The issue is not Sen. McCain's patriotism. It is not his bravery. No one (except a few Right Wing nuts) questions whether he deserved all the medals he got. But there are many war heroes who did not make it to President. Ask Sen. Dole. Sen. McCain can be our hero without becoming our President.
Yesterday, I diaried that McCain caved in to Bush on the one issue in which he had unquestioned moral high ground--torture. Today we will ask: how well does McCain represent the interests of his fellow veteran in Congress? Veterans less fortunate than himself, who don't have a powerful family or a rich wife to ease their way through life.
Vawatchdog.org ratings are interesting. They rated Sen. Clinton very highly: an A. She made it her mission when she arrived in the Senate to become an expert on the military and to support veterans interests.
Obama fares quite well: a B+. And McCain? A dismal D. Even worse than his academic grades at Annapolis. Details after the jump.
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.
2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.
2006 Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.
2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.
To be contrasted with Obama,
2006 Senator Obama supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 80 percent in 2006.
2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator Obama a grade of B+.
2006 Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored 12 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.
2005 Senator Obama supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 92 percent in 2005.
So that is the kind of maverick McCain is. He knows he will not challenged on his voting record on veterans issues by the Mainstream Media, because his attack machine will descend on them. This gives him cover to burnish credentials as a fiscal conservative, by voting against any spending for veterans. Shame on you Sen. McCain!
This stinginess does not prevent McCain from taking credit for legislation he opposed, when it is passed over his objections. Sen. Webb worked mighty hard to pass additional educational benefits for veterans. Bush opposed it, because it might hurt retention. That is, some soldiers might take the opportunity to go to school and leave active duty service. This at all sound like cynical and exploitive to you? Also stupid, as it will also help recruitment. McCain went along with Bush. Likeable fella that he is, Bush gave McCain credit for the bill they had both opposed.
There are Democrats who say any talk of McCain's military record is off limits.
"That comment crossed the line," says Tad Devine, who was chief political consultant to Al Gore during his 2000 White House run. Devine says he's "not criticizing Wes Clark for standing up and saying what he believes—but it's a distraction."
Gore did not become president. Why should we listen to his chief political consultant any more than to Mark Penn?
Obama should not, and has not, challenged McCain on his military experience. He did not disown Clark either: for by doing that he would be accepting responsibility and why should he? Just enough to say Clark was inartful.
But others must continue to question McCain. Gen. Clark took a first step. Why is it helpful?
Because it gets under McCain's skin. It brings out his inner Ross Perot. McCain has surrounded himself with
cronies like Liebermann and Graham who won't challenge him. So when another decorated veteran asks him a perfectly legitimate question McCain goes ballistic.
He just can't help talking about it. The more outraged he gets and the more he goes on about events from 40 years ago, the more McCain will sound like an angry old man. More concerned with his image than the future of the country. Let Obama talk of the future while McCain talks of his past. The electorate is perfectly capable of admiring McCain as a war hero and not vote him in as President. That is what happened to Sen. Dole.
