Bush, Dems praise troops in Memorial Day addresses

President Bush on Saturday honored U.S. soldiers in his Memorial Day radio address, saying that “no group has ever done more to defend liberty” than America’s armed forces.

“Their bravery has done more than simply win battles. It has done more than win wars, Bush stated. “It has secured a way of life for our entire country. These heroes and their families should be in our thoughts and prayers on a daily basis, and they should receive our loving thanks at every possible opportunity.”

{mosads}In their response, Democrats joined Bush in praising the troops but also injected politics into their Memorial Day message.

“Whether we agree with this war or not, we must thank the families of our soldiers' for their sacrifices here at home, and remember the great honor American soldiers bestow upon our country by placing themselves in harm’s way,” said Ohio state senator and congressional candidate John Boccieri, who is also a U.S. Air Force Reserve major and has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four times.

Boccieri criticized Bush and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) for opposing a new G.I. bill that was passed in the Senate this week.

“Our veterans need to know that leaders in Washington have their back, and vetoing this measure will send a clear message that politics has defeated patriotism,” he said.

Boccieri slammed McCain, saying he “not only opposed [the measure], but when given the opportunity to support his fellow veterans on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, didn’t even show up to vote nor express his concerns.”

Boccieri, who once flew McCain from Baghdad after the senator visited the troops, said he disagreed with the senator’s assessment of the conditions in Iraq.

“We both saw the same situation on the ground; and I respectfully disagree with Senator McCain’s approach to Iraq,” he said. “I can’t see how we can sustain a presence in Iraq for 100 years.”

To change the course in Washington, Boccieri argued, Americans “need a president and a Congress who will take care of our veterans and find a responsible way to leave Iraq so that we can invest in the American people and in American jobs.”