"In a country with as much wealth as America has, for us to have as many as 200,000 veterans who go to bed under bridges, go to sleep under bridges, or on grates, and who are homeless... This is immoral, and it’s wrong. And we, America, we have a responsibility to do something about it"
ABCNews blog, quoting John Edwards
Bill O'Reilly who "doesn't have a dog in this race" unyieldingly scoffs at John Edward's candidacy, mocking the fact that Edwards is "funnier than Rodney Dangerfield" because he speaks of "200,000 veterans who go to sleep on grates and under bridges." BO obviously could care less about veterans, if he even knows what or who as is. As he said on his Radio Factor today (1/16), there are only about 750,000 veterans all told.
HufffPo, Steve Young
Come around after the fold for Edwards response to O'Reilly and more.
In the debate on Tuesday, John Edwards spoke of the 200,000 homeless vets in America.
This is not the first time John Edwards has been speaking up for the homeless vets:
In a TV ad last month in New Hampshire:
"At the same time, 200,000 veterans, men and women who wore America’s uniform, will sleep tonight under bridges and on grates. We cannot simply replace a bunch of corporate Republicans with a bunch of corporate Democrats."
Here's O'Reilly's attack:
O'Reilly:
Well, we're still looking for all the veterans sleeping under the bridges, Ed. So, if you find anybody, let us know. Because that's all the guy said for the last ... .
Shultz:
Well, they're out there, Bill, don't kid yourself.
O'Reilly:
They may be out there, but there are not many of them out there, OK. So, if you know where there is a veteran sleeping under a bridge, you call me immediately, and we will make sure that man does not do it.
Media Matters
John Edwards last night:
[S]peaking in front of a roomful of homeless vets, Edwards responded, "I heard that, last night, Bill O'Reilly, who's a talk show host, who's heard that I have said this about hundreds of thousands of veterans who don't have a place to live, and were homeless. And he challenged me about whether that's true or not, whether, in fact, we have that many veterans who don't have a place to live, and some of them are sleeping under bridges. Well, he ought to start by coming to Las Vegas, if he wants to know what's going on.
"America has the responsibility to do something about this. We do. And the fact that this talk show host, Bill O’Reilly, is willing to speak out that blatantly, when he has no idea what he’s talking about, is an example of how America doesn’t understand the problem, doesn’t understand how serious this issue is."
ABCNews blog
Media Matters shows O'Reilly is lying again:
On the January 15 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly again baselessly challenged Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' January 3 claim that "tonight, 200,000 men and women who wore our uniform proudly and served this country courageously as veterans will go to sleep under bridges and on grates."
snip
In fact, Edwards' claim that there are 200,000 homeless U.S. veterans is supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA website's "Overview of Homlessness" states, in part:
About one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 195,000 veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing.
The Washington Post reported that it had confirmed the veracity of Edwards' claim, noting on January 7:
Several readers have asked us to check this surprising statistic, often used by Edwards. The language may be overly dramatic, but the figure is an official one, from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The department believes that one-third of the adult homeless population of the United States "have served their country in the Armed Services." A posting on the department Web site says that about 195,000 veterans are "homeless on any given night" and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.
Media Matters
John Edwards last week after the New Hampshire primary:
You know, we've had too many Americans whose voices have not been heard in this democracy. That's what this battle is about.
It is not about me. It is about the cause of giving voice to all of those whose voices are not being heard in this democracy.
Edwards: Giving Voice to the Voiceless
Homeless veterans are real and a shame to America. Thank God that John Edwards speaks truth to power in this nation. Those vets gave to their nation. We have a moral obligation to treat them well and with dignity. And those who have fallen on hard times DESERVE our help. That's what America is.
UPDATE I: John Edwards statement today about Bill O'Reilly:
"Tonight, 200,000 brave veterans will be homeless, and they will sleep in shelters, on the streets, under bridges, and on grates – and Bill O’Reilly doesn’t think there is a problem. For someone who spends a lot of time shouting about patriotism, you would think he would be outraged by the treatment of our homeless veterans. How many more will it take before we wake up and solve this crisis?
"These are the facts. Today, one out of four of our nation’s homeless are veterans, and a recent federal government study found that a third of our homeless live in places ‘not meant for human habitation.’ This is a serious moral failing of our government and our nation. Our veterans have done everything we have asked of them and more, and it’s time we honor our sacred contract with them.
"While George Bush and Bill O’Reilly continue to ignore our homeless veterans, the American people, whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, must speak out and stand up for those who have stood up for us. We must do everything we can to solve this terrible problem – and we must begin by reaching out to these men and women who are suffering – not pretending they do not exist. After our veterans have served our country honorably, isn’t one homeless veteran one too many?"