cold war prove that there wa __PUNCT__ no challeng too great for a world that stand as on __PUNCT__
now i miss a few year of the cold war __PUNCT__ as the guest of on of our adversari __PUNCT__ but as i recal the world wa deepli divid dure the cold war __PUNCT__ between the side of freedom and the side of tyranni __PUNCT__
the cold war end not becaus the world stood __PUNCT__ as on __PUNCT__ but becaus the great democraci came togeth __PUNCT__ bound togeth by sustain and decis american leadership __PUNCT__
all of thi is more than an academ debat __PUNCT__
for the sake of our own secur __PUNCT__ and the defens of our valu in the affair of the world __PUNCT__ american leadership is critic __PUNCT__
while we have our share of critic around the world __PUNCT__ when peopl in the oppress nation of the world need support __PUNCT__ and solidar __PUNCT__ and hope __PUNCT__ thei look to america __PUNCT__
when thei talk about our countri __PUNCT__ it is not with distrust or disdain __PUNCT__ but with respect and affect __PUNCT__
thei do not resent or resist america democrat influenc in the world __PUNCT__ thei thank god for it __PUNCT__
just dai after the russian invas of georgia __PUNCT__ senat obama had thi to sai about the crisi __PUNCT__ we got to send a clear messag to russia and unifi our alli __PUNCT__
thei can't charg into other countri __PUNCT__
of cours it help if we ar lead by exampl on that point __PUNCT__
end of quot __PUNCT__
i guess we ar left to figur out the rest for ourselv __PUNCT__
it unlik he wa allud to afghanistan __PUNCT__ the nation we liber after 9/11 __PUNCT__ and continu to help despit russian complaint about our relat deploy in central asia __PUNCT__
and he probabl didn't have kosovo in mind either __PUNCT__ although russia didn't care much for that militari action __PUNCT__ either __PUNCT__
we and our nato alli had to end the serbian slaughter of civilian in kosovo without un approv __PUNCT__ becaus the russian block the effort in the secur council __PUNCT__
if i catch senat obama drift __PUNCT__ then __PUNCT__ our failur to __PUNCT__ lead by exampl __PUNCT__ wa the liber of iraq __PUNCT__
and if he realli think that __PUNCT__ by liber iraq from a danger tyrant __PUNCT__ america somehow set a bad exampl that invit russia to invad a small __PUNCT__ peac __PUNCT__ and democrat nation __PUNCT__ then he should state it outright __PUNCT__ becaus that is a debat i welcom __PUNCT__
in the end __PUNCT__ confus about such question onli invit more troubl __PUNCT__ violenc __PUNCT__ and aggress __PUNCT__
to promot stabil and peac __PUNCT__ america must stand firmli on the side of freedom and justic __PUNCT__
the next presid must bring to offic a clear __PUNCT__ ei view of our nation role in the world __PUNCT__ as the defend of the oppress and a forc for peac __PUNCT__
through decad of struggl __PUNCT__ free nation prevail over tyranni in larg measur becaus of the sacrific of the men and women of the unit state arm forc __PUNCT__
and it will fall to the next command in chief to make good on the oblig our govern accept everi time ani man or woman enter the militari __PUNCT__ and again when thei receiv their dd __NUM__ __PUNCT__
those we depend on as troop should know __PUNCT__ when thei becom veteran __PUNCT__ that thei can depend on us __PUNCT__
honor thi oblig will requir leadership __PUNCT__
and i pledg to you that as presid i will lead __PUNCT__ from the front __PUNCT__ to reform our va system and make sure that veteran receiv the respect and care thei have earn __PUNCT__
the walter reed scandal wa a disgrac unworthi of thi nation __PUNCT__ and i intend to make sure that noth like it is ever repeat __PUNCT__
there ar other problem as well that have not receiv as much media attent __PUNCT__
and my administr will do the hard and necessari work of fix them __PUNCT__ even when the press and the public ar not watch __PUNCT__
reform begin with appoint a secretari of veteran affair who is a leader of the highest calib __PUNCT__ and who listen to veteran and veteran __PUNCT__ servic organ __PUNCT__
my va secretari must be a forc advoc for veteran and forthright advisor to me __PUNCT__ so we can make the right choic about budget __PUNCT__ health care __PUNCT__ and other veteran __PUNCT__ benefit issu __PUNCT__
he or she will also need to be a high __PUNCT__ energi leader __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ becaus we have a lot of work to do in improv servic to veteran __PUNCT__
veteran must be treat fairli and expediti as thei seek compens for disabl or ill __PUNCT__
we ow them compass and hand __PUNCT__ on care in their transit to civilian life __PUNCT__
we ow them train __PUNCT__ rehabilit __PUNCT__ and educ __PUNCT__
we ow their famili __PUNCT__ parent and caregiv our concern and support __PUNCT__
veteran should never be depriv of qualiti medic care and mental health care coverag for ill or injuri incur as a result of their servic to our countri __PUNCT__
