I found this in my inbox today. Yet another one.
************************Subject: A disabled Vet speaks about Obama
For what may be to come......
I am a VHCM member, I spent 12 months in Vietnam (147th CH47-CE) as most of us did. I am also a disabled veteran; I have been a wheelchair user for 35 years now. A few months ago I went to listen to Barack Obama at a local college. When he was done with his speech I got in line to ask him a question.
When my time came, my question was: "Senator Obama; I work with disabled veterans throughout the VA Hospital system, what is your plan for our veterans, especially our disabled veterans who use the VA Hospitals for their care. I stated we need mandatory funding for our VA system to ensure the care is available when needed, especially in light of the current situation in Iraq and the numbers of troops who are coming home with severe disabilities."
He told one of his aide's to get my name, blew me off, did not answer my question and I never heard from him or the aide again. Is this who we want as our "Commander in Chief"? He wouldn't even answer a "veterans" question, regarding other veterans.
Take it for what it's worth...just thought I'd pass on my experience with Mr. Obama.
Gary McDermott
147th ASH Hillclimbers
Vung Tau, RVN 68-69
If you are wishing for hope and change, you better know what the salesman is selling.
*********END E-MAIL**************
This e-mail may be a fairly new one, for when I tried to look it up for debunking purposes, nothing immediately popped up. A Google search revealed that it was used in a recent comment section of Tampa Bay.com dated June 11, 2008.
Unfortunately, there is nothing to easily verify this comment. The writer doesn't specify the date or what college he supposedly attended listen to Senator Obama. Also, the story sounds incredibly similar to Mitt Romney's encounter with a medical marijuana patient and blowing him off during a rally while Romney was still campaigning.
The writer does provide his full name and unit which I'll track down and see if I can do any amateur investigating to locate the writer and verify the story.
And just for the record, Barack Obama has a very specific policy regarding veterans as President of the United States. Here is a list of bullet points - specifics can be accessed via his website.A Sacred Trust
Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve.
~Allow All Veterans Back into the VA
~Strengthen VA Care
~Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans
~Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination
Help for Returning Service Members
Obama will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.
~Ensure a Seamless Transition
~Fully Fund VA Medical Care
~Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy
Improved Mental Health Treatment
Obama will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.
~Improve Mental Health Treatment
~Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury
~Expand Vet Centers
UPDATE (7:35pm): A Google search of "Gary McDermott" and his unit name brought me to this website. The "Crew Roster" does indeed have McDermott's name listed among it's members. I have written an e-mail to a Rodney Brown of the 147th Veterans Association in an attempt to find out more information or hopefully get in contact with McDermott. Below is my e-mail.Dear Mr. Brown,
Recently, I received an e-mail forward with the subject header, "A Disabled Vet Speaks About Obama."
In it, the writer speaks of having attended a local college to listen to Senator Obama speak, and after having asked a question regarding what the Senator plans to do in regards to veterans care, the writer claims that he was dismissed, was told to give contact information to an aide, and that he never heard from them again.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much pertinent information to verify this story except for the writer's name and unit. It was signed, "Gary McDermott, 147th ASH Hillclimbers, Vung Tau, RVN 68-69."
A quick Google search of the name and unit above brought me to your website and Mr. McDermott's name is in fact on your member list.
In an effort to verify the validity of this story, I was hoping you could help me contact Mr. McDermott or at least forward this information to him in hopes of making contact to get more specific information as to where and when his interaction with Senator Obama took place.
As a matter of complete disclosure, I am an Obama supporter but I am not affiliated with the Obama campaign or the campaign website in any way. I'm just a concerned citizen who is trying to keep informed and search for the truth.
I will include the body of the original e-mail I received for reference.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Obama Smear E-Mail Campaign Continues
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9 comments:
Couldn't the Gary McDermott from this organization be one in the same? http://www.vaughanpva.org/newsletters%202007/2006-2007%20Annual%20Report.pdf
I 'm just tired people forwarding e-mails like this before they investigate if the are even true. Good Luck.
I personally know THIS Gary McDermott. He was stationed with the 146th at Vung Tau, RVN as a crew chief on CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters based out of Vung Tau.
I'll be more than happy to forward your blog address to him and he can answer any questions you may have.
Thanks, Anonymous. It would be great of i could have contact with Mr. McDermott and find out what happened in detail.
The title of this blog site is at least as offensive as any of its posts.
