Veterans’ Issues and the Votes

/ Tracy Abell

Because I know some people out there are very concerned about veterans’ treatment by both presidential candidates…

Here is the link for the 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Action Congressional Ratings (The 2008 rating is not yet available).

You might be interested to know Senator McCain received a "D" rating.  Senator Obama received a "B+"

Further, the IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War) site states that Disabled American Veterans "reports that Senator McCain only voted for legislation that benefited veterans 20% of the time while Senator Obama supported veterans’ needs 80% of the time."

Apparently an IVAW board member, Adam Kokesh, protested McCain’s speech at the RNC with a sign reading "McCain Votes Against Vets."  As he was escorted out, people shouted at him: "USA! USA!"



        

26 thoughts on “Veterans’ Issues and the Votes”

  2. I looked … about half of those votes were for withdrawal or reduction of troops … which I disagree with .. not time yet … and this needs to be done gradually
    One gave the same benefits to someone who served 3 years as someone who served 20. McCain didn’t think this was right. I agree.
    Other bills also contained taxes or unrelated pork projects which McCain didn’t support.
    Here’s some debate on the issue which gives various viewpoints and additional information.
    http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/16/why-did-mccain-vote-against-health-care-funding-tr/
    My husband is an active duty miitary health care provider … I’ll try to get his two cents on this one.

    Like

    • I can certainly understand getting a low rating for refusing to withdraw or reduce troop levels. McCain himself is on the record stating (and I’m paraphrasing here) that when the Iraqis wanted the US out of Iraq, it would be time to go. Well, they want us out and we’re continuing the occupation.
      As for giving the same benefits to someone serving three year as someone serving 20, I think that’s fine. Especially if they’ve had multiple deployments in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. I guess you and McCain don’t agree.

      Like

  3. I looked … about half of those votes were for withdrawal or reduction of troops … which I disagree with .. not time yet … and this needs to be done gradually

    One gave the same benefits to someone who served 3 years as someone who served 20. McCain didn’t think this was right. I agree.

    Other bills also contained taxes or unrelated pork projects which McCain didn’t support.

    Here’s some debate on the issue which gives various viewpoints and additional information.

    http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/16/why-did-mccain-vote-against-health-care-funding-tr/

    My husband is an active duty miitary health care provider … I’ll try to get his two cents on this one.

    Like

  4. I’ve only briefly looked at these sites, but they may provide a counterpoint to the vets against McCain.
    http://vets4mccain.com/
    http://veterans.johnmccain.com/Veterans.htm
    I read about the privatization of vet care i.e. vouchers instead of care at the V.A. hospital. I don’t see this as a problem. I didn’t see any indication that their would be any additional cost to the veteran. I don’t know how the V.A. hospital works, but I do know that military hospitals are short staffed due to deployments. There are a lot more civilian docs working at base hospitals than there ever have been since I’ve been a military wife. Recently, I was given a chance to choose an off-base doctor, because the military facility was overburdened. Active duty has priority, and often dependents will be offered off-base care. There is no additional cost involved with this. The military picks up the tab. Sometimes this is an advantage for the patient, because often they have to travel a long ways to get to a V.A. hospital or Military Treatment Facility.

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    • I looked through those sites and yes, obviously there are veterans and soldiers who agree with McCain. But there are many more who do not. Soldiers are donating to Obama at a rate of 6:1 compared to McCain. I think that speaks volumes.
      Two weeks ago I talked with a good friend who was a Marine in Vietnam. He’s someone who VERY much keeps a lid on his experiences and feelings (stuffs his emotions to protect himself) and his voice shook with emotion when he talked about McCain pushing for more troops in Iraq and more wars in other places, Iran, etc. My friend said “How dare he? What does he know about combat? He was shot down and in a POW camp. He doesn’t know about combat.” It hurt to hear him dredge that up out of himself.
      I just read an article discussing this issue of private care, and the soldier said the costs were higher. I’m trying to locate so I can link to it. I’m glad the costs were the same for you and your family.

      Like

  5. I’ve only briefly looked at these sites, but they may provide a counterpoint to the vets against McCain.

    http://vets4mccain.com/
    http://veterans.johnmccain.com/Veterans.htm

    I read about the privatization of vet care i.e. vouchers instead of care at the V.A. hospital. I don’t see this as a problem. I didn’t see any indication that their would be any additional cost to the veteran. I don’t know how the V.A. hospital works, but I do know that military hospitals are short staffed due to deployments. There are a lot more civilian docs working at base hospitals than there ever have been since I’ve been a military wife. Recently, I was given a chance to choose an off-base doctor, because the military facility was overburdened. Active duty has priority, and often dependents will be offered off-base care. There is no additional cost involved with this. The military picks up the tab. Sometimes this is an advantage for the patient, because often they have to travel a long ways to get to a V.A. hospital or Military Treatment Facility.

