Military amputee uninvited from Bush event because the press would see him with no legs

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

I don't think I've ever been as morally ashamed of the Bush administration as I was after reading this WP article (hat-tip to Americablog):

Perks and stardom do not come to every amputee. Sgt. David Thomas, a gunner with the Tennessee National Guard, spent his first three months at Walter Reed with no decent clothes; medics in Samarra had cut off his uniform. Heavily drugged, missing one leg and suffering from traumatic brain injury, David, 42, was finally told by a physical therapist to go to the Red Cross office, where he was given a T-shirt and sweat pants. He was awarded a Purple Heart but had no underwear.

David tangled with Walter Reed's image machine when he wanted to attend a ceremony for a fellow amputee, a Mexican national who was being granted U.S. citizenship by President Bush. A case worker quizzed him about what he would wear. It was summer, so David said shorts. The case manager said the media would be there and shorts were not advisable because the amputees would be seated in the front row..

" 'Are you telling me that I can't go to the ceremony 'cause I'm an amputee?' " David recalled asking. "She said, 'No, I'm saying you need to wear pants.' "

David told the case worker, "I'm not ashamed of what I did, and y'all shouldn't be neither." When the guest list came out for the ceremony, his name was not on it.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/military-ampute...

[MadMaddie]

1. Send this to all of your NeoCon friends and realitives and ask

them who really supports the troops?

Just when you think the administration can't get any more pathetic....they always seem to top themselves don't they?

[Tekla West]

31. never say never

to that bunch, I'm sure they got a boatload of pathetic left to go.

[SammyWinstonJack]

40. Agree there!

I'm sure they got a boatload of pathetic left to go. Big time!

[ThatsMyBarack]

63. Welcome to DU, Tekla West!

[A Simple Game]

105. What a way with words.

"I'm sure they got a boatload of pathetic left to go."

Sadly, I am afraid you are right on with your assessment.

Welcome to DU.

[Mad_Dem_X]

58. I forwarded this to my folks

They get lots of RW batshit emails; I asked them to forward this to all their neo-con email buddies. (My parents are Dems, BTW.)

[SeattleGirl]

2. God damn it, but this shit pisses me off so much!!!!

Sure, support the troops, George. Yeah, give 'em a hero's welcome! That is, as long as they are in perfect condition. Can't have any of the uglier side of the war showing up in the same room as you!

Go fuck yourself, George! Just go fuck yourself!!

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

9. My reaction exactly

[11 Bravo]

3. And that's how this administration "supports the troops".

Leave pieces of your ass all over SW Asia, but please, don't trouble our "beautiful minds" by forcing us to gaze upon your maimed and crippled bodies.

[JeffR]

4. This may be the single most disgusting story I've seen stemming from

the invasion and occupation of Iraq. And God knows almost every story stemming from it has been disgusting.

The Statue of Liberty may as well lower her torch. We've pretty much lost whatever claim we ever had on greatness. And on goodness.

[PegDAC]

73. You must not have seen

the WaPo article about the conditions at Walter Reed.

[enigmatic]

5. This is a front page story

And it's also another vile chapter to W's Legacy.

[mopinko]

6. imagine what they would say to that marine

whose wedding pictures were posted here a few days ago. lots of these guys getting burned very badly in these ied explosions, many going back in to save their buddies. i'd like to see bushy using guys like that for a photo-op.

[ret5hd]

7. self deleted...not the time or place

[Ouabache]

8. Support the Troops

just don't seat them in the front row if they won't cover up their amputations, resulting from your lies and war-mongering gullability.

[Erika]

11. Yes, many of us share that anger

W has deliberately hid the deaths and the wounds of our troops in his declared wars.

