By NEIL H. SIMON, Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON-Sen. James Webb's speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, and his scheduled appearance at the American Legion conference next week in Phoenix, will make him the only national Democrat to address both major veterans groups in person this election season.
The Virginia Democrat received the top award Tuesday from the Veterans of Foreign Wars for his work creating a new GI Bill.
The American Legion conference in Phoenix next week coincides with the Democratic National Convention in Denver, precluding an appearance by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
"It presents a difficulty," said American Legion spokesman Joe March, because "we always invite the candidates for president."
But the Legion convention is "pretty much set five or six years out," he said.
Republican John McCain is to appear at the American Legion convention in his home state. Obama plans to send a taped message to the event.
Both candidates spoke at the VFW convention, exchanging barbs on the war in Iraq and whether the surge of U.S. troops there was successful in reducing violence there.
Webb's appearance -a celebration of his work on veterans' benefits - was to strike a less partisan tone.
In accepting the commander-in-chief's Gold Medal award at the VFW's 10,000-person convention in Orlando, Webb emphasized "the nonpolitical nature of what we did" on the GI bill.
"My belief is that people don't join the military for overt political reasons," Webb said. "As much as possible we need to check party politics at the door."
Spokesmen for both of the nation's leading veterans groups said they would have invited Webb, regardless of his political party, because of his accomplishments on behalf of veterans.
"We don't look at parties. We look at individual legislators," March said.
But Webb said the new GI bill is one sign that Democrats have changed their approach to veterans' issues since treating veterans as "victims" after the Vietnam War.
"I think this has been very healthy for the Democratic Party," he said, adding the work of a Democratic Congress to pass a new GI bill is one issue that makes the party appear more open to veteran voters.
"There's a lot of lip service being given to (veterans)," he said. "This is a real opportunity to get things going in a real positive way."
Webb introduced the new GI bill his first day in the Senate to expand educational benefits for service members on active duty since 9/11. President Bush signed it into law June 30.
"He made a vow to make this happen and he made this happen," VFW spokesman Joe Davis said.
The Virginia Democrat received the top award Tuesday from the Veterans of Foreign Wars for his work creating a new GI Bill.
The American Legion conference in Phoenix next week coincides with the Democratic National Convention in Denver, precluding an appearance by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
"It presents a difficulty," said American Legion spokesman Joe March, because "we always invite the candidates for president."
But the Legion convention is "pretty much set five or six years out," he said.
Republican John McCain is to appear at the American Legion convention in his home state. Obama plans to send a taped message to the event.
Both candidates spoke at the VFW convention, exchanging barbs on the war in Iraq and whether the surge of U.S. troops there was successful in reducing violence there.
Webb's appearance -a celebration of his work on veterans' benefits - was to strike a less partisan tone.
In accepting the commander-in-chief's Gold Medal award at the VFW's 10,000-person convention in Orlando, Webb emphasized "the nonpolitical nature of what we did" on the GI bill.
"My belief is that people don't join the military for overt political reasons," Webb said. "As much as possible we need to check party politics at the door."
Spokesmen for both of the nation's leading veterans groups said they would have invited Webb, regardless of his political party, because of his accomplishments on behalf of veterans.
"We don't look at parties. We look at individual legislators," March said.
But Webb said the new GI bill is one sign that Democrats have changed their approach to veterans' issues since treating veterans as "victims" after the Vietnam War.
"I think this has been very healthy for the Democratic Party," he said, adding the work of a Democratic Congress to pass a new GI bill is one issue that makes the party appear more open to veteran voters.
"There's a lot of lip service being given to (veterans)," he said. "This is a real opportunity to get things going in a real positive way."
Webb introduced the new GI bill his first day in the Senate to expand educational benefits for service members on active duty since 9/11. President Bush signed it into law June 30.
"He made a vow to make this happen and he made this happen," VFW spokesman Joe Davis said.