Wire: Obama Says Americans Don't Always Support the Troops

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2009 -- Newswire services today reported on the holiday content of President Obama's weekly radio address.

For the Memorial Day weekend, Obama paid tribute to the country's troops.

"Our fighting men and women -- and the military families who love them -- embody what is best in America," Obama said . "And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us."

However, in a backhanded slap to Americans, Obama said that the public often does not live up to that responsibility.

In his radio message, Obama said "We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve," the president said. "That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear -- and all who have worn -- the proud uniform of our country."

The Hill, a daily paper for and about Congress, reported the following news:

Obama went on to say that he is expanding the Department of Veterans Affairs with the "largest single-year funding increase in three decades." To help pay for it, Obama said he signed legislation last week to eliminate inefficiencies in defense projects that he believes will save taxpayers "tens of billions of dollars."

Newswires did not report if the president, in his weekly message, addressed his own reasons for failing to support the troops as a Senator by voting against critical funding bills (H.R. 2206 and S. 2340) for troops engaged in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

(Report from newswire sources.)

Source: Obama says public doesn't always support troops

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