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Mona Shield Payne/Special to the Sun
Vice President Joe Biden greets attendees after his speech at the Disabled American Veterans National Convention at Bally’s Hotel Convention Center Saturday, August 4, 2012, in Las Vegas.
Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012 | 4:33 p.m.
Vice president visits Las Vegas
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KSNV coverage of Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Southern Nevada, Aug. 4, 2012.
Vietnam War veteran Dean Fulkerson thought he knew what to expect when Vice President Joe Biden spoke Saturday at the Disabled American Veterans national conference in Las Vegas.
At age 70, the Houston resident has seen politicians speak before. He expected Biden to be charismatic and personable and to say all the right things. He did. Biden talked about a focus on improving health care benefits for veterans, efforts to limit veterans' unemployment and increasing the Veterans Affairs budget.
All of it pleased Fulkerson, but there was something else about the speech he didn’t expect. To Fulkerson, Biden seemed invested in the issues surrounding war veterans today.
“I expect politicians to tell me what I want to hear, and today was no different,” Fulkerson said. “But his knowledge, insight and investment (into veterans issues) in his own personal life was astonishing.”
Biden spoke for 45 minutes to the hundreds of Disabled American Veterans members from across the country who gathered in the Bally’s Convention Center ballroom. It was his second trip to Las Vegas in less than a month.
Throughout his speech, he wove his personal experiences with details about the government’s efforts to correct veterans issues.
He talked about his son volunteering for the Iraq war and the 2.4 million others who served with him in Iraq and Afghanistan. He shared a story about visiting a veteran who apologized that he couldn’t stand to salute Biden because his legs had been amputated.
The crowd applauded as Biden talked about making it easier for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder and other unseen injuries to receive benefits and the attempt to eliminate backlogged health care orders by 2015.
“If we have peace for the next 20 years, memories (of war) will fade, but our obligation doesn’t,” Biden said. “… Every one of these warriors deserves the best treatment available as long as they live.”
Biden mentioned the high unemployment rates for post-9/11 veterans but said recent measures to provide tax cuts and incentives to hire veterans has produced more than 100,000 jobs.
He received his loudest cheer when he delved into Congress’ gridlock on budget cuts. Biden said both parties pushed for reductions for all government programs to motivate a compromise but that he kept the Veterans Affairs budget exempt.
“The contribution you made to our nation will outlive us all,” Biden said. “It propelled America to heights our predecessors could not even imagine.”
When Biden finished, many veterans echoed Fulkerson’s sentiments. Vietnam War veteran Oscar Bruno said his expectations were exceeded; World War II veteran Joe Vento, who lives in Las Vegas, wanted Biden to run for president.
“You see the genuineness of his delivery and his knowledge,” Vento said. “I’d like to see him as president.”
Fulkerson just wants the government to take care of veterans.
“I hope and pray our politicians hold funds separate for the 1 percent of the population that served in Afghanistan and Iraq wars,” Fulkerson said. “… My main concern is toward those young men and women who served.”
The Nevada Republican Party could not be reached for comment on Biden's visit.
Joe Biden has been in Washington for over 26 years, his bills and legislation have damaged this country and he turned a blind eye. When you need them the most Biden is not there, but he does give good lip service. You would think that Obamacare would have improved the service and care given by the VA but its has not changed. Vote no on Obama.
Thank you Joe Biden.
YOU ARE THE MAN!!!
Joe Biden has proved to be THE BEST Vice President
in our life time.
President Obama couldn't have picked a better man
for the job than Joe.
THANK GOD FOR JOE BIDEN!!!
NOBODY MESSES WITH JOE!!!
Thw real truth is that the Obama administration does not like or appreciate the military. Obama wants to cut the military budget and use that money for food stamps and other entitlement programs. Biden is a big phony and is widely known in Washington as being pretty stupid. The VA needs someone else in the White House.
Vote NO on romney.
Ronmey was busy riding a bike around France when
his fellow Americans were being killed in
Viet Nam.
Romney is a conscientious objector!!!
He has NO CLUE what Vets need.
VP Joe Biden -- 71-year-old stud.
Obama/Biden, four more years!
I don't know if this is true or not, but I was told the word is out by a friend who overheard a conversation in Albertsons from a woman who knows someone close to the second cousin of Jill Biden that said he heard from someone who used to work as a staff member for Biden, that the Vice President had a hooker in his room and it turned out to be a guy. I think that guy was Harry Reid. I don't know if that's true or not, but the word is out.
VA health care has increased under the Obama administration.
Republicans have openly called for Veterans health care to be slashed and Veterans benefits like the GI bill to be ended.
Spin that Nevada Romney supporters...
President and First Lady Obama with Vice-President and Second Lady Biden have made taking care of OUR Troops, Military Families and Disabled Veterans a top priority - let's stick to the facts!
It is the Republicans that want to privatize the V.A. and give vets near-worthless vouchers so they can profit!
We are opening a new V.A.M.C. (not just a hospital) an V.A. Medical Center that is long overdue and will be the finest ever built - that massive project was supported by Democrats NOT Republicans! Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Congresswoman Shelley Berkeley are the two that made that happen - stick to the facts folks!
IMHO every veteran, especially Disabled Vets should vote to re-elect President Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket in November!
Joe Biden the gift that keeps on giving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmRXH7RkC...