Beth Robinson had a tough act to follow Wednesday night.
Just before she stepped onto the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, former President Bill Clinton had thousands in the Pepsi Center on their feet cheering his speech lauding Barack Obama and attacking the Bush administration.
As the two-term ex-president walked off the stage shaking hands, Robinson, a stay-at-home mom from Chesapeake, walked up to the podium, seemingly undeterred as the announcer spoke her name.
"Good evening. I speak tonight as the wife of a United States Marine. Oorah!" she said loudly, drawing a cheer from the crowd. "I am an advocate for military families, a college graduate, a Colorado native, a community volunteer, and a disabled person living with multiple sclerosis.
"Most of all, I am a proud American. And I see in Sen. Obama the leadership, judgment and knowledge that will bring the change that we desperately need to the United States."
Robinson, who until last week didn't know she was going to be standing in front of a national audience, told the convention delegates that military families are grateful for medical benefits but that she was "appalled by the state of the health care system in this country."
"I know that President Obama will make health care available and accessible to all Americans," she said.
As Robinson spoke, Michelle Obama, the candidate's wife, applauded and smiled.
It was during Michelle Obama's visit to Norfolk on Aug. 5 that Robinson's strong advocacy for military families was noticed by the campaign. Robinson's husband, Matt, has served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The 33-year-old's comments during a forum with Michelle Obama at Old Dominion University in Norfolk prompted campaign officials to ask her to speak at the convention. Robinson's husband, Matt, has been deployed - though not for long periods - to Afghanistan once and Iraq twice.
Robinson told the convention audience that providing proper education, health care and compensation for military families was necessary.
"Equitable pay and retirement benefits, access to quality housing, health care and counseling, consistent availability of on-base child care and schools, accessible referral and support services for active-duty troops, reserve, veterans and their families are not negotiable," she said. "These will be Barack Obama's priorities as president."
Barack Obama, who was given the party's presidential nomination earlier in the evening, understood those needs, she said.
The candidate "will restore America's role as the world's moral leader," she said.
"Barack Obama is the commander in chief we've been waiting for."
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Let's see
"Equitable pay and retirement benefits"
This is already in place. It is by rank and if you serve 20 years you know what you will get.
"access to quality housing"
On base housing is not always available. So will BO spend the billions needed to have housing available on each base? That will throw out the plan already in place to subsisize housing out in town.
"health care and counseling"
Already in place and it's free
"consistent availability of on-base child care and schools"
Most bases have Child Day Care. Some have schools. Again, BO going to spend billions for DoDEA to build schools on each base?
"accessible referral and support services for active-duty troops, reserve, veterans and their families"
Already in place.
Seems to me she's griping about having to do some leg work as a spouse. I know, I'm a husband of a Navy QM2. And yes, sometimes you have to do some work to get what you want.
Dont bite the hand that feeds you...
I'm disgusted by what I heard and read. Someone is a tool. The poor husband must be furious. You can always work at Subway maybe she can get better benefits there!
Military Spouse does not equal Second Class Citizen!
I was a Navy Wife for 20 years, my husband retired a couple of years ago and I am supporting the family while he is in an Advanced Professional School starting a second career.
We are partners. When I was an outspoken advocate of medical care for Navy dependents in the 1980s and took on an Admiral and more than one Captain...and my husband was an E4...he backed me up...even when they told him to "put a muzzle on his wife."
And, for the record, it didn't hurt his career one bit...and he was proud of me, not embarrassed.
Military wives are not second class citizens and military members are not sheep. God gave us brains and it is up to us to use them to think for ourselves.
Embarrassed
I have been a military wife for 15 years and I am more than entitled to my opinion, just ask me I will tell ya!! However, I would never embarrass my husband in this manner. As we were watching the news tonight and this story came on TV my husband turned to me and said if you ever mentioned my name or my command affiliation or for that matter my service in that manner you can pack your bags. It isnt his job to agree or disagree with the way the military is run as that went out the window when he signed on that dotted line 18 years ago, he is just supposed to do it. You can grumble about your boss behind their back but NEVER to their face and that is what she has done, very publicly I might add. It is as if she is saying he husbands boss is worthless. Wow that wouldnt get me fired!!!! Say your peace but dont drag your husband down with you.
You must be kidding!.
I can't believe this spouse took it upon herself to represent my VIEWS! I am a proud active duty spouse who works full time and volunteer's for her Navy community. I am offened that she has spoke for me/us who hired her??? When was that job posted?? Who interviewed her?? Maybe, she doesn't remember what Carter, Clinton did for us NOTHING. How dumb to be used like that. Oh, who paid for her trip?? Did the Navy or Barrack??
