Why John McCain Gets an “A” on Bush Economics and an “F” from Veterans Groups
By Koby J. Langley
If you are still asking why Senator McCain struggles with his abysmal voting record on Pro-Veterans legislation, let me suggest an answer – Senator McCain is no different than any other George Bush economic policy protégé in the past eight years, he proudly proclaims that “I voted with the president over 90 percent of the time, higher than a lot of my even Republican colleagues.” So Senator McCain confidently gets a legislative “A” from George Bush, an “F” from the Disabled American Veterans and a “D” from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Senator Obama has been a Veterans advocate since before he came to the U.S Senate, has a consistent, and strong voting record in favor of Veterans, and has volunteered to serve on the US Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Why are not having this debate?
Hopefully, by now, Americans have learned that largest increase in Veterans educational benefits was introduced by Senator Webb of Virginia was immediately supported by Senator Obama, and that Senator McCain and President Bush opposed the New GI Bill because they felt it was too generous and would hurt retention in spite of the fact that the Congressional Budget Office found that it would also help retention. When Senator McCain then inexplicably reverses position when he sees that the bill will pass even with his opposition, you begin to question the man’s heart. When Senator McCain fails to show on the Senate floor for the vote to pass the new GI Bill and attends a fundraiser instead, Veterans should begin to see the true picture of the man – laurels and all. When questioned on his non-support and absence from this historic vote, John McCain did not explain his opposition, he simply lashed out that he would not be lectured by a man that never served. I don’t know any Veteran that would so readily wield their military service as a weapon to simultaneously deflect and then attack a legitimate question. Perhaps Senator McCain would have accepted lectures from the other 92 Senators who did show up to support the bill, or perhaps he would have accepted lectures from the Veterans of Foreign Wars who demanded the passage before McCain’s attempt to back into supporting the bill.
Senator McCain places his vote where the money is, and shamefully (or unabashedly as the case appears) leaves his fellow Veterans in the lurch. If Senator McCain truly puts his County First, then why has he Voted at least fifteen times to prioritize tax cuts and tax loopholes for Americas wealthiest over funding for Veterans? Since his election to the Senate in 1987, McCain has voted at least 15 times in favor of keeping tax cuts and various tax loopholes for America’s top earners, instead of providing valuable funding for United States veterans. [2006 Senate Votes #7, 15, 41, 63, 67; 2005 Senate Vote #343; 2004 Senate Votes #40, 48; 2003 Senate Votes #74, 81, 83; 1996 Senate Vote #115; 1995 Senate Votes #226, 465, 466].
Why has this decorated combat Veteran not placed us first? The answer is simple, John McCain puts “Country First” when waving the flag suits his political interest to do so, but he puts the interest of wealthy Corporations, Wall Street, and the richest Americans first whenever possible. Perhaps John McCain knows that all he needs to do is stand on a stage behind photographs of his heroic return home from unimaginable imprisonment in the Hanoi Hilton, and Veterans will forget what he has failed to do for us since he was given a great trust in serving in the United States Senate. Perhaps it is those Countrymen making up to five million dollars a year that McCain is talking about putting first, I don’t know about you, but not too many Veterans I know fit that category, and I don’t know any that can’t count how many houses they own. I don’t know why John McCain has abandoned Veterans budget needs on the legislative floor, perhaps it is that Senator McCain just doesn’t understand the economics of the country, or his inexplicable position of allowing Iraqis to retain a $79 billion Oil surplus, while my fellow men and women in arms not only fight for their freedom on foreign soil, but then pay for it as well here at home. What I do know is that enough is enough. How about we start telling the truth about the candidates’ Veterans voting record, and how about we start putting this Country’s Veterans First, not multimillionaires or Wall Street tycoons that leave the economy in shambles and our Nations Finest wondering who really has their back.
Koby J. Langley is a Combat Veteran of Kosovo, and Iraq. He previously served in the 82d Airborne Division as a Captain, and was awarded the Bronze Star in Iraq. He is currently residing in Maryland and is a Veterans Advocate.
This is an excellent posting. I’ve been doing research myself on voting records and what I have come up with is exactly what you have in your article. The thing that bothers me is that this isn’t important to alot of people who are not on the military. They don’t understand that he is one of us and yet he is not. This should be on Huffington Post or DU.