The Republican chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee says he is troubled by comments and letters written by the commander of South Dakota Disabled American Veterans.
Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, says he believes Roger Andal is casting "partisan aspersions" on Republican Sen. John Thune.
The group's Washington office says it has contacted Andal about his comments, but the commander says he stands by everything he's said.
Craig wrote Paul Jackson, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, earlier this month on the issue. Craig said that Andal has posted comments on the group's Web site and sent letters to local newspapers criticizing Thune's votes on veterans funding.
Andal's comments only referred to Thune's votes against Democratic amendments, Craig said, and did not mention that he voted for Republican amendments that also provided veterans funding.
Joe Violante, legislative director of the veterans group, said executive director David Gorman had called Andal to "make sure his efforts don't cross the line."
"We are veterans advocates and sometimes our people get a little too aggressive about what they do and don't realize how it's being perceived," Violante said.
Violante added that Craig and Thune "may be oversensitive because of the commander's background having been a Daschle supporter."
Andal says he worked for former Sen. Tom Daschle, the Democrat who was defeated by Thune in 2004, "some 20 years ago."
On Thune's votes, Andal says "he's simply voting wrong."
Andal, who was wounded in Vietnam and ends his term as commander this month, says he called for the resignation of Democrats in the past.
Kyle Downey, a spokesman for Thune, said the senator's office hopes "the new leadership is willing to work in a new non-partisan way to find solutions for South Dakota's veterans."
Andal has been sympathetic to Democrats before, which Sibby has noted here.
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