John McCain says he’s always there for our troops. But in his own Town Hall meetings, American veterans have challenged that assertion.
His voting record shows why.
In April, 2003, John McCain tabled the motion to provide over $1 billion of National Guard and Reserve equipment.
In October, 2003, he tabled an amendment to provide an additional $322 million for safety equipment for U.S. troops in Iraq, when many soldiers’ families had to send them the equipment themselves.
In March, 2004, John McCain voted against eliminating tax loopholes that would have increased veterans’ medical care by $1.8 billion.
In March, 2006, McCain again voted against closing corporate tax loopholes that would have increased veterans’ medical care by $1.5 billion.
A month later, he voted against providing an extra $430 million for veteran outpatient care. A month after that, he voted against $20 million for veteran health care facilities.
In September, 2007, he voted against Senator Webb’s amendment that would specify minimum rest periods for troops in-between deployments. And in May, 2008, he first spoke out against Senator Webb’s G.I. bill increasing education benefits for veterans, and then didn’t bother to show up to vote on it. When the bill passed overwhelmingly, George W. Bush gave partial credit for it to John McCain, even though they both initially had opposed increasing veterans’ education benefits.
The fact is, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America give John McCain a “D” for his voting record. They give Barack Obama a “B+.” And the Disabled American Veterans give McCain just a 20% voting record; they give Barack Obama an 80% voting record.
As Rachel Maddow said, “There’s a difference between being a veteran and supporting veterans as a politician. John McCain is just counting on people not being able to tell the difference.”
Reported by Keith Obermann, Countdown MSNBC, July 28, 2008
Robert C. Keating, Editor
August 1, 2008
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