Senator Obama doesn't need to be smeared,he's provided quite enough information to discredit him, himself. It's much like saying criticisms of Vietnam Protesters
http://www.kmike.com/VietnamProtesters.htm
or Jane Fonda
http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/hanoijan.htm
are smears.
The origin of this particular complaint need to be tracked down, but the blog title is too biased, imo.
Bert Kortegaard
http://www.kmike.com/b606.htm
http://www.kmike.com/wantuck1.htm
http://www.rt66.com/%7Ekorteng/SmallArms/
Mr. Kortegaard,
You say that my post title is offensive, but you don't explain why. You say that Senator Obama has discredited himself, but you don't explain how.
I don't know if you've bothered to look up my previous posts regarding the e-mailed Obama smears that have been circulating for quite some time now, such as "Obama is a Muslim", or "Obama won't say the Pledge of Allegience" or "Obama swore on the Koran" or "Obama will stand with the Muslims", ad infinitum, but if you had, you'd see that all those previous e-mails smears have been debunked.
When I received the latest of e-mails regarding Obama's alledged "dismissal" of a handicapped Vietnam Veteran and didn't immediately find a reputable source to dubunk the e-mail, I decided to try and find out for myself.
As of this writing (July 9th, 2008 8:54pm EST) I have yet to receive a response to the e-mails I've sent to the supposed writer of said accusation; whether he wrote it or not or if the writer's name was used deceptively, whether the incident actually happened, specifically where and when this incident allegedly took place, and other factors to either prove or disprove the validity of the e-mail. My post has stated nothing but the fact that I am searching for the truth - the facts - of this supposed interaction.
I have tried to go about this as objectively as possible, including the e-mails that I sent to those who might be able to help with more information, being polite and respectful in my correspondence. Yet, there are those who may not agree with my political affiliation or Senator Obama (I am assuming you are one of those people) who will take offense to what I consider a very objective post, no matter how I may phrase it.
I come to this conclusion based on your inclusion of web addresses citing Vietnam War protesters and Jane Fonda as part of reason for America's loss in the war and using that opinion in an attempt to compare what you consider to be facts regarding Obama, his background and his record. One thing has nothing to do with the other. (And on a side note, do you really believe that if there were no Jane Fonda and no war protesters that the end result in Vietnam would have ben any different?)
You may be of the opinion that the title of my post is somewhat biased, but I will assume that the e-mail I am researching is a smear based on the fact that there was neither any information nor any reference material attached to the e-mail for verification. My opinion will remain that way until I can find proof otherwise. In my world, frame of mind, thought process or whatever you want to call it, one bases their accusations on facts, and the e-mail I received contained none. It was just a story.
My question to you, if you would be so kind to answer is: On what basis do you make your decision or judgement on Senator Obama? Is it something that you know about him that I don't? Or is it based on something you may have heard or read?
Granted, I'm truly upset that he chose to vote in favor of today's FISA compromise bill, in contradiction to the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Is he therefore discredited, or is he being a politician trying to win an election? After all, Senator Obama did say that he would vote against telecom immunity, but if amendments in opposition to immunity failed, he would vote in favor of the FISA bill. He didn't break his word.
I thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving your comment. I hope to hear from you again.
I got the email today and like you I tried in Vain to valid it. And got no joy! Seems you can write anything you want and, people will believe it at least the right wing zealots.
I find this truly disturbing because I am a disable Marine in a wheelchair, this makes us look like at best a bunch of winers at worst liars. Good luck on tracking this coward down, if he told half the truth he would stand up and be counted!
Just so there is no questions my name is Jim Davlin, I was with Delta Company 1/5 , in 1966, My email is Jimdavlin@charter.net. I stand behind what I say, so if this coward has the stones email me!
Gary McDermott is an obvious Republican shill. He has been posting this anti Obama "back door" campaign all over the blogs.
Aparently McDermott has an axe to grind, and aparantly he isn't bright enough to know that his Republican party has destroyed the United States of America and the American Dream.
Maybe McDermott can pull his head out of his ass, and stop his sissy whining.
BTW, I am a former Viet Marine suffering several disabilities from agent orange, so don't think I'm throwing stones from a glass house.
Truthseeker.
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/06/18/news/local/doc467605a378c42755186471.txt
I wonder if this article has anything to do it.
I'm so sick of these emails.
Each item was purchased at a fraction of its original price, and both are still MVPs in my wardrobe. Knowing that other stores in the city carry pieces from the Runway collection, I knew better than to give up, and so I didn’t.
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