I think she should join up and go to IRAQ and see what life is really life or deploy on a ship for 6mos. Thanks to all the American hero's out there who give their lives every day!! NO THANKS TO THIS SPOUSE!!
Dont care about the candidates
But I do know her hubby's career (if he was planning on one) is now shot. No military command will leave this alone and anyone who was ever in the military knows it. Just like in the wives clubs, it's all political and if your "better half" makes waves you are all done.
Drink the Koolade
Ever observe a colony of ants? They mindlessly go about there business and their jobs building, maintaining the colony. We as cognitive organism have the ability to be individual, singular if we chose.
The veil of blind servitude is only rewarded w/ mass deception dressed in sometimes patriot clothing.
The young wife is trying to awaken those in a this hypnotic like trance. Like that proverbial ant colony and for very different reasons. After 7 plus years of the historically great deception of a noble people I find it hard to fathom these type of responses
Please, I beg you you all before it's to late to unplug your TV's and observe your world. Read alternative and international news sources (BBC, Financial Times).
Always remember the phrase "come, drink the koolade children".
Opinion
For nebaden2000
The “opinions” of which you speak is defined as “a personal view, attitude, or appraisal”. So it is my personal appraisal based on over 20+ years of military service that I provide my opinion. Most people are smart enough to find out where to go to get action/results accomplished instead of being used in a political campaign which probably will have no positive results anyway. If a spouse has problems, they have established channels and programs they can readily go through to get probelms rectified. A spouse has rights to do what is correct and not cause embarrassment to the armed services or to the service member. If it were my spouse I would have been embarrassed. Now I might ask which end were you speaking from to voice your opinion?
Military Does Not Serve Democratic National Convention
The Junior Senator Barack Hussein Obama,has said " we do not have the resources to finish what we started in Iraq". Do we have the infinite resources to jump into a prolonged 15,30 or 50 year war in Afghanistan?
Ask the Junior Senator and his fellow Democrats, what their time frame and exit strategy is for getting American troops out of Afghanistan? He and the dems Do Not have one.
Why Democrats not ready to finish the job and assist Iraq in rebuilding a democratic society and set up bases there just like was done in Germany, South Korea and Japan when we assisted those countries in protecting our democracy and theirs?
Does the military think that this is the time for another equal opportunity on the job training program? Keep smiling
Shocker!
I'd like to say I'm shocked b most of the comments, but I'm not. After spending 27 years on active duty I've come to expect most service members to keep repeating what they've heard about how much the Republicans love you and Democrats hate you. Your perception has been expertly managed. Pay attention to what people do for a change. A little research will show you that while Republicans tend to support huge defense budgets, that doesn't mean they want to fund programs to take care of you and your families. On top of that, no mater how big the budget is, plenty of it will continue to be wasted on crap programs because you have to use it or lose it.
Pro-defense industry does not equal pro-military.
with fellow Americans like her, who needs enemies
That was quite a laundry list of what she wants other Americans to pay for. I'm surprised she didn't ask for piano and karate lessons for her children too. A large part of living in a free society is being responsible for yourselves and the children you bring into the world. She wants other people to subsidize her lifestyle and her children's child care. Politicians love people like her who want the government to take care of them from cradle to grave. She should pay heed to Benjamin Franklin who famously said "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety".
Boo hoo
Ask yourself what the GOP and GW Bush have given you in the past 8 years? Nada!!!. Don't expect the same from Senator McCan't. Look at what he did and was going to do your benefits. Seems like your memory have been tainted with Republicans propaganda. Step out of your little box and take the time to do some research before you start spewing out useless garbage because of your ignorance. You be surprised that Democrats have done more for veterans than your so-called republican buddies. If GW Bush and the GOP made you wealthy in the past eight years, then by all mean, vote McCan't. I too am a retire officer
Deployed, but not for long . . .
I, too, disagree with the way Beth Robinson has been told to caveat her remarks with "deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan three times, but not for long." Where is the "gold standard" for deployments and who set it? To me, a military member who was peeled off from heading to the Global War on Terror because they found I have breast cancer, the folks who have served even one day in the war zone are heroes. Sure, I might have gone there, but I did not and they did. I don't rate them by how long they stayed. They have *all* done something I have not done and most of us have not done and most of us don't want our kids to do . . . Cheers, MGM
Count your blessings instead of caving in to whining
Oh boo hoo cry me a river ! These military wives act like they are so hard off! Think about women like my mother, who married sailors in the 40's !! She and my father had no car. They depended on either the kindness of neighbors who owned cars,took buses or WALKED everywhere ! There was such a shortage of housing back then,that military couples often had to share apartments with each other back then !!! These women don't know how good they have it compared to the way things used to be. You wives have nice base housing,a wide selection of housing to choose from,you have the convenience of grocery stores or the commisary. You don't have to bake for a week and ration food staples. Shoot,you don't even have to wash diapers in a handwringer type machine anymore !! After reading my post,I just realized something: You wives of military spouses have too much time on your hands for whining. Count your blessings for what you have.
remember all those big raises the military was getting???