[w8liftinglady]

13. agreed-and forgive the self-promotion...my lttes

We need to keep these soldies in the forefront...and remind them of their evil,hypocitical ways

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Erika]

10. How utterly sickening n/t

[ninkasi]

12. There are no words

There are simply no words, no sentences I could compose, to relay the utter contempt I hold for the current Bush administration. I cannot think of a single loathsome thing that I would hold in more contempt and disdain that Bush and his cronies. We will need to invent words to describe them. As rich as it is, the English language does not suffice. And they claim that we don't "support the troops." They are utterly reprehensible.

[creeksneakers2]

14. Shocking

The treatment these men receive is shameful.

[JanusAscending]

15. Why does this not surprise me??

One can expect LESS than nothing from these bastards! It was just reported on the local news in Ct. tonight, that the returning National Guard Unit has back pay owed to them. Some as much as $17,000 !!! What the hell is happening to all the money? and the crazy bastard is asking for more? I say CUT OFF THE FUNDS.....NOW!!

[rodeodance]

16. This does surprize me!

[JanusAscending]

17. It was on ABC 11P.M.news, local station WTNH

I don't know how to send a link, or I would! Evidently it was bonus money promised to each guard for extra time served. (so much per month)

[JanusAscending]

21. Story up on latest breaking news now.

[nam78_two]

29. Owed upto $17,000 in back pay???

I mean seriously . Was any explanation given ?

[JanusAscending]

91. Yup,

"It was a glitch at the Federal level." Evidently the States and the Feds divide up the financial responsibility? So much for supporting the troops, huh??

[speedoo]

18. Fucking asswipes. They have no problem using troops as backdrops.

But they tell this Sgt. he ain't pretty, with no legs and all. So fuck off Sarge, you're not useful any more.

[MikeNearMcChord]

19. My God

Can there be a worse hell deserved for the Bush Administration. Where is the outrage of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? Such shameful disgrace! Republicans should be hanged with this albatross for 1000 years! I would say more, but at best I get banned at DU, at worst arrested!

[Bozita]

20. out-fucking-rageous!

Just when you think the Bushies are out of gas, THIS?

[tomreedtoon]

22. Okay, Pelosi, Stewart, even Colbert. It's in your court now.

The news is out. Now what are the people in authority...the people praised so often here on DU...going to do about it?

Pelosi, or someone she directs to mention this (a nice thing for the congresscreature that has this soldier in his or her district) should bring this up on the floor.

And...how about this...Stewart could mention this on The Daily Show.

And if he really had the courage to go that far...Stephen Colbert could bring this up. Maybe even tahe his traditional pseudo-O'Reilly line about how Bush doesn't need to have any ugly, deformed veterans behind him when he makes his speeches. He only deserves to have attractive, healty soldiers!

But if it gets brought up here, and nobody picks up the ball and runs with it...perhaps someone else should be voted into office or watched on the air.

[Kolesar]

41. You can't spell Colbert without Olber, man

Is "worst person in the world" coming up?

[PegDAC]

74. I'll check it out tonight! n/t

[Kolesar]

76. I don't know if it will be on.

That was just sleepy-eyed, semi-caffeinated me getting wound up.

[Janice325]

93. Thanks for bringing up KO, TheBorealAvenger!

I hope he make Bush or his "administration" "worst person in the world" tonight.
Truly disgusting.
Edited to add another k&r

[Cabcere]

99. I hope

he goes farther than that. Such disgusting and hypocritical behavior deserves one hell of a scathing Special Comment, at the very least. I may not have Keith's way with words, but if he doesn't tear them apart (verbally) for this, I will. This is completely unacceptable.

[Laurab]

100. Colbert has the courage I have no doubt of that

Jon does, too, and I imagine he'd be as outraged as we are. Too bad they're on vacation this week, but maybe we'll see something next week. In the meantime, there's Keith....









Edit - typo.

[bonito]

23. Thanks mods for putting this on the front page

For my sake as well.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

27. Wow

I've never had a DU post put on the front page before. It is a worthy topic -- thanks to Americablog for first posting on it.

