McCains record on Veterans

[The Scotsman]

This is an intereting article....

Vets group slams McCain on voting record
By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Navy Times
Posted : Tuesday Oct 7, 2008 13:45:33 EDT

The nation’s most prestigious group for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans released a congressional scorecard on Tuesday that ranks Republican presidential candidate John McCain as having one of the worst voting records when it comes to supporting troops and veterans.

The grade is due to his absence on several key votes on military and veterans’ issues over the last two years.

McCain, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a decorated Navy fighter pilot who spent 5½ years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, received a D on the report card from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He is one of nine lawmakers — four senators and five members of the House of Representatives — who received a D or F from the nonprofit, nonpartisan group.

McCain’s presidential campaign staff did not respond to calls asking for comment on the report.

http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&submit.x=9&submit.y=13


As for Obama..........

McCain’s Democratic challenger, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, received a B on the report card, the same grade received by Obama’s vice presidential running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. Obama and Biden also missed key votes; Obama missed four and Biden three.

http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/3181&lvl=C&chamber=S


And Hillary........well she got an A!

http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/10902&lvl=C&chamber=S

Link thingy here for full article

I found it interesting that McCain simply wasn't there for the voteing but being a veteran himself one would have expected more of him. Soldiers are expected to turn up to fight when directed by their Government I'm sure they could expect the same courtesy! As this article inplies.........

No points were awarded for votes in opposition or missed votes, said IAVA policy director Vanessa Williamson.

McCain never supported the new GI Bill, and in fact hampered its passage by pushing for another bill that veterans groups considered inferior. Obama was an early advocate and co-sponsor of the bill.

Obama also fared better in the number of pro-veteran bills he voted for. Of nine pieces of legislation listed by IAVA, Obama voted for five, while McCain voted for three.

Neither voted in opposition to the nine bills, but instead failed to vote because they were campaigning.

"There was a lot of discussion in the office on whether people should get an incomplete if they can't vote," Williamson said, "but we felt it was really important (to factor that in). The troops fight every day in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't get to show up at my job 30 percent of the time "

Rieckhoff noted that Sen. Tim Johnson, D- S. Dakota, who suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in a coma for a time, missed fewer votes than McCain, and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., missed fewer than both candidates notwithstanding he underwent brain surgery for a tumor.

"You cannot support the troops if you're not there to vote," Reikoff said.

McCain was one of only four senators to make the D list. The others are Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Michael Enzi of Wyoming and Jim DeMint of South Carolina.

http://www.military.com/news/article/mccain-gets-a-d-from-vets-group.html?col=1186032325324


Disappointing John