IAVA Gives John McCain A "D" For His Vets Record

Before he went on the full-frontal assault against Barack Obama, John McCain loved to talk about his time as a POW and his record on veterans issues. While McCain may have suffered tremendously for his country in Vietnam, what he says and what he does for our troops and those that have served are two different things entirely. Veterans rights advocates know the truth about John McCain and they aren't afraid to speak up on the issue.

From Crooks and Liars:

Paul Rieckhoff of IAVA sits down with Rachel Maddow to discuss his group's 2008 report card on how members of Congress voted on Veterans issues. John McCain: D. Barack Obama: B.

RIECKHOFF: There were 53 original co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle [for the new GI Bill]. Eventually, right-wing folks like Senator Warner got involved with folks on the left like Senator Webb. Every major veteran services organization in the country supported it, more ¾ of the House. So, this was kind of a legislative locomotive. And one of the only blocks along the way consistently was Senator McCain.

So, it's not a partisan issue here. The G.I. bill had tremendous support. And he was just really behind this legislative issue. Now, he's made attempts to go back and say he was holding out for transferability. Transferability, being able to transfer your G.I. bill benefits to your family members. It was already in the law. It was at the discretion of the Department of Defense.

So, it's kind of a red herring there. But the reports are out there now. Everybody can check the vote. Go to VeteranReportCard.org, you can check their votes and everybody else who's up for reelection this year.

Right on Paul, if you have any doubts about who's record is better than another, just look up the votes yourself. I can tell you that Barack Obama scores better on veterans issues until I'm blue in the face. Yet until you see it up close and personal, only then does one truly see the myth of the "maverick" and the truth of an aging soldier that does not do what it take to keep our veterans fully taken care of.

VA Sec'y And Sen. Stevens Trashed The Troops Yesterday

Republicans love to claim they support the troops more than anyone else, but their enthusiasm to help our nation's bravest doesn't quite match up. One of the scions of Congressional pork and a senior-level Bushie made note of it yesterday on the best of days, Memorial Day. They tried to make the case that our troops really don't need educational assistance to better their future. See if you buy this:

From VetVoice:

Speaking at the Disabled American Veterans' 19th Annual Department Convention, Senator Stevens told the majority of America's most recent war veterans that they had not yet sacrificed enough to have earned a GI Bill that would cover the full cost of their educations.

Sen. Ted Stevens warned of a "mass exodus" from the military Saturday if the so-called 21st Century GI Bill goes into law without major changes.
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"There are worries that people who are already in for two years will serve one more and leave, and there's really no incentive to stay," Stevens said.

What Stevens is really saying is that today's troops are unpatriotic--that they're only in it for the money and the college. And while Stevens' "mass exodus" theory has been thoroughly discredited by the Congressional Budget Office, the true irony of the situation lies in the fact that Stevens earned his own college degree after World War Two by using the same GI Bill he's aiming to prevent today's veterans from receiving.

In today's military lingo, this makes Senator Stevens a "Blue Falcon" or a "Bravo Foxtrot."

Hypocritical jackass can also apply here.

Yet VA Secretary Peake didn't want to be outdone. The press asked him how he could have ignored the story and tried to hide from the press that thousands of our current crop of veterans have committed suicide in the last five years. Do you think he was regretful? Ashamed of his actions or should I say, mis-actions?

On the topic of PTSD, Peake questioned if the condition is being overdiagnosed, considering the mental health services available to those in the armed forces.

"I worry about labeling all these kids coming back," he said. "Just because someone might need a little counseling when they get back, doesn't mean they need the PTSD label their whole lives."

Now that's a top-notch Administrator. If there's a problem and you don't know what to do about it, just avoid labeling the problem. The message is to go out and buy a giant broom and hope this will all fit under the rug. That is how Sec'y Peake and his higher-ups (i.e. the President) truly feel about our nation's veterans.

When Confronted About Not Voting For G.I. Bill, McCain Goes Nuts

One good thing John McCain did today was reject Pastor Hagee's endorsement. Of course it took three months to do it, but he finally gave in. However, one good thing couldn't go without an equally bad outburst and McCain delivered. See, he was too busy raising money in California today to be bothered about a vote in the Senate. McCain has missed many votes over the last year while campaigning, but legislation that enables veterans to go to college should be something he might be inclined to show up for. When Obama called him out on it, McCain lost it.