[Straight Shooter]

24. Gawd.

[libnnc]

25. I don't want to wake up my SO by throwing something

I'll just seethe here quietly.

[TygrBright]

26. Oh, dear. Oh, deary dear. They've done it now.

See, there's this about officers in the US military. There's a fair share of timeserving career-happy kissass shitheads, like in any military. Those, blivet & co. don't have to worry about.

See, then there's the OTHER kind of officers. The kind who know damn' well that they would be up Shit's Creek without good noncoms. The kind who care about their troops. The kind who take their precious off-duty minutes to check up on the wounded guys, the gals who haven't had a letter from home in a dog's age, the newest recruits who are getting the shakes, that kind of thing. Those kind of officers.

In spite of blivet & rummy's systematic attempts to drum out the ones like that who are tinsel-heads, and to sit good and hard on the lower echelon ones, there's still lots of 'em, and they're still there. And they're proud, good, honorable officers who believe in their service oaths. They won't do anything contrary to the good of the service and the good of the men and women who serve with them, and they'll shut their teeth and obey all legal orders.

Thing is, this will REALLY, REALLY piss them off. REALLY piss them off.

And I can't really think of too many groups of people I wouldn't want pissed off at ME, more than these folks.

Without ever disregarding their legal obligations, they WILL find ways to make their pissed-offness know. They'll wait as long as they need to. But they WILL find ways.

They've done it now. Oh, deary me... blivet & co have done it now.

Stand back. It won't be pretty.

prophetically,
Bright

[nam78_two]

28. K&R

...These people are revolting. The poor soldiers...

[Joe Bacon]

30. This is just plain sick

Every time I think these Nazi Republicans cannot be any more vile, something like this appears.

I want to see Lindsay Graham try and bullshit his way out of this!

[Pushed To The Left]

32. So much for the Bush Administration "supporting the troops"

I truly believe that those who oppose the war support the troops much more than the Bush Administration and the far right ever have!

[intaglio]

33. George has taken a page from Maggie Thatcher's playbook

At the end of the Falklands conflict there was a service at St Pauls in London - from which those servicemen with very disfiguring injuries were excluded.

[diane in sf]

34. I can only hope that there is such a thing as karma

and that Bush and the cons get to answer to it.

[HuffleClaw]

35. meep

words cannot describe...

[Swagman]

36. where is the pic of that wretched woman with the purple heart band-aid

on her face at the Republican Convention ?. That silly cow should be sent this story. It's awful. They should be ashamed of themselves. This guy is a hero.

[Lochloosa]

45. ..

[Wednesdays]

80. Two pics...

[Stephanie]

94. Someone needs to do a Bush Years Wingnut Bloopers reel

With those two photos, Get a Brain, Morans! and Jesus Christ on a Trailer Hitch, for starters.

[Cobalt-60]

37. Intolerable. We need pics

I'd love to gear up and march on the place - but I would never reach the door.
these events do need to be recorded. We can't bring them to the screeching halt they deserve.
But we can see the perpetrators ultimately punished.
I know that one of you reading this works at WR or knows someone who does.
We need images of this mistreatment. We need sound bytes. We even need anecdotes.
While the corporate media won't broadcast this outrage the tale needs to be told.
If we get this out where people can see it, Bushco will be instantly and permanently labeled as the ultimate troop haters.
I have no reward to offer, other than the enhancement of the photographer's personal honor.
Perhaps a foreign publication would pay for them. I wouldn't risk offering this stuff to any member of the Corporate media.

[PegDAC]

75. I would wager

that Randi Rhodes will be all over this.

[WernhamHogg]

38. Joshua Sparling

I wonder if the shitty way that the injured are treated by the right has inspired the guy who keeps coming up with questionable claims that he is being abused and harassed by the left? Each "incident" that this guy is involved in brings him loads of attention, TV time, trips and gifts that he otherwise would not have gotten. Perhaps when he returned home injured, he found that the people he trusted before he went to Iraq (the same people who SENT him there to be injured in the first place) no longer gave a shit about him or his injuries -- forcing him to make up stories just to get attention and acceptance from them?