4%, 6%, 7%??? those raises were being dished out while Bush was in office, but they were signed into law by....Clinton....a Democrat. As soon as Bush was in line to give the military a raise....2%, which that year, wasn't even in line with inflation. why you ask? he was too busy siphoning off money to halyburton and blackwater and all the other companies he sent over to help fight this "war" that we SUPPOSEDLY won 5 years ago.
To Dennis
Please take your archaic ideas back to the 1950's where they belong. I have been married to the navy for the last 8.5 years and was raised as an Army brat prior to my marriage. I am quite well aware how things work for the service and without the love and support of a strong woman/man whichever the case may be, it is hard for he service member to have a lasting career. We stay home making sure things run smoothly while our service member is deployed. We have to handle it all on our own and have to explain to our young children why their daddy is only home for a couple of months before they have to leave again for half a year or more after they've just returned less than 3 months prior. Why shouldn't we involve ourselves? There is little reward in staying ignorant of the problems that surround us.
Say what??????
Obama understands what the military needs? LOL!!! He's never been in the military...he's never been sent overseas 7 months pregnant while your husband (also military) stays in the US...he's never had 8 different doctors during a pregnancy! GIVE ME A BREAK! Has the woman that spoke ever been stationed anywhere overseas? Doesn't appear so from the articles I've read. SHE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT ACTIVE MILITARY OR THEIR SPOUSES GO THRU!!!! Get her off the stage & let's put someone up there that actually has a clue!!!
Is the military fully "owned" by the GOP?
Last I checked, the military serves the USA, not a particular party.
If anything should show Obama understands the excellence of our military, it is by the tight way he has run his campaign.
She did a good job last evening - there is room for improvement in the healthcare provided to military families and keeping quiet about it won't help.
Why is it.....
military dependents think they're supposed to be handed everything?
Huh?
"Robinson's husband, Matt, has been deployed - though not for long periods - to Afghanistan once and Iraq twice."
What is that supposed to mean - though not for long periods? Is that supposed to be some kind of dig at him by the Pilot? It's almost if the author is saying "Yeah, he's been deployed, but not for that long so it's not a big deal."
Dennis - are you suggesting that the military spouse should stay home and shut up? I am a soon-to-be Navy wife (and yes, he's a commissioned officer too) and my fiance certainly values my opinions and my right to "spout off."
Go back to 1950. And by the way, I'm HIS better half.
It is all absurd
Didn't Bill C promise health care 16 years ago? In fact was that not Hillary's job. Did not happen then and will not happen now. More empty promises from the DNC. I agree with dennis' comments 100%, what a embarrassment for a soldier.
I am speechless
First let me say as an Active Duty Senior Chief in the Navy, I can not believe that a military spouse would spout this out of her mouth. I agree and I would be embarrassed if I were her husband. She is way off base with most of her remarks.
1.The military has a no cost education for active duty members. I currently go to school and the only expense out of my pocket is books and a little gas to get to a base for class. There is truly no better program out there that I know of.
2.Given that sometimes military housing is not the best but it is free. Yes that’s right free, and even if you don’t live on base you gets a housing allowance that will for the most part cover your rent or mortgage.
3.Medical is also free for active duty personnel. Absolutely free.
All of these free things I mentioned cost money to fund and that money is hard to come by. We have to pay for planes, ships and bases around the world. This military is o
Just a pawn in the chess game
As a former 25 year service member, I too feel sorry for this lady's husband. What was she thinking? He's probably going through heck right now. I heard her speech, she's only there to sway the military vote for B.H.O. While on active duty me and family received outstanding health care and benefits while serving and in retirement. It's obvious she had a bad experience and is bitter but let me tell you this, you are much better off on active duty than you are in retirement. It never dawned on me just how much a military member makes and how good the benefits were until I got out. She should be thankful instead of being a bitter American.
dennis1
I agree with your comments completely. Her husband is going to be mentioned in a lot of conversations. It was just a ploy to try and show military spouse support when they really could care less about the military. (You who-- wave the flag, promise anything).
Shameful
As a former military member (commissioned officer) and believer in a "strong" U.S.A. as it's major deterrent, I'm embarrassed for this person's husband...the last thing we need are militant spouses at home while their better half is working 24/7 in a foreign land protecting their rights to spout off...BO knows and understands the military = absurd.