Why do so many veterans groups oppose McCain?

"[McCain] 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."

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/08/mccain-veterans-award-redux/

NOTE: obama received a B+ from IAVA and 80% from Disabled Veterans of America. who's really in support of the troops and vets here?

2008-07-17T12:17:38Z

re: tedkennedysbrainrot: directly from the websites cited:

"The 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932"

"Founded in June 2004, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan"

as far as i recall, both of those dates were before kerry's loss.

2008-07-17T12:19:22Z

re: thinkprogress is biased.

i agree. but if you go to the websites of iava and disabled vets, they are not biased. i just linked to the thinkprogress entry because they summed it up nicely. can't argue with the links to the vets grps:
http://capwiz.com/dav/scorecard.xc
http://www.iava.org/full-ratings-list

2008-07-17T12:30:24Z

re: you can find a group to support anything!

so if there are pro-mccain and anti-mccain veterans groups i suppose that we can safely say that some veterans support mccain and some support obama. i guess now we can stop making the silly claim that obama is somehow against the troops while mccain supports them, right?

2008-07-17T12:35:55Z

re: call me bwana

well if legislation is not the measure of a politician's support how the heck do you measure it? you just know in your gut that mccain has "true" support for the troops while he votes to deny them benefits?

Where Yat2008-07-17T12:17:58Z

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I lost a great deal of respect for McCain when he voted against Webb's bill. And then, when he claimed that it is "unconstitutional" for congress to make rules concerning the management of our forces, I realized that he is not a constitutional conservative.

?2016-10-05T09:46:57Z

i'm a veteran and picture McCains invoice is extra lifestyles like- college is expensive yet none people became promised an entire unfastened experience in common terms for doing 3-4 yrs. it truly is like the VA, we've been informed we'd get centers if we've been given injured on duty or if we retired not for 2,3,4 yrs of provider yet by some means that have been given prolonged and now the VA has a stressful time getting the interest achieved for those in want because of the fact they ought to divert supplies to those who shouldnt be recieving the convenience. What the dems dont enable you realize is that vets with 30% or extra incapacity can get a level paid for thoroughly besides as a month-to-month stipend- i understand first hand I hate the election twelve months political video games and the certainty that the style of good sort of fall for it.

Loyd/Mary P2008-07-17T12:35:32Z

These groups of which I am a menmber of one of them feel that after the debates were over that McCain would and has both verbally and on record constantly said that these organizations were being paid too much already and that he would not support any kind of increase for them . Instead he would try to buy them out ( one time Payment ) or do away with some of what they already have . Obama on the other hand as charasmatic as he is
saw the handwriting on the wall about these groups and knowing that these groups could carry a candidate or cause him lots of headaches, took the opposite stand of McCain . It sounds good , but what the h###
does Obama know about war or foreign affairs? the answer to that question is absolutely nothing . Obama's promises of change in this country are full of hot air . He promises change , but never says what those changes are going to be or who they will affect .If Obama says he sympathizes with the veterans or if he says he empathizes with the vet , he is flat out lying. He has never spent one day in uniform much less a war .
He is running one one thing alone and it may , quite possibly will , get him elected . He is running on the race issue only . that is the only issue he is familiar with . He has only been a congressman for one year and has no experience at all in foreign affairs , unless you count all the time he has spent in Iraq and running down this country . We all have freedom of choice inour vote and you should get out and vote on the candidate of your choice , but do not vote for a man by the color of his skin , and on the other side of that , do not vote against the man because of the color of his skin . Is McCain the best candidate , who knows but I do know that McCain has more years in a prisoner of war camp, not knowing if he would get to see this country or his family again . and that is five years more than Obama has in congress . One thing that really bothers me is If Obama is trying to BS the American people by saying he is pro veteran groups , then why did he turn his back on the flag , refuse to put his hand over his heart , and refuse to sing the national Anthem , if he is true to what he says in his campaign.
Somewhere in all that he is not being truthful with us , but he sure wants us to believe he is .

Anonymous2008-07-17T12:30:43Z

You can't really judge support based on legislation. There are many reasons why legislation might be voted for or against, especially if there are riders or earmarks attached.

I'll trust in McCain's true support of the vets over Obama's, any day.
---------
Let me use smaller words so you can grasp this simple concept. If I write legislation for national health care but include a rider to put all Democrats in concentration camps, and you vote against it, does that mean you're against national health care?

The Democrats have been attaching a lot of crap to bills, especially earmarks and other unrelated stuff.

So don't go all naive and unsophisticated on me - you leftwingers are self-anointed "intellectuals".

Try keeping up.

Anonymous2008-07-17T12:21:01Z

Well it seems to me that the returning Vet's will not put up with McCain lying about supporting the troops nor supporting the Vets.

Vet's from all over the US is going to McCain's town hall meeting and asking him why he voted against all the vet's bill for the past seven years.

The Vets are even pissed off that he refused to vote for the bill that says will we not use any type of torture.

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