I wish President Bush knew better than to dishonor America's veterans by playing the politics of fear and smear on Veterans Day. This administration misled a nation into war by cherry-picking intelligence and stretching the truth beyond recognition.

The responsible choice would be to honor those who have worn our nation's uniform, but the administration made a different choice. They're raising veterans' health care fees by $250 a year while cutting taxes for millionaires.

This Veterans Day, my mind returns again and again to a flight I took home from Baghdad in August -- and an unforgettable reminder of the obligation we have to all who serve the country we love. As we boarded the C-130, I looked into the cargo hold and saw a simple, aluminum coffin with a small American flag draped over it. We were bringing another American soldier home to his family and final resting place.

The hope is there. The sun is rising. Our best days are yet to come.

The country and the Congress were misled into war.

We need to guarantee equal rights and civil rights and say that, here in America, workers have the right to organize - women have the right to choose - and justice belongs to everyone regardless of race or gender or sexual orientation.