WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Democratic National
 Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement after
 President Bush announced his nomination of retired Lt. General James Peake
 to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.
 
     If confirmed, Peake will take over a highly criticized Bush Veterans
 Affairs Department which has failed to provide promised services, properly
 care for our wounded veterans at medical centers like Walter Reed, and left
 the personal financial information of America's 26.5 million veterans
 vulnerable.
 
     Democrats have kept their promise to make improving health care and
 benefits for veterans a top priority, passing the largest increase in
 veterans' health care funding in our nation's history.
 
     "Lt. General Peake has a tremendous responsibility ahead of him if he's
 confirmed. The Bush Administration has failed America's veterans, asking
 them to risk their lives for a disastrous Iraq policy and then neglecting
 them after their brave service. This must change. Democrats will continue
 to stand up to President Bush, fighting to fully fund veterans' health care
 services and to fix the VA. Lt. General Peake must stand with America's
 veterans and military families, not the partisan politics of the Bush
 Administration. We owe our troops and veterans better."
 
     Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee,
 www.democrats.org.
 
     This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
 committee.
 
 
 
 

SOURCE Democratic National Committee