Veterans Split on Grayson Endorsement

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The endorsement of Congressman Alan Grayson by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee has been called "preposterous" by the Chairman of Patriotic Veterans due to Grayson's "lack of support for troops in the field."

Retired Colonel Charles Thomann, one of the few surviving U. S. combat veterans of three major wars, said Grayson's vote to "tie the hands of our military in Afghanistan" is at odds with the majority of American veterans.  Thomann referred to a July 1 vote in the House on an amendment which would have cancelled funding for American troops for anything other than defensive purposes and withdrawing from the country.  

Thomann pointed out that this proposal was vehemently opposed by both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Armed Services Committee and that a majority of Democrats and Republicans voted against the amendment. Thomann quoted the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Buck McKeon, when he said that the passage of the amendment would "cripple the war effort in Afghanistan and undermine the Commander in Chief."

"I find it preposterous that any veterans group, particularly the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC, would endorse a member of Congress who would jeopardize our troops in combat," Thomann said. "I urge Florida veterans to take a close look at Congressman Grayson's record on military issues before casting their vote.  When it came time to back up our fighting men and women, Alan Grayson went AWOL."

Col. Charles Thomann (ret.) is the national spokesman for Patriotic Veterans, Inc., a 501(C) 4 organization founded in 2008. He and his wife, Joyce, live in Annapolis, MD.

SOURCE Patriotic Veterans Inc.