Audio: Dems Plot to Turn Troops Against President Bush

I listen to Quinn and Rose on XM165 every morning on the way to work [Link to WPGB], and at work when I can.
This morning Quinn has broken another story about Democrats, and how they work behind the scenes.
I have taken the liberty to embed the audio.






I have had trouble getting the audio to work, so try downloading this wma file. It is 12.3MB in size.

**Update** I'm still working some leads on this story...will add more.

Beaver County Newspaper Article

I've been in contact with both the White House, and Congressman Shuler's Office, and both seem unaware that there was a special program for Gold Star Tours of the White House. I certainly can't find anything on the web.

AP Story

Alex Conant, a White House spokesman, said an exception would
be made for Mrs. Boyer. He said there is no written policy prioritizing who gets White House tours, and "we try to accommodate as many visitors to the White House as possible." Sandy Boyer, 58, of Zelienople, Pa., said her mother tried to get tour tickets more than a week ago after she learned her daughter, Beverly Boyer, 51, was traveling to Washington from Arizona. It is the family's first joint visit to the nation's capitol.
Allys Boyer called Altmire's office after she was told there is a four-month wait for White House tours.
Sandy Boyer said the misunderstanding made her feel discriminated against.
"I was appalled. ... It was almost like the men and women who fought
in other wars were not being honored," she said.

Commentary

I think this story has been spun out of control, and perhaps the Beaver County Reporter was used, with or without his cooperation to score political points by the Congressman or someone on his staff. My own quick research has confirmed the time scales involved in getting in for a tour. That other Congress Critters are involved suggests something wider, and I don't think it's serendipity. Shame on those who would use a Gold Star Mother to nefarious purposes!

**Updated** Noonish

I found a record of Congressman Altmire's comments [Link] and I used Google Cache so certain words would be highlighted. An excerpt follows:

We were talking about accountability. I did just want to tell one story
that is related to the way this administration views our men and women and the families that are serving this country. I had a constituent in town today. She is an 84-year-old Gold Star mother. Her son was killed in 1969 in Vietnam. She has not been to Washington, D.C. She has not seen the Wall with her son's name on it, the Vietnam War Memorial. She called our office 2 weeks ago and explained her situation. She said, "I am bringing my two daughters, who are obviously grown now. They are the sisters of the serviceman that was killed in 1969. They are going to come down together as a family for the first time." Her goal, her life-long dream, was to tour the White House. So we called the White House. As you certainly know, there is a 6-month waiting list. But there is an exception in special ircumstances.

One of those circumstances, we were told, you were probably told, were for Gold Star families.

They can get in and take that tour of the White House. So we were told, sure, they are welcome. We sent the information over, and then we promptly got a phone call saying, well, no, no, that exception only works for Iraq and Afghanistan Gold Star families, not for Vietnam era families.
So we had to call back this 84-year-old woman who wanted to see the Vietnam War Memorial and her son's name on the wall for the first time, and wanted to tour the White House, it was her lifelong dream, and
we had to tell her well, I am sorry, we are not going to be able to do that,
because the White House does not allow that.
Then it came to my attention that we as Members of Congress in very rare circumstances are allowed to take groups down and put them in the line if we appear with them. So I called her and I said, you know, I am going to just do this myself.
So today we took her down and we put her in the line and she got her tour of the White House.

So I sent a letter to President Bush and I said, there is two issues here. One is this policy is ridiculous. How can you justify putting one group of families who have suffered the greatest loss imaginable in the service of our country ahead of another group of families? How can you put one generation of military Gold Star families ahead of another?
The second issue is, what is the policy? Can you explain it? What is the justification for it? And please change it. That was the situation. I was fortunate as a Member of Congress, I was able to get Ms. Boyer in. But, unfortunately, you wonder how many people around the country have
made a similar effort and were unable to get in on this tour.
So, I really thought this was a disgraceful situation, and I did want to bring it to the attention of my freshmen colleagues, because this is something that just happened today. And I think it is indicative of the treatment that our military families are getting from this administration.