[Raine]

39. Their disrespect for injured war veterans

showed itself in their treatment of Max Cleland and has gotten even worse.

[malaise]

42. Nothing Bushco does

surprises me, but Vets must fight back.
Their supporters must organize for amputees and others with severe injuries to head to The Hill and let the entire country see the consequences of Bushco's clusterfuck.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

71. Agree

I hope to see Vets organizations, like the IAVA and Votevets, get on top of this issue.

[Spinzonner]

43. Can't be disturbing their beautiful minds ...

[In Truth We Trust]

44. Impeach!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

46. The Umpteenth Commandment:

Thou shalt not spoil Chimpy's photo-ops with uncomfortable realities.

[Vinca]

47. How can even 1 service member, veteran or family member

support this bunch? Other than slashing funding for the guy's treatment, it's about the most despicable story I've read.

[wordpix]

48. I wonder what the pukes who defend this war are thinking about this & Sun's WaPo article on p.1

that was the lead story and went on for 4 long pages about Walter Reed and the deplorable state of the hospital and admin. there.

Someone's getting rich off that deal, too, b/c our hundreds of billions for this war certainly aren't being spent on the war wounded. If you haven't read the article, you need to.

[Odin2005]

49. I'm fucking speechless. Words cannot describe my anger.

[Wetzelbill]

50. Yeah, that's Bush and the GOP in a nutshell nt

[Divernan]

51. A special hell for doctors denying or grossly mimimizing disability claims

There are repeated references to instances where disability ratings of zero or 10% are immediately jumped to 50% or so when a "congressional staffer" intervenes in behalf of a disabled vet. Not a more specialized doctor - but a non-medically qualified congressional staffer.

There's a scene in Pan's Labyrinth where this fascist pig of a (Franco/Spanish) Army captain
asks a doctor why, instead of following the Captain's orders to bring a grossly tortured man back to consciousness for more torture & ultimately execution, the doctor acceded to the prisoner's tortured whisper "Kill me, please" by giving him an injection of morphine strong enough to kill him.

The doctor replied to the effect, "Because I am not the kind of man who can be forced to do such a thing." Then the captain shot and killed the doctor. It was a powerful scene with striking parallels to Guantanmo and Abu Ghraib. Well the doctors in the VA and Walter Reed will not be shot for refusing to sign off on untrue disability evaluations. They could find honest work at decent pay elsewhere. How do these immoral frauds live with the lifetime of poverty and suffering to which they condemn disabled men and their families by refusing to approve the disability pay which these vets earned?

Where is the frigging American Medical Association in this mess? Medical licenses can be revoked, you know.

[minnesota_liberal]

52. Image Over Substance

Bush & Co. is more of a marketing machine than a political administration. Hasn't that been clear for about 6 years?

[raccoon]

53. There is no end to their evil.

Just when I think they couldn't outdo themselves, they never fail to do so.

[Zambero]

54. I can already hear the Freepers' spinning this one

"Sgt. Thomas was unwittingly being exploited by the left-leaning media, in a deliberate attempt to embarrass the President by shifting the focus away from this well-intended awards ceremony. It would have been grossly unfair to the ceremony's honoree, to Sgt. Thomas and to our brave troops for this worthy event to be used for purely political purposes".

[scarface2004]

55. bush says 'it just a god damn amputee'!

he doesn t give a shit about anybody or anything...who the hell voted for this jagoff!

[LonelyLRLiberal]

56. Why is anyone surprised? They don't even want pictures of closed caskets publicized.

They haul the dead home via some private cargo company in the dead of the night and won't let anyone take pictures. The media goes right along with this.

[Mad_Dem_X]

57. The Bush Administration is a disgrace

to our country, its people (especially our troops) and to the world.

May they all rot in Hell.

