Texas Congressman Ted Poe Front And Center In Battle Over World War I Memorial
Vince Leibowitz | Sep 24, 2008 | Comments 1
A memorial for soldiers who fought in World War I is indeed an important thing. How Texas Congressman Ted Poe (R-Beaumont) got in the middle of the battle over where it is located is beyond me. But, he is:
A Republican congressman from Texas wants to create a memorial to the “war to end all wars” on the National Mall.
But Kansas City, Mo., feels like it already has that covered. Congress, after all, has designated the city’s Liberty Memorial as the National World War I Museum. It’s also a National Historic Landmark.
To bolster its claim, the Missouri congressional delegation is behind legislation to ensure that Kansas City serves as the anchor for events surrounding the centennial commemoration of the war, which will get under way in 2014.
“If the World War I monument is established in Washington, it essentially takes the Liberty Memorial off the map,” said Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, who sponsored the bill in the House. “What are they going to take next? Gates Barbecue? This is not a little matter. It’s a major issue for the people in Missouri.”
Republican Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri sponsored the Senate version of the bill.
But Rep. Ted Poe of Texas, whose office — coincidentally — is next door to Cleaver’s, thinks a national memorial to the doughboys of the Great War ought to be in the nation’s capital and on the mall.
The Korean, Vietnam and Second World Wars all have monuments there.
Poe offered his bill last week, standing alongside Frank Buckles, the last living World War I veteran among nearly 5 million who served. Buckles was born in Bethany, Mo., 107 years ago.
Poe’s bill calls for the already existing District of Columbia World War I Memorial to be expanded so that it commemorates everyone who fought in the conflict.
“There’s not a memorial for all the World War I veterans among all the other memorials,” said Poe spokeswoman DeeAnn Thigpen. “This is something that the congressman is very passionate about.”
One must wonder: Doesn’t Poe actually have some Texas-related problems to worry about?
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Filed Under: Texas Congressional Delegation
Just a slight correction. Poe represents Beaumont but is not from Beaumont. He is from Kingwood or Humble or somewhere there in Harris County. It’s bad enough he represents Beaumont. It also, unfortunately, is not unusual for Poe to make a big deal out of something that doesn’t have much to do with his district. Hence, he has spent more time on Lou Dobbs or Fox railing about the border problems in El Paso than he has dealing with troubles veterans have in his own district. He is one of those politicians whom the most dangerous place one might be is between him and a television camera. Granted, during my last visit to DC, the World War I memorial was in sad shape but by no means does it require a Ted Poe makeover. If anything, our congressional district needs a makeover which would include the absence of Ted Poe. Unfortunately, that won’t happen this election. Whew, I haven’t vented like that in awhile about my congressman. Thanks Vince.