McCain is veteran's adversary

Rachel Maddow is covering for Keith Olbermann on Countdown this week. Tonight she played a clip of the exchange between a Vietnam Vet "in a funny looking hat" as McCain put it. The Veteran asked McCain how he can say he has received awards from all the veterans groups when his voting record has been against them year after year. The veteran stated the years and offered to state the Bills McCain voted against. The truth is something McCain cannot run away from no matter how hard he tries to not remember he is not only a veteran, but one who is receiving veteran's benefits as well.

McCain's Policies Being Brought Out Of The Shadows
By ddayblog
John McCain was perfectly content for this election to be about Sen. Obama's readiness and to remain invisible as the alternative in the corner. Unfortunately for him, it's not shaping out that way.

He was hammered by a veteran yesterday, forced to explain his rejection of the new GI Bill and his continued opposition to improving veteran's health care.

McCain tried to backpedal and obfuscate and claim that he has "received the highest award from literally every veterans organization in America". The problem is that's not true.
The recognition McCain has received from veterans groups is not "high awards" but failing grades:
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a grade of D for his record of voting against veterans. (By contrast, Obama got a B+.)
• Disabled Veterans of America noted McCain’s dismal 20 percent voting record on veterans’ issues. (Obama had an 80 percent.)
• In a list of "Key Votes," Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) notes McCain "Voted Against Us" 15 times and "Voted For Us" only 8. (Obama voted for VVA 12 times, and against only once.)http://airamerica.com/blog/2008/jul/08/mccains-policies-being-brought-out-shadows

While Bush seems to have gotten away with the fact he linked McCain's name with the passage of the GI Bill, McCain seems to think he can do it as well. McCain said that he wanted it to be better than what it was because it did not go far enough, yet before the Bill was passed, McCain was also on record for months saying the Bill was too generous.

From The Hill

Sen. McCain seeks cover with GI bill
By Roxana Tiron
Posted: 04/22/08 08:14 PM [ET]
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Tuesday unveiled an overhaul of the GI bill to defend himself from veteran-group criticism and steal a bit of thunder from Sen. Jim Webb (Va.), a potential Democratic vice presidential candidate.


The move comes after McCain, a former Navy officer and prisoner of war, was heavily criticized by thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for not supporting Webb’s bill. The criticism was unusual for McCain, who has relied on his military credentials during the campaign.

“We should encourage service members to remain in the military, and they should be rewarded with additional benefits if they do,” McCain said in a release announcing his proposal.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sen.-mccain-seeks-cover-with-gibill-2008-04-22.html

May 22, 2008 The War Room


Thursday, May 22, 2008 16:28 EDT
Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition
By a vote of 75-22, the Senate approved an expanded version of the GI bill today. Proposed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., it's the biggest expansion of the bill in the past quarter-century, according to the New York Times. But it has also been opposed by, among others, President Bush and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Bush, McCain and the others who've opposed Webb's bill argue that the expanded provisions -- the government would pay tuition and expenses at a four-year public university for anyone who spent three years in the military after 9/11 -- will hurt the military's efforts to retain its troops. Bush has threatened to veto Webb's bill, and McCain introduced one of his own. He did not vote today.

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/05/22/gi_bill/

May 26, 2008 Washington Post
For Memorial Day, McCain Critical of Webb's G.I. Bill
By Michael D. Shear
ALBUQUERQUE -- Sen. John McCain asserted that the G.I. Bill sponsored by Virginia Sen. James Webb will drive soldiers out of the armed services at a time when the country is trying to expand the size of the military.

Speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony, McCain praised Webb as "an honorable man who takes his responsibility to veterans very seriously." And he said the bill, which would increase benefits for veterans after serving one tour, is a way of offering the nation's
"deep appreciation" for the veterans who have served.

But McCain insisted that he takes "a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans." And he predicted that Webb's bill would reduce the military's retention rate by 16 percent.

"Encouraging people to choose to not become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly," he said.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/26/mccain_slams_webb_on_gi_bill_i.html

If you Google McCain and GI Bill Too Generous, you'll find even more. Yet readers are fully aware of the deplorable record McCain has to deal with, as the veteran pointed out in the Town Hall meeting. McCain is only comfortable being seen as a war hero who happens to be a veteran but wants to run away from what veterans, like him, need from the nation in return. I suppose the benefits he receives are not too generous for him. After all, as he constantly reminds people, he was a POW in Vietnam. It would be great if that event in his life would translate into taking care of the war heroes who fought and were also wounded in service to the same nation McCain did.

Veterans and members of the service organizations are fully aware of McCain's record. Too bad he isn't. It would also be wonderful if the media managed to confront him about what he says today and what he's said in the Senate all these years. MCain is a veteran but he is also an adversary of them when they needed him to stand up for them.