FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 13, 2014CONTACT: Alex Roth, 619-228-3253
San Diego — Dozens of military veterans stood behind Rep. Scott Peters on Wednesday to support his re-election campaign, with one veteran thanking Peters for being “able to move mountains” on his behalf and another calling Peters “honest, intelligent, diligent and effective.”
The group of veterans and their family members included Jack Harkins, a retired Marine, registered Republican and former chair of the San Diego County United Veterans Council. He “enthusiastically” endorsed Peters and called him “by far the best choice for Congress in 2014.”
The group also included Michael Renstrom, an Air Force veteran and registered Republican. He thanked Peters for accomplishing something that Renstrom’s two previous congressmen had been unable to do: Track down Renstrom’s VA medical records, which had been missing for 44 years.
“Your staff is absolutely heads and shoulders above anybody I’ve ever met before,” Renstrom said, adding that Peters “has been able to move mountains…That’s the reason I’m here today.”
Former San Diego mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher, a Marine veteran who hosted the event, noted Peters’ numerous accomplishments during his first term in Congress. Those accomplishments include playing a leading role in passing a bill to begin reforming the troubled Veterans Administration. The President signed the bill last week.
Other accomplishments include helping launch the Military Transition Support Project, which will provide a central hub for new veterans transitioning into civilian life. He has also co-sponsored the Veterans Pension Protection Act, the Veterans Employment Transition Act, the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act and the Veterans Education Equity Act.
Fletcher noted that Peters has been successful in gaining support from all political stripes among military veterans. “Standing here today you have proud Democrats, proud Republicans and I suppose you have those who are somewhere in between,” he said.
Fletcher also criticized Carl DeMaio for his ties to the Tea Party and his abysmal record on public-safety issues while serving on the San Diego City Council. “He fundamentally and philosophically doesn’t respect those who wear the uniform,” Fletcher said.