From The Atlantic:

"It is typical, but no less offensive that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of. Let me say first in response to Senator Obama, running for President is different than serving as President. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend. Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim.

"When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house in New London, Connecticut, and a Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. My father immediately left for the submarine base where he was stationed. I rarely saw him again for four years. My grandfather, who commanded the fast carrier task force under Admiral Halsey, came home from the war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. I grew up in the Navy; served for twenty-two years as a naval officer; and, like Senator Webb, personally experienced the terrible costs war imposes on the veteran. The friendships I formed in war remain among the closest relationships in my life. The Navy is still the world I know best and love most. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home to the country they loved so well .

"But I am running for the office of Commander-in-Chief. That is the highest privilege in this country, and it imposes the greatest responsibilities. It would be easier politically for me to have joined Senator Webb in offering his legislation. More importantly, I feel just as he does, that we owe veterans the respect and generosity of a great nation because no matter how generously we show our gratitude it will never compensate them fully for all the sacrifices they have borne on our behalf.

McCain makes the excuse that he came up with a bill to help veterans (he drew it up after Webb's proposal was submitted). However McCain's plan goes nowhere near Webb's bill that actually pays for college and not drops a few metaphorical pennies and nickels in the bucket. McCain says the Obama made a cheap shot, but the true wound is the one McCain inflicted on the troops by not supporting the Webb bill. Then McCain placates the troops by saying some garbage about how showing our gratitude can never compensate them.

Well, we could start somewhere productive, such as enacting Jim Webb's bill but Johnny boy can't be stopped on this rant. McCain finally tries to connect Obama's attacks on him and the difference between the bills with how Obama would conduct his Presidency. I hate to break it to McCain, but the Senate supported Webb's bill with 75 votes with no mention of the cheap substitute McCain came up with so that he wouldn't have to be seen as voting against the troops. Sorry, we see through that political bullshit.

Senate Passes Webb's GI Bill

Congratulations to the Senate for passing Webb's economic and educational package for our nation's troops. More than half of the Republicans voted for it, defying their dear leader (a.k.a. Mr. 28%) due to plenty of little add-ons to the bill. Although the motion to start ending the conflict was voted down, this is considered major progress in that the Senate got something done that wasn't completely regressive in nature.

From Yahoo News:

The vote on the domestic add-ons was a rebuke to Bush, who has promised to veto the measure if it contains the domestic measures. However, the president still has enough GOP support in the House to sustain a veto.

The House still has to act on the bill. Last week, it voted to reject money for continuing the war. It endorsed the help for veterans and the unemployed, but kept its version clean of most other domestic programs.

The huge tally in the Senate was driven by $15.6 billion over two years to extend unemployment benefits by 13 weeks and more than $50 billion over the upcoming decade to provide returning Iraq war veterans with sharply increased college aid.

But dozens of add-ons favored by senators in both parties contributed to the unexpectedly sweeping tally that embarrassed the White House.

Embarrassing the White House is always nice. George Bush wanted the war funding bill to be free of excessive waste (such as helping our troops to pay for college) because frankly, all of these soldiers should be going back for their 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th tours in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, right George?. Seriously, how dare they want to better their lives? Now we all expect the President to veto this so he gets his way to claim a spirit of bipartisanship. What happens next is up to Congress and if they have the chutzpah to override his dismissal of our soldiers.

Dear Senators and Members of Congress, this is the time of year we recognize Memorial Day and turning your backs (by a 2/3rds margin) on the President is the right thing to do for the troops in your state/district and for every man or woman that dons the uniform of our military.

McCain Shows How He Really Feels About The Troops

A brave soldier stood up at a McCain event and asked the Senator why he does not support a GI Education Bill for our soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere around the world.



Typically, McCain dodged the question, because he simply does not want to help our soldiers in combat, especially those that did not ditch their wives to marry a rich daughter of a beer baron.

Why Does McCain Refuse To Sign On To Iraq Vet GI Bill?

These troops have a few things to say to Mr. McCain...and every single legislator that doesn't support this bill to give educational assistance to our nation's bravest soldiers. The G.I. bill worked after World War II and it can work now. Thankfully we have Senators like Jim Webb to push this so hard in the Senate right now.