The Republican Party on Tuesday gained a late burst of energy in its flagging mid-term congressional election campaign following remarks by John Kerry, the losing 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, in which he appeared to denigrate US soldiers serving in Iraq.

Mr Kerry, who is also planning to put his name forward for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, told students in Los Angeles that if "you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Jim Davis and Perry Edenfield, and their Organization "Veterans-For-Change" with members nationwide totaling 60,000+ and growing are asking in writing all members of congress address the issues of the Veterans Affairs.

The lack of funding to provide benefits, medical treatment, medications, rehabilitation, better medical facilities, more and better trained Veteran Service Officers, faster processing of claims and appeals.

There are more than 895,000 claims plus backlogged as much as 4-8 years and more.

When it comes to looking out for veterans, federal lawmakers in New York scored slightly better than those in other states, but have plenty of room for improvement, an advocacy group said Monday.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a political action committee, issued a report card of legislators' votes on veterans issues, handing the New York delegation a C+.

"No one has really called them on this stuff," said Paul Reickhoff, an Iraq war veteran who founded the group and serves as its executive director. "They all say 'I'm patriotic' or 'I support the troops' but no one has really looked into their votes."

SILVER SPRING, Md. - In November 2006, more than 50 veterans of the U.S. armed forces from around the country will be vying for seats in Congress. At no other time in history have so many veterans run for national office at the same time. The award-winning filmmaking team of Brent and Craig Renaud (OFF TO WAR) follow five of these veterans as they criss- cross their districts asking constituents for their vote. TAKING THE HILL tells the story of a group of veterans, most with no prior political experience or aspirations, who have chosen political action as a means to further answer the call of service to their country. The two-hour world premiere of TAKING THE HILL will air on the Discovery Times Channel on December 12, 2006, at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

PORTLAND, Ore. - McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, Inc. today announced that its seafood restaurants nationwide will host its eighth annual Veterans Appreciation Event, and will offer all U.S. military veterans a free entree on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, in appreciation for their service to our country.

"We're proud to continue McCormick & Schmick's tradition of showing appreciation for the military veterans who have served our nation so well," said Doug Schmick, co-founder of McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants. "What better way to connect with our community and show thanks to these service men and women than by providing them with the opportunity to enjoy quality time with their loved ones in a place that offers a lively atmosphere and exquisite food for the entire family."

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Jack Wagner was wounded twice in Vietnam, but instead of a hero's welcome upon his return, he was advised to ditch his uniform to avoid the wrath of anti-war protesters.

"That made a lot of Vietnam veterans go in the closet. They didn't want to be labeled as baby killers," said Wagner, the national commander of the Combat Infantrymen's Association.

After being disparaged by demonstrators, Vietnam veterans also found themselves shunned by some World War II and Korean War veterans who belonged to the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other leading veterans groups.

With Veteran's Day approaching, a Southfield military wife and mother said she's worried our current veterans are being forgotten.

"The World Series is nice and all but I wish our troops would get a little more recognition," said Cynthia Hawk, whose husband is the commander and son is a member of the 182nd Field Artillery, a Michigan National Guard Unit based in Detroit.

She was especially concerned by what she termed low public and governmental turnout during her husband's deployment ceremony last week.

When Dr. Judith Broder saw a play penned by a former Marine who had served in Iraq, it literally brought home the mental impact of the war on soldiers.

The series of 10 monologues in that small Hollywood theater grabbed the Encino psychiatrist's attention.

"It was just their stories and you could see how they were haunted by what they had to do and what they saw," she said.

LINDEN - Sandra Wright-Daniels will start her new position as the Veterans' Affairs Service Officer Monday.

"I will be responsible for filing all claims made by veterans, assist in their paperwork, make sure they get what they are qualified to receive and get information to veterans on new benefits that will be coming available," said Wright-Daniels.

Wright-Daniels is a native of Demopolis and graduate of John Essex with a military background.

"I am retired Navy. I retired as a Chief Electrician's Mate. I went into the Navy in June of 1985 and retired July of 2005," said Wright-Daniels.

One day isn't enough.

Riverside County's military heritage runs so deep and cuts through such large swaths of the region's history and land area that a single Veterans Day remembrance doesn't suffice, a group of former soldiers and county officials says.

They want at least two, maybe three days of events to fully tell the story of the military's impact in Riverside County and throughout the Inland area. A Riverside city committee has formed a loose coalition with the county, veterans groups, schools and others to orchestrate a veteran's weekend, starting in 2008.