A solid victory for the voice of the veteran.

“The White House on Wednesday backed off a controversial plan that would have dramatically altered the way the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles insurance claims, after veterans groups staged an all-out fight against such a proposal.

President Obama will not pursue a proposal that would have allowed the VA to charge private insurance companies for the treatment of veterans with service- or war-related injuries. The proposal raised the ire of prominent Democrats on the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs panels. On Wednesday morning 68 Democratic and GOP House members sent Obama a letter, initiated by freshman Rep. Glenn Nye (D-Va.), urging the administration to drop the proposal.”

Pat yourselves on the back vets, we did it. Yesterday the White House switchboard was literally off the hook as well as Senate and House phones and faxes as veterans responded to email and blog calls to arms and showed Obama that he doesn’t have the “metal” for this fight.

Well done. But we’re not done.

“Obama may not be off the hook with veterans yet. Another possible battle is brewing over the issue of advance appropriations for veterans’ medical care. Veterans see the Obama administration backtracking on an Obama campaign promise to fund medical care a year in advance, rather than just on an annual basis.”

Let’s give it to him boys and girls! Not on our watch.