as presid __PUNCT__ i will do all that is in my power to ensur that those who serv todai __PUNCT__ and those who have serv in the past __PUNCT__ have access to the highest qualiti health __PUNCT__ mental health and rehabilit care in the world __PUNCT__
and i will not accept a situat in which veteran ar deni access to care on account of travel distanc __PUNCT__ backlog of appoint __PUNCT__ and year of pend disabl evalu and claim __PUNCT__
we should no longer toler requir veteran to make an appoint to stand in on line for a ticket to stand in anoth __PUNCT__
i not here to tell you that there is a cost that is too high to be paid in the care of our nation veteran __PUNCT__
i will make sure that congress fund the va health care budget in a suffici __PUNCT__ time __PUNCT__ and predict manner __PUNCT__
but i will sai that everi increas in fund must be match by increas in account __PUNCT__ both at the va and in congress __PUNCT__
and thi requir an end to certain practic and abus that serv neither our veteran __PUNCT__ our countri __PUNCT__ nor the reput of congress itself __PUNCT__
exactli becaus fund va program command bipartisan support __PUNCT__ some in the congress like to attach unrel appropri and earmark to va bill __PUNCT__
the result is to mix vital nation prioriti with wast and often worthless polit pork __PUNCT__
earmark show up in bill of everi kind __PUNCT__ and not just va bill __PUNCT__
that how we end up budget hundr of million of dollar for bridg to nowher __PUNCT__ and for other wast project that do not serv the public interest __PUNCT__
the principl here is simpl __PUNCT__ public monei should serv the public good __PUNCT__
if it me sit in the oval offic __PUNCT__ at the resolut desk __PUNCT__ those wast spend bill ar go the wai of all earmark __PUNCT__ straight back to the congress with a veto __PUNCT__
when we make it clear to congress that no earmark bill will be sign into law __PUNCT__ that will save mani billion of dollar that can be appli to essenti prioriti __PUNCT__ and abov all to the care of our veteran __PUNCT__
but reform doesn't end there __PUNCT__
we must also modern our disabl system to make sure that elig servic member receiv benefit quickli __PUNCT__ base on clear __PUNCT__ predict __PUNCT__ and fair standard __PUNCT__
and we must address the problem of capac and access within our va health care system __PUNCT__
while thi will involv a wide rang of initi __PUNCT__ i believ there is a simpl and direct reform we should make right awai __PUNCT__
my administr will creat a veteran __PUNCT__ care access card to be us by veteran with ill or injuri incur dure their militari servic __PUNCT__ and by those with lower incom __PUNCT__
thi card will provid those without time access to va facil the option of us high __PUNCT__ qualiti health __PUNCT__ care provid near their home __PUNCT__
for mani veteran __PUNCT__ the closest va facil isn't close enough __PUNCT__
and mani of their local provid ar alreadi familiar with the most common need of veteran __PUNCT__
often __PUNCT__ all that prevent them from receiv local care is a system for share medic record among va __PUNCT__ dod __PUNCT__ and civilian hospit and doctor __PUNCT__
my reform will improv care __PUNCT__ reduc risk __PUNCT__ and broaden access all at the same time __PUNCT__
thi card is not intend to either replac the va or privat veteran __PUNCT__ health care __PUNCT__ as some have wrongli charg __PUNCT__
i believ the va should alwai be there to provid top __PUNCT__ qualiti care for our veteran __PUNCT__
and i believ that the va should continu to provid broad __PUNCT__ spectrum health care to elig veteran __PUNCT__ in addit to special care in area such as spinal injuri __PUNCT__ prosthet __PUNCT__ and blind __PUNCT__ servic in which the va set the standard in medic care __PUNCT__
even so __PUNCT__ there ar veteran elig for care who ar not current abl to receiv it __PUNCT__ on account of distanc __PUNCT__ wait time __PUNCT__ or the absenc of certain specialti __PUNCT__
and for thi group __PUNCT__ the new card i propos will offer better altern __PUNCT__ to provid the benefit thei have earn __PUNCT__
reform must also recogn that greater care is need for certain type of injuri __PUNCT__
in the senat __PUNCT__ i co __PUNCT__ author the wound warrior act __PUNCT__ which wa the first major legisl initi to address post __PUNCT__ traumat stress disord and traumat brain injuri __PUNCT__
as presid __PUNCT__ i will build on thi legisl to improv screen and treatment for these sever injuri suffer by mani in iraq and afghanistan __PUNCT__
the va must also broaden it care for the women who ar enter the arm forc in greater number than ever __PUNCT__ and who ar suffer from the same war wound __PUNCT__ visibl and invis __PUNCT__ suffer by other veteran __PUNCT__
the american legion wa found just on year befor the women of america receiv the right to vote __PUNCT__ in a constitut amend that becam law __NUM__ year ago todai __PUNCT__
among the mani wrong that have been right in that time __PUNCT__ women ar now welcom and respect as equal in the rank of the arm forc of the unit state __PUNCT__
yet the grow rank of women veteran have left the va lag behind in the servic it provid __PUNCT__
