For decades now, Filipino World War II veterans have been holding on to what little hope they have of finally getting what was promised to them by the U.S. government: equal benefits. With these veterans well into their 80s and 90s, their principled fight has less to do with money as it does dignity.

Yet year after year, our government has chiseled away at that hope, as the veterans continue to dwindle in numbers.

Words such as shameful and disgraceful don't even begin to capture the treatment of these men, who fought and served under the U.S. armed forces, only to be betrayed.

On Wednesday, Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, held a hearing of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007 authored by Sen. Daniel Inouye. The standing-room-only crowd heard tearful testimony by veterans pleading their cases.

And yet, again, that hope was quickly dashed. Sen. Larry Craig, the highest-ranking Republican on the committee, stated that "we can and should do better for Filipino veterans," but then continued with a line of excuses to explain why he didn't support the bill.

Among his reasons: