Chet Edwards: ‘If You Look At McCain’s Record On Veterans Issues, It’s A Failed One’
Chet Edwards: ‘If You Look At McCain’s Record On Veterans Issues, It’s A Failed One’
Sen. John McCain has proudly touted his record on veterans throughout this campaign. “I know the veterans. I know them well. And I know that they know that I’ll take care of them,” he said in last week’s debate. In May, McCain said he has the “judgment necessary to care for the veterans.”
In an interview with ThinkProgress today, Rep. Chet Edwards (D), who represents Crawford, TX and is a leader on veterans issues in Congress, ripped McCain’s record on veterans:
If you look at John McCain’s record on veterans issues, it’s a failed one. … Even the Vietnam Veterans of America, those who served with Sen. McCain in Vietnam, have given Sen. McCain a ‘D’ voting record when it comes to voting to improve veterans health care and benefits. … But I think America’s veterans and voters have a right to know before the election that his voting record in the Senate has been a failed one.
“If his voting record had prevailed over the last several years, veterans would have poorer health care and fewer benefits than they have today,” he said. Watch it:
Indeed, McCain’s voting record in the Senate on veterans issues is abysmal. He has received failing grades from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Disabled Veterans of America, and Vietnam Veterans of America. McCain has voted against money for VA outpatient care and treatment and against increasing VA funding by $1.5 billion by closing corporate loopholes, to name a few.
“My message to veterans is that a vote for Sen. McCain is a vote to show respect for one veteran and his service in Vietnam,” Edwards said. He added that the mainstream media has “ignored the failed record of John McCain.” “You’ve got 25 million veterans in America, and again I bet the vast majority of them would be shocked and deeply disappointed to find out McCain has a failed voting record on veterans.”
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12 Responses to “Chet Edwards: ‘If You Look At McCain’s Record On Veterans Issues, It’s A Failed One’”
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As a retired E-7, I could never understand McCain's disdain for veterans throughout his political career. His debate statements though are completely in keeping with his continuing decent into dementia as shown by the multitude of other ones contradicting facts of his own history. He is seriously one screwed up old man!
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:35 pmOhhhhhh, SNAP!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pmI'm about to watch either an onslaught or a complete farce (tight rules lobbied by the McCain camp) of a debate.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:43 pmCrawford?
Texas?
BWAAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:45 pmMcWars, I, too, am waiting for the debate to start. I talked with my daughter tonight. She married a Texas Republican and lives in San Antonio. She's going to vote McCain and thinks Sarah Palin is eloquent. I've put my head between the door and the door jam, slamming it closed wondering "Where did I go wrong?".
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:47 pmThe Vets know this, we've long noted his willingness to overlook McCain's "buddies" in arms.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 pmRUCerious Says:
Crawford?
Texas?
BWAAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
His district used to cover Fort Hood/Temple/Waco, before Tom Delay got his grubby hands on the horrendous gerrymandering of districts. He tried to knock Democrats out of office that way, but Edwards never lost his district seat.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 pmI wish more people could see this clip. Mr. Edwards calmly and convincingly expresses the fact of McCain's poor voting record on support for veterans. Very well articulated.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:36 amI've heard several reasons as to why mccain votes against veterans so many times.
I have my own guesses.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 am1. He really does think he's the only one deserving. He's a ME ME.
2. He doesn't like other veterans. When he was captured he had expectations that he would be rescued because of his importance. (A rescue that would eventually be made into a move with him a HERO.) When he wasn't, he blamed the soldiers and still carries a grudge to this day.
"The Disabled Veterans of America (DVA) has given McCain a 41% lifetime voting record."
Because he's been in the Senate forever, McIIIrd needs to remain in the Senate to get that score up to say...........50%!
Obama/Biden08 Vote as if your life depends upon your vote - it does
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:28 amBarack needs to speak to more veterans' groups and point out mccain's veterans' voting record and how lousy it is. i'll never understand any veteran supporting mccain.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 amSo the mainstream media has ignored the failed record of McCain regarding veterans' issues? I find that a little hard to believe since they haven't failed to jump all over any other of his failings. It would seem that his non-support of vets would be their top-dog since it's one of McCain's strongest points in his campaign.
markusmarkus~
October 8th, 2008 at 12:06 pm"Vote as if your life depends upon your vote"
My husband is deploying in January and right now they are set to go to Iraq, where the violence is steadily decreasing. If Obama is elected there is a very good chance he will be going to Afghanistan instead where the violence is steadly increasing. I am voting as if my life depends on it, as well as my husbands life because his life, literally, will depend on it. That's one of the reasons I'm voting for McCain.