Obama urged to reverse policy on no condolence letters for suicides

A group of senators is asking President Obama to send condolence letters to families of troops who commit suicide.No condolence letters are sent from the president to families of troops who kill themselves Eleven senators sign a letter urging a change of the "insensitive" policyThe policy has been in place for several administrations

Washington (CNN) -- A bipartisan group of senators is asking President Barack Obama to change the current "insensitive" policy of not sending condolence letters to families of service members who commit suicide.

A letter signed by 11 senators -- 10 Democrats and one Republican -- and sent Wednesday urges the president to "take immediate steps to reverse the long-standing policy of withholding presidential letters of condolence" to families of troops who killed themselves.

The policy, which goes back several presidents, has been the subject of protest by military families. CNN first reported in 2009 about the family of Spc. Chancellor Keesling, who killed himself while serving in Iraq.

The family set up a wall to pay tribute to Keesling in their Indiana home. Along with his uniform and the flag from his burial service, a space was left for the expected condolence letter from the commander in chief.

Upset when they learned a suicide did not merit a letter from the president, Keesling's father, Gregg, wrote to the president and the Army chief of staff requesting the policy be changed.

At the time, a White House spokesman said the administration was reviewing the "inherited" policy. Questioned about that review at a White House briefing in December 2009, the White House spokesman at the time, Robert Gibbs, said a review would be completed "shortly."

"If the president didn't care, the policy would remain unchanged and unexamined," Gibbs said.

Keesling has argued that his son's suicide was a result of what he was exposed to during war and deserves to be considered caused by battle.

The letter to the president this week seeks again to reverse the policy. The senators note that the Pentagon has worked hard to try to eliminate the stigma of mental health injuries and to lower the suicide rate.

A recent report, cited in the letter, noted that every 36 hours a service member kills himself or herself, in the examined period between 2005 and 2009.

"Unfortunately, perpetuating a policy that denies condolence letters to families of service members who die by suicide only serves to reinforce this stigma by overshadowing the contributions of an individual's life with the unfortunate nature of his or her death," the letter says. "It is simply unacceptable for the United States to be sending the message to these families that somehow their loved ones' sacrifices are less important."

The letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Barbara Boxer of California, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Mark Pryor of Arkansas; Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana, Mark Udall of Colorado, and Ron Wyden of Oregon; and Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina.

CNN

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Romney's Strategy Hopes to Reverse 2008 Outcome

AP

FILE: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, are greeted in Bartlett, N.H. on March 5. .

In his first presidential run in 2008, Mitt Romney sought back-to-back victories in Iowa and New Hampshire to propel him to the Republican nomination. He won neither, the two-state sprint failed and so did his candidacy.

This time his strategy is more of a multi-state marathon, with economically suffering Nevada an important round in what advisers predict could be a protracted fight to be the party's 2012 nominee.

On his first trip this year to Nevada, the former Massachusetts governor toured a neighborhood north of Las Vegas that has been hit the hardest in the U.S. by foreclosures. He was expected to focus on the economy in a speech Saturday at a meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Nevada is third in line to vote on the 2012 Republican primary calendar to choose delegates to the party's presidential nominating convention. It has the highest U.S. unemployment rate, at 13.6 percent in February, and that gives Romney a chance to hone his central campaign theme: President Obama's policies are hurting the economic recovery and I'm the best Republican to challenge the Democratic incumbent on that issue in the general election.

Romney is the closest to a front-runner in a field that lacks one. He's expected to enter the race later in April and has readied for a second act since falling short to Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2008.

Allies and aides who outlined the path that Romney is charting to the nomination spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publically discuss private strategy sessions.

The strategy calls for big showings in New Hampshire and Nevada to boost momentum. After that come strong fights in enough other states so Romney enters the party convention in Tampa, Florida, next fall with more convention delegates pledged to him than any other Republican.

Romney's planning seeks to seize on a change in how the party chooses its nominee.

Candidates who won a state used to get all its delegates in a winner-take-all system. Republicans now will award delegates proportionally, meaning finishing second or third in a state is worth it. That could benefit a wealthy candidate such as Romney. In 2008, he spent $110 million, $45 million of his own money.

His hopes aren't without hurdles. There's the health care law enacted in Massachusetts on his watch. It's similar to Obama's national health overhaul, which conservatives despise.

Romney must overcome a record of changing positions on social issues such as gay rights and abortion. His shifts have left conservatives questioning his sincerity and his Mormon religion.

In 2008, Romney spent $7 million on Iowa airwaves and built an enormous statewide organization. Yet he never won over social conservatives who dominate the early decision-making.

This time, signs point to a token Iowa effort.

"Right now, Iowa is sort of the Christian Coalition primary and he's not really playing," said Doug Gross, a Des Moines lawyer who managed Romney's caucus campaign in 2008 but hasn't signed on to a campaign this time. "He doesn't have to win Iowa. If he finishes third in Iowa, that would be seen as a positive thing."

Romney plans to make his first big stand in New Hampshire, which borders Massachusetts. He finished second there in 2008 and has maintained strong ties to the state, where he owns a vacation home. He's helped the state party raise money and has kept a political team in place in preparation for a second run.

Nevada's up next on the nominating calendar and is ripe for Romney to do well.

He won the state in 2008, though his competitors largely overlooked the caucuses because they assumed the state's heavily Mormon population would vote overwhelmingly for one of their own.

"I honestly do believe a Mormon in office would help our country," said Jennifer Fung, a Mormon who met Romney as he walked through her neighborhood in North Las Vegas on Friday. "All the people that I associate with, everybody says they voted for Mitt Romney in the election."

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas came in second place, underscoring a libertarian streak in the state.

"Romney, should he run, walks into this as a front-runner in that he's got an organization left over from last time," said Ryan Erwin, a senior adviser in Nevada during Romney's last campaign. "He has a lot of friends here but crazy things happen."

The Republican primary electorate is shaping up to be more conservative than it was four years ago, because of the emergence of the tea party. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Mormon who served as Obama's ambassador to China, is expected to compete strongly in Nevada if he runs, and that could cut into Romney's support.

Unlike four years ago, South Carolina isn't likely to get lots of attention from Romney. He worked the state for over a year in 2008, only to place a distant fourth. Religious conservatives who hold great sway in the state never warmed to Romney.

Romney's advisers anticipate working hard in Michigan and Florida.

Romney won the 2008 primary in Michigan, where his was father was governor. He'll shoot for a repeat before turning to Florida, where he hopes his economic message will play well with the state's large retiree population.

He narrowly lost to McCain in Florida. Within days, he dropped out of the race, endorsed McCain and started looking ahead to 2012.

Now, it's here.

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