Former Georgia Senator and Vietnam veteran Max Cleland spoke to local veterans in Madison Tuesday in support of the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign.
Cleland attacked President Bush's foreign and domestic policies, speaking on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to the cost of health care.
Cleland spoke passionately to veterans about the Iraq war, comparing it to the Vietnam War.
\We don't want to see another Vietnam. That is exactly what our president has committed us to,"" he said.
Cleland claimed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam experience would be beneficial in leading America out of Iraq.
""We need a new president and a fresh start in Iraq. We need someone who has been through the ranks,"" he said.
Cleland also criticized the Bush administration's record on the economy, citing that 70,000 jobs have been lost and thousands outsourced since Bush took office.
""We're going to outsource him Nov. 2,"" he said.
Cleland said America has not lost this many jobs since Herbert Hoover was president, adding Bush has created more veterans than jobs.
Cleland also spoke to the veterans about the need to reform the health-care system and reduce prescription drug costs. He argued Kerry could reduce costs of both by allowing the importation of drugs from Canada.
""If you lower the cost of drugs, you lower the cost of health care,"" he said.
Cleland argued Bush's support of pharmaceutical companies and HMOs would keep health care costs high.
Veteran Ray Overall, who served with the Air Force in both Korea and Vietnam, attended the meeting with his wife Etheleen. Both support Kerry and agree with Cleland's views.
""He makes a wonderful speech and fires you up. He did a good job,"" he said. ""The war and economy are very important to us. What Bush is doing with his backdoor draft is not fair to reservists. It's a mess.""
Rev. Dr. Peter Fribley, who served as a chaplain in Korea for 13 months and later in the Army Reserves, also attended the meeting and commented on Cleland's comparison of Iraq to Vietnam.
""The war in Iraq is like Vietnam, but worse, because we were free to pull out of Vietnam when we wanted,"" he said. ""Vietnam was not a fire that spread and was not in the midst of a region we depend on.\
