Editor's Note: Peter Heck returns to the studio and to the Liberty Tree on June 18.

Historically, Republicans have benefitted from the public perception that Democrats were weak on national defense and largely unsupportive of military funding in Congress.  That manifests itself every four years when there is talk amongst politicos about the “absentee vote” coming in from overseas military personnel helping the Republicans.

Barack Obama seems to have a desire to reverse that trend, as he is making strong appeals to military families:

Obama lost veterans nationally in 2008, but he won those under age 60, besting Vietnam veteran Sen. John Kerry’s performance in 2004. The president is making a big push for the military vote in battleground states with large military installations including North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia, the Post reported. He is also pushing such actions as increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, launching jobs programs for vets and winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

No one knows for sure how this will end up, but the President’s decision to “spike the football” in relation to the killing of Osama bin Laden (what Peter calls the “Obama as Rambo Routine”) has definitely provoked the ire of some veterans groups.  And current polls show Romney with a massive lead among vets.

Perhaps the most concerning to Obama is the “Veterans for a Strong America” group that some have suggested could be the 2012 version of the 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.  It was the Swift Boat Vets who did untold damage to Democrat nominee John Kerry by outing his true record from Vietnam in a series of devastating ads.