[frogcycle]

59. the freepers are going to turn up the heat

about the mythical "spit on a vet" story from the march, in attempt to distract from this


how in the hell is this not "spitting on a vet/"

[cui bono]

79. It's not spitting on vet.

It's shitting on a vet.

[Kurovski]

60. Apparently there are any number of "beautiful minds" in need of protection,

as the mighty gorgon of the Bush clan would say.

[lonestarnot]

61. Son of a bitches!

[Cabcere]

62. What a bunch of

fucking sick fucking bastard fuckheads! There are no words bad enough to describe Bush and his people, who treat our men & women in uniform like shit and then accuse US of not "supporting the troops." Un-fucking-believable. Actually, the sad thing is, it's totally fucking believable with this shithead administration and their asswipe cronies. Fuck them.

(Note: I don't generally swear that much, but in this case, I could drop all the f-bombs in the world on Bushco and it still wouldn't convey the way I feel about their absolute vileness. )

[Cass]

64. This is disgraceful.

First of all why was it so damned hard to get this guy some clothes? WTF?

Secondly, to omit this man from the guest list because of his injury is downright sickening and cruel.

They sure do love to use the troops when it suits them just like they like to use 9/11 in their speeches. Damn phonies, every one of them.

[JohnLocke]

65. Disgusting, K&R (nt).

[SpiralHawk]

66. the republicons HATE our honorable veterans.

They are happy to USE them for photo ops, but that's it. They trash them verbally, and cut their benefits.

What's wrong with the republicon chickenhawks that they abuse our honorable veterans so systematically?

[LeftishBrit]

67. This is just so disgusting (the whole story)

Doesn't sound like 'supporting the troops' to me. But then warmongering governments rarely do in practical terms.

[Oilwellian]

68. Disgusting

This would be a good place to post a link to my latest video:

Who Pays the Price For Bush's Lies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G6F1_ps3P0

[KamaAina]

69. Then if Bush** *really* wanted to show how much he hated the troops,

he'd follow this up by cutting funding for VA health care.

Oh, that's right, he already did that! What was I thinking?!



edit: Freudian Typo o' the Month: 'buy' for 'by'!!

[BreweryYardRat]

70. You hear that?

That's the sound of my fists clenching.

[The Count]

72. Freeper on digg: "shorts to a formal event?" Lots of thumbs up for him too!

The entire disgusting post:
"Sorry, I know this is going to put me on the "total dick" list, and I know it's not going to matter when I say that I completely respect this guy's sacrifice, but: Since when does being an amputee exempt you from a dress code to a formal event you've been invited to? They didn't say it was a medical issue, I got the impression that it was one of aesthetics.

So shorts, to formal event? Through work I used to do with the PVA I knew amputees, paraplegics, and quadriplegics, and they fold long pants under or have them specially tailored or whatever. They wouldn't wear shorts to an event like that any more than they would wear a wifebeater, and I'm really not sure why this guy's incredible sacrifice is getting invoked here.

In fact, the whole tone of the article seems a little trivial and patronizing, as though respecting someone's sacrifice and giving them free stuff and special allowances are the same thing. I was acquainted with men who couldn't control their body from the neck down and needed breathing assistance, but still took on heavy responsibilities and only asked for accomodation when it was essential to do their jobs.

http://digg.com/politics/US_soldier_amputee_uninvited_t...

on edit: you can very easily register and thumb him down.

[Spider Jerusalem]

83. Out of curiosity:

how does having an awareness of proper etiquette = "freeper"? He's right. Shorts aren't proper attire for any formal event. Since the article also says "the amputees were going to be seated in the front row", it seems to me that it'd be pretty fucking OBVIOUS that they have no legs. They're right up front where the cameras can get a good shot of them. If there was an effort to hide their injuries they'd be seated at the BACK, not the FRONT. Simple logic, people. Jesus.

