Hightower Lowdown

The White House isengaged in a disgustingbetrayal of America’s veterans.Yes, the sameBushites who exhort youand me to “support ourtroops” and who crasslypose George W. in frontof soldiers for politicalgain—these duplicitousgame-players are goingall out to kill legislationthat would help out 700,000disabled and desperate vets.These are frontline soldierswho were injured inWorld War II, Korea,Vietnam, and other wars.Yet, under an old law, theseaging veterans are havingtheir retirement pay dockedfor every dollar they get indisability benefits. In short,they are forced to pay fortheir own disabilities, whichthey incurred in military serviceto their country.A bipartisan majority inCongress supports a bill tofix this, providing full pensionsand disability for thesedeserving vets. Bush himselfpromised in the 2000 campaignto rectify the unfairness,and he pledged beforebeing sworn in that “promisesmade to our veterans willbe promises kept.”He lied. The White Housenow promises to veto thebill. Pentagon chief DonnieRumsfeld even went toCongress in July to personallytell lawmakers that thebill’s $5-billion-a-year costwould break the budget.The unfairness is breathtaking.Rumsfeld routinelythrows hundreds of billionsof dollars at fat-cat Pentagoncontractors to make unneededweaponry, but when itcomes to real need anddoing what’s right, he’s suddenlya penny-pincher.Support the vets! Call theWhite House comment lineat 202-456-1111.