    Like

  6. Apparently an IVAW board member, Adam Kokesh, protested McCain’s speech at the RNC with a sign reading “McCain Votes Against Vets.” As he was escorted out, people shouted at him: “USA! USA!”
    This is scary and worrisome, on a multitude of levels.
    Knowledge is power, though…thank you for sharing.

    Like

  7. Apparently an IVAW board member, Adam Kokesh, protested McCain’s speech at the RNC with a sign reading “McCain Votes Against Vets.” As he was escorted out, people shouted at him: “USA! USA!”

    This is scary and worrisome, on a multitude of levels.

    Knowledge is power, though…thank you for sharing.

    Like

  8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGscsnUSBYQ&e
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOaz7WhkFuo

    I think one of these is from MSNBC and the other from CNN. Youtube doesn’t run well for me …there’s a pause every couple of seconds. I’m not sure either of these shows the protester being escorted out. At least here the USA shouts seem to be directed at McCain’s speech not the protester.

    I’d have to see some proof that the shouts were being made AT the escorted protester.

    Yes, knowledge is power, which is why i’ve taken the time to dig up some links showing other views. We each make up our own minds, but there are two sides to every story.

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  11. OK, if the USA chant was against a veteran who fought for the USA, that makes me sick to my stomach.
    Even if it wasn’t directly aimed at him, or other vets who might disagree with McCain, I don’t get the whole USA chant. I noticed it several times during the Rep. convention (I didn’t notice it at the Dem convention but maybe it was there, too — either way, this post applies). What does it MEAN? It comes across as mindless patriotic fervor. McCain speaks, therefore “USA!” This is not a sports event. This is not US versus the rest of the world. It’s a little frightening. One could substitute a chant from other times in history and it comes across as very scary. It’s the mob mentality thing that worries me. Are people thinking? Or just getting caught up in emotion? Because, of course, USA is good so who can complain about saying USA but are we thinking about what we mean when we chant it? I don’t know.

    Like

    • Thanks for all these links! I cruised through all your comments and links yesterday but was working on revision so didn’t allow myself time to participate online. I’m going to read these and see what they have to say. I used to use FactCheck in 2004 but forgot about it this cycle. Thanks for reminding me. 🙂

      Like

    • Okay, I went through all of them. I wish the AFL-CIO ad had said the plain truth which was that McCain didn’t vote for the full proposed funding. Whatever the reasons, that is true. The second ad had nothing to do with McCain specifically and since he’s running as the only one qualified to lead since he’s the only one who served (although look how Kerry was smeared in 2004 but, hey, I realize it’s a whole other world when a Democrat is a veteran), this has nothing to do with McCain’s campaign. And the third one shows that McCain would like people to believe that all vets love him and support him, but that’s not true (and yes, I’m being glib here).
      What I REALLY wish is that ads would run about the $23 billion attached to Iraq that no one can account for. I have little patience for people taking stands against so-called pork when they don’t seem to care about accounting for that money (and that goes for people/politicians of all political stripes).

      Like

  13. I can certainly understand getting a low rating for refusing to withdraw or reduce troop levels. McCain himself is on the record stating (and I’m paraphrasing here) that when the Iraqis wanted the US out of Iraq, it would be time to go. Well, they want us out and we’re continuing the occupation.

    As for giving the same benefits to someone serving three year as someone serving 20, I think that’s fine. Especially if they’ve had multiple deployments in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. I guess you and McCain don’t agree.

    Like

  14. I looked through those sites and yes, obviously there are veterans and soldiers who agree with McCain. But there are many more who do not. Soldiers are donating to Obama at a rate of 6:1 compared to McCain. I think that speaks volumes.

    Two weeks ago I talked with a good friend who was a Marine in Vietnam. He’s someone who VERY much keeps a lid on his experiences and feelings (stuffs his emotions to protect himself) and his voice shook with emotion when he talked about McCain pushing for more troops in Iraq and more wars in other places, Iran, etc. My friend said “How dare he? What does he know about combat? He was shot down and in a POW camp. He doesn’t know about combat.” It hurt to hear him dredge that up out of himself.

    I just read an article discussing this issue of private care, and the soldier said the costs were higher. I’m trying to locate so I can link to it. I’m glad the costs were the same for you and your family.

    Like

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