[The Count]

85. OK, I'll go with his own "Total dick"., He seems more self aware than you too.

[Spider Jerusalem]

87. So, does that mean that you think shorts ARE proper attire for a formal event?

And that the intent is to hide the injuries of the amputees attending the ceremony by seating them in the FRONT ROW? Sorry, but the first is wrong, and the second makes absolutely no sense. I think I'm entitled to form a divergent opinion based on the evidence without being insulted for it.

[The Count]

97. That means that talking atire when hiding amputees from the media is being

a total dick.
As someone there said it well: You can't sell tobacco with emphisema pictures and you can sell a war with images of cripples. Not having legs, shirts are pants for him. Stick this in your crow, Mr Manners! God forbid snyone interferes with the rules of the media event!

[Spider Jerusalem]

104. Again...

if they're right up front where any cameras will get a better shot of them, how are they beingt hidden from the media? That's nonsense. And as to ther rest of what you said, could I get a translation? I'm afraid I don't speak gibberish.

[Wednesdays]

77. This really needs to be all over the MSM...

after all, John Kerry was skewered by the press last October...over what?? Compared to this???

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

78. heartbreaking beyond comprehension

"He was awarded a Purple Heart but had no underwear."

There are no words.

[Maraya1969]

81. Why didn't they just give him proper attire? None of this makes sense.

[happydreams]

88. There is something more to this than meets the eye

[itsmesgd]

82. fuck bush n/t, just wanted to say shame on us and fuck bush

[mvd]

84. Oh my

This is the most unsupportive of the troops regime we've ever had. Hope this gets above all the Britney talk.

[northofdenali]

86. Worse - the press has to wait an addition 20 minutes

because they might see * without a brain.

This is so FUCKING sad.

Don't these assholes bring "Support the Troops" to a whole new level?

Bring them home, God, please? Bring them home.

[SurpriseImaNinja]

89. Real Enemy is the PRESS!!

Freedom of press is NOT!! i repete NOT!! in the constitution! sad day when the press started to take control

[libnnc]

90. Could you further explain that statement?

I'm not sure I understand what "repete" is

[Laurab]

101. I think the press wasn't supposed to

"repete" that.....it's always the spelling......

[libnnc]

103. he's a little granite muncher now, ain't he?

imaninja...

imamoran is more like it

[Laurab]

107. yeah i noticed that after i posted

ima12yearold maybe, too.......

I always get a kick out of the spelling, I can't help myself!

[HippyDem]

109. Hate to break it to you...

...but the First Amendment reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Note that freedom of the press is in fact in the Constitution.

[petersond]

110. Welcome to DU, :)

[HippyDem]

111. Why, thank you (n/t)

[sakabatou]

92. GYAH!

[Rex]

95. I read this yesterday and was so pissed I couldn't post what I wanted to.

Now that I'm a little calmer, I think I can. So, people who go off and fight and DIE for this country are okay...but people who go off and lose an arm or leg or their very soul are to be HIDDEN, ASHAMED of the way war has treated them!!?!?! OMG!?! I wish some legless vet would take one of their synthetic limbs and stick it right under the nose of Bush and ask, 'what? THIS not good enough for you!?!'

That fucking, @*&^$*$^*@#^$*#$^(*#$%@#!!)()%(# George Bush!

[dogday]

96. We must not show what the war really costs the US Citizens....

Deaths of our children, and the arms, legs, faces and souls of these soldiers... I am disgusted with those who are responsible for this war... What comes around goes around and I hope it goes around in spades to these criminals....

[Maestro]

98. How utterly repugnant.

Neocons are fucking pathetic!

[proud patriot]

102. Bush is a fucking disgrace

[yurbud]

106. kick

[cwydro]

108. Go check out the Washington Post

stories this weekend about Walter Reed. This is par for the course apparently for the way they treat vets.

[w8liftinglady]

112. this poor soldier has been appropriately camoflaged-pic

what a sick,twisted bastard Bush is.