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Presidential candidates seek vets approval at VFW's National Convention: contenders for the Oval Office debate the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the fate of their veterans.

Article Excerpt
VFW's 105th National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, garnered much media attention nationwide after the presidential candidates squared off on issues of concern to veterans.

Held Aug. 14-20, the event provided a forum for President George W. Bush and Democratic contender Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts to present their views to VFW members. Issues ranged from VA benefits to the future of the U.S. military. At the top of the list was national security.

"One of the lessons of Sept. 11, 2001 ... is that we must deal with threats before they fully materialize," Bush said.

Bush explained that as far as terrorists are concerned, "You can't trust them and you can't negotiate with them." He said, "We must defeat them in foreign lands so we don't have to face them here at home."

Kerry vowed to "fight a smarter, more effective war on terror" saying that as president, he would not hesitate to use force. "Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response" he said.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking at the convention banquet, said America must confront the hard realities of terrorism. Calling terrorism the "tyranny of the 21st century," Powell said, "It will be a long, hard fight, but we will succeed."

Powell, who received VFW's Eisenhower Distinguished Service Award, drew an analogy between the war on terrorism and the one waged against...