In mid May I wrote a post on how various veterans organizations view John McCain's voting record on veteran's issues. It wasn't good. At the time, I challenged anyone finding veteran group endorsements for McCain to forward them and I would publish the endorsement. Not a single endorsement was forwarded.
During a town hall meeting yesterday in Denver, John McCain was challenged by a veteran on his voting record:
Think Progress weighs in:
McCain has made the exact same claim before — and it is just a false today as it was then. As ThinkProgress documented, McCain’s so-called “perfect” record has been roundly criticized by prominent veterans groups: He received a grade of D from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a 20 percent vote rating from the Disabled Veterans of America; Vietnam Veterans of America noted McCain had “voted against us” in 15 “key votes.”
As for the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars — with whom McCain claims to have a “perfect voting record” — both groups vigorously supported Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) GI Bill that McCain tirelessly opposed.
Later in the town hall, McCain admitted he does “not have a perfect voting record,” but then declared that questions about veterans issues were off limits: “I will be glad to debate a lot of things, but not that one,” McCain said.
The truth is John McCain has NOT been endorsed by many (if any) veterans organizations, and the notion that his record on veterans affairs is, somehow, off limits is the goofiest thing I've ever heard.
Comments
Wow- I am as close to speechless as I have been throughout this whole process, and I was just starting to believe that nothing would shock me anymore.
While I whole-heartedly agree that the notion that somehow Sen. McCain's voting record on vetran's affairs, or anything else for that matter, is off-limits is absurd, I believe it is anything but goofy.
The scary part is that this blatant disregard for the concerns of a very esteemed segment of voters will have very little if any effect on the polls, and actual voting totals when it should have a huge and detrimental effect on McCain's Candidacy.
I think we just witnessed John McCain jump off the "Straight Talk Express" and jump on to the "Straight Talk To The Hand Express".
With all due respect, I think John McCain and straight talk became an oxymoron some time ago.
What I think is goofy is the notion that he believes some topics are off limits, that he should not be scrutinized over those issues, that somehow he's above reproach on some issues. It's just craziness.
And here's the craziest part: I guess he's right. None of the news outlets are covering the story.
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