as rapidli as possibl __PUNCT__ we must improv the va system so that it can fulli assess and treat condit that predominantli or exclus affect women __PUNCT__
and here the veteran care access card will prove especi valuabl __PUNCT__ afford women medic option while the va improv capac and expand servic __PUNCT__
these ar among the element of my reform agenda for the va system __PUNCT__
and todai __PUNCT__ as other occas __PUNCT__ i have state in the plainest __PUNCT__ most straightforward term that the veteran health care access card will expand exist benefit __PUNCT__
i don't expect thi will deter the obama campaign from misrepres my propos __PUNCT__ but lest there be ani doubt you have my pledg __PUNCT__ my reform would not forc anyon to go to a non __PUNCT__ va facil __PUNCT__ and do not signal privat of the va __PUNCT__
us of the card would be option __PUNCT__
onli high qualiti health care provid would be us __PUNCT__
particip veteran would incur no addit charg __PUNCT__
and my reform will not replac ani schedul expans of the va network __PUNCT__ includ those facil design to serv veteran live in rural and remot area __PUNCT__
thi is __PUNCT__ veri simpli __PUNCT__ an effort to expand care to a group of elig veteran who ar not now receiv care __PUNCT__
i suppos from my oppon vantag point __PUNCT__ veteran concern ar just on more issu to be spun or work to advantag __PUNCT__
thi would explain why he ha also taken liberti with my posit on the gi bill __PUNCT__
in it initi version __PUNCT__ that bill fail to address the number on educ request that i heard from career servic member and their famili __PUNCT__ the freedom to transfer their benefit to a spous or a child __PUNCT__
the bill also did noth to retain the young offic and enlist leader who form the backbon of our all __PUNCT__ volunt forc __PUNCT__
as a polit proposit __PUNCT__ it would have much easier for me to have just sign on to what i consid flaw legisl __PUNCT__
but the peopl of arizona __PUNCT__ and of all america __PUNCT__ expect more from their repres than that __PUNCT__ and instead i sought a better bill __PUNCT__
i proud to sai that the result is a law that better serv our militari __PUNCT__ better serv militari famili __PUNCT__ and better serv the interest of our countri __PUNCT__
no on who ha worn the uniform of hi or her countri can ever take these matter lightli __PUNCT__
we all learn an ethic in the servic of look after on anoth __PUNCT__ of leav no on behind __PUNCT__ and thi commit did not end when we left the servic __PUNCT__
as a matter of duti and of honor __PUNCT__ whatev our commit to veteran cost __PUNCT__ if i am presid those commit will be kept __PUNCT__
the next presid will have mani respons to the american peopl __PUNCT__ and i take them all serious __PUNCT__
but if i am elect __PUNCT__ i will have on respons that outweigh all the other __PUNCT__
and that is to us whatev talent i possess __PUNCT__ and everi resourc god ha grant me to protect the secur of thi great and good nation from all enemi foreign and domest __PUNCT__
it is everi veteran hope that should their children be call upon to answer a call to arm __PUNCT__ the battl will be necessari and the field well chosen __PUNCT__
but that is not their respons __PUNCT__
it belong to the govern that call them __PUNCT__
as it onc wa for us __PUNCT__ their honor will be in their answer not their summon __PUNCT__
whatev we think about how and why we went to war in iraq __PUNCT__ we ar all humbl by and grate for their exampl __PUNCT__
thei now deserv the distinct of the best american __PUNCT__ and we ow them a debt we can never fulli repai __PUNCT__
we can onli offer the small tribut of our humil and our commit to do all that we can do __PUNCT__ in less try and costli circumst __PUNCT__ to help keep thi nation worthi of their sacrific __PUNCT__
mani of them have serv multipl tour in iraq and afghanistan __PUNCT__
mani had their tour extend __PUNCT__
mani return to combat sooner than thei had been led to expect __PUNCT__
it wa a sad and hard thing to ask so much more of american who have alreadi given more than their fair share to the defens of our countri __PUNCT__
few of them and their famili will have receiv the new about addit and longer deploy without aim a few appropri complaint in the gener direct of peopl like me __PUNCT__ who help make the decis to send them there __PUNCT__
and then thei shoulder a rifl or climb in a cockpit and risk everyth __PUNCT__ everyth __PUNCT__ to accomplish their mission __PUNCT__ to protect anoth peopl freedom and our own countri from harm __PUNCT__
it is a privileg beyond measur to live in a countri serv by them __PUNCT__
i have had the good fortun to know person a great mani brave and selfless patriot who sacrif and shed blood to defend america __PUNCT__
but i have known none braver or better than those who do so todai __PUNCT__
thei ar our inspir __PUNCT__ as i suspect all of you were onc their __PUNCT__
and i prai to a love god that he bless and protect them __PUNCT__
thank you __PUNCT__
