[Vision2020] Veterans group doesn't give John McCain 21-gun salute

[lfalen]

This is vary misleading and does not tell the whole story. McCain routinely vote against any measure that is riddled with pork. That does not mean his interested in helping veterans. To suggest  he is not is ludicrous. The way most congressmen get their  pet projects passed is to attach the to popular legislation. McCain does not fall for it. I am not a strong McCain backer, but at least he has the guts to stand up against pork.
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: Chasuk chasuk at gmail.com
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:00:02 -0700
To: Vision2020 vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Veterans group doesn't give John McCain 21-gun salute

> http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/10/07/2008-10-07_veterans_group_doesnt_give_john_mccain_2.html
> 
> Sen. John McCain gets a D when it comes to veterans issues, according
> to a new congressional report card released Tuesday by Iraq and
> Afghanistan Veterans of America.
> 
> Sen. Barack Obama fares better - he earned a B.
> 
> The New York-based national veterans advocacy group graded every
> member of Congress on how he or she voted on major issues affecting
> 1.7 million vets from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
> 
> Sen. Joe Biden also earned a B. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wasn't
> included in the report.
> 
> The veterans group isn't officially endorsing a candidate in next
> month's election, but said the report card "speaks for itself."
> 
> "Now every American can find out who in Washington really supports
> Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and who is just full of hot air," said
> the group's founder and executive director, Paul Rieckhoff.
> 
> The veterans group doesn't take a position on the war and didn't
> account for military service in its report card - something that might
> have helped McCain, a decorated Vietnam War hero.
> 
> Rieckhoff said McCain scored so low because he missed six of nine
> major votes on veterans issues in the Senate.
> 
> "The bottom line is that you can't support the troops if you're not
> there," Rieckhoff said.
> 
> He also pointed out that McCain ardently opposed the new G.I. Bill,
> which finally passed both the House and Senate in June.
> 
> A McCain spokesman pointed out that the senator supported an inclusion
> in the G.I. Bill that allows for soldiers to transfer benefits to
> their spouse or children - one of the sticking points that held the
> bill up in Congress.
> 
> Obama earned a B even though he missed four of the nine Senate votes.
> In Obama's favor was that he was an early supporter of the G.I. Bill
> and helped bring both sides of the aisle together on it, Rieckhoff
> said.
> 
> "It's a blueprint for how you can get things done in Congress," he said.
> 
> The New York delegation fared well.
> 
> Sen. Chuck Schumer earned an A-plus, while Sen. Hillary Clinton got an
> A. In the House, every New York City member earned an A, except Rep.
> Vito Fossella (R-S.I.), who got a B for missing three votes.
> 
> No one earned an F, but representatives from California, Utah,
> Tennessee, Colorado and Texas and senators from Oklahoma, Wyoming and
> South Carolina got D's.
> 
> The entire report card can be found on the Web (www.veteranreportcard.org).
> 
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