McCain and Veterans

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.