Five veteran suicide rescues in a two-hour period—so John McCain blocks suicide prevention

December 22, 2010 posted by Chaplain Kathie

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) Blocks suicide prevention measure
A small crisis group gets calls all the time from veterans in crisis. Considering these men and women know what it is like to face death on a daily basis, reaching the point where all seems hopeless indicates a crisis itself, we fail to grasp how serious this is. Yet on one night this same small crisis group had to rescue 5 suicidal veterans!

Suicide Prevention Workers See Spike In Calls
Oregon Partnership Reports Five Suicide Rescues In Two Hours
PORTLAND, Ore. — Workers with Oregon Partnership are calling on the public to get educated on the warning signs of suicide following an increase in the need for suicide rescues.
A suicide rescue is when crisis line workers have to intervene in a suicide attempt by sending police to the person’s house, said Leslie Storm, Crisis Line Supervisor.
Last Wednesday, Storm said they had five suicide rescues in a two-hour period; an amount she calls unprecedented.
“We’ve never done five in one evening. I’ve been here four years, we don’t do five a week generally so this is very alarming to us,” Storm said.
Oregon Partnership is a non-profit organization that provides drug and alcohol awareness, drug prevention programs and a 24-hour crisis lines for suicide intervention. The organization also operates a crisis line for military members and their families, as well as a treatment referral line.
read more here
Five veteran suicide rescues in a two-hour period—so John McCain blocks suicide prevention

Senator John McCain, uses VA but thinks veterans are stupid

McCain is a Vietnam Vet, was a POW, but when you listen to him, you'd think he never met a veteran needing the VA. I guess he never reads what Vietnam Vets have to say either. His voting record is usually against veterans anyway. The big problem for him now is that he has shown politics comes before veterans and that is sickening. Now he makes it even more clear by pushing the talking points painting veterans as stupid fools willing to believe anything when they can find the real truth in their own hands and straight from any VA hospital, provided by their doctors honoring their end of life decisions knowing they are fully capable to do it. This is what the Vietnam Veterans had to say and then there is a link to the post I did with the real facts on the so called "death book" some politicians have been using to put fear into our veterans instead of honoring their intelligence.

Shame on John McCain! The veterans finally figured out that while he is a Vietnam veteran, he has never had their backs when it came to his votes. Shame on FOX as well because they are really pushing this for what they think they'll gain instead of understanding they are insulting veterans instead.

Veterans Group Blasts Right Wingers Pushing “Death Book”


Veterans are not stupid, stop treating them like they are

McCain perpetuates 'death panel' for veterans myth

Speaking with Fox editorialist Sean Hannity on Thursday, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), a beneficiary of government-funded health care, supported the myth that President Barack Obama's health insurance reforms would establish some kind of nebulous, undefined "death panel."

Hannity was specifically talking about the literature, "Your Life, Your Choice," which he insinuated somehow encourages sick and dying veterans to not be a burden on society.

The claim is an echo of the latest attack on the proposed insurance reforms.

First came Palin's allegation that a so-called "death panel" would have killed her down syndrome baby.

More recently, RNC Chairman Michael Steele alleged that a VA pamphlet dredged up by the Obama administration is encouraging vets to "commit suicide."

Hannity's cleverly-worded question merely piggy-backed on this fallacy, albeit through the use of softer terminology.

Addressing McCain, the Fox pundit asked, "Is that the kind of death panel that people were maybe afraid of ... ?"

McCain, a veteran himself, answered: "Yes."

He added: "But, I think they're also concerned because they're well-read, they're knowledgeable, they're informed. They know what's happening in other countries where basically there is a rationing of health care, particularly when people reach a certain age, as to what kind of treatment people can get and if they can get it, and the incredible delays seen in acquiring that kind of care. So, I think it's not just that. I think it's the example of government-run health care in other countries, which is not ... Wa ... America is not ready for that."

read more here

McCain perpetuates 'death panel' for veterans myth

McCain draws just 1,000 at Tampa event

McCain draws just 1,000 at Tampa event
RAW STORY
Published: Monday November 3, 2008


Only 1,000 people showed up to see Sen. John McCain at a Tampa rally Monday -- leaving even Fox News scratching their heads.

"Kicking off the last day of the election in Tampa, Florida, John McCain was welcomed by a roughly 1,000 voters," penned Huffington Post's Sam Stein. "Compare that to the 15,000 people that President Bush drew to a rally in Tampa on the eve of the 2004 election. 'What's up with that?' wrote Adam Smith at the St. Petersburg Times."
click post title for more

Video McCain failed Commander-in-Chief test in 2001

AFPVeteran McCain can't bank on US military vote
AFP

Veteran McCain can't bank on US military vote
22 hours ago

CHICAGO (AFP) — War hero John McCain should have been able to count on fellow veterans to back his White House bid, but Democrats have managed to trim the Republican lead by actively courting the military vote.

With the United States engaged in two unpopular wars, the military vote is worth more than the relatively small number of ballots it represents.

Democrats are hoping the visible support of top former commanders and troops on the ground will help overcome a decades-long reputation that they are weak on defense.

Republicans continue to beat the drums of patriotism in an attempt to distract voters from the worsening economic crisis.

McCain meanwhile has built his campaign narrative around his lifelong service to his country and his ability to lead in dangerous times.

The former navy fighter pilot who spent five and a half years in a Vietnamese prison camp pauses every rally and town meeting to thank the "guys in the funny hats" for their military service.

He vows to bring troops home from Iraq "in victory and honor, not in defeat" to chase Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden "to the gates of hell" and to "fight for what's right for America."

And the Arizona senator has mounted constant attacks on the judgment and experience of Democratic rival Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first term senator who has never served in the military.

Yet McCain is expected to win the military vote by a narrower margin on November 4 than President George W. Bush did in 2004, even though Bush sat out the Vietnam war in the Texas national guard and was running against decorated Vietnam veteran John Kerry.

"The best guess is Bush won (the military vote) 60-40 and I'm guessing it will be lower than that for McCain," said Peter Feaver, a professor at Duke University who specializes in civil-military relations.

A Gallup survey in early August found 56 percent of veterans supported McCain while only 34 percent planned to vote for Obama.

At the same point in the 2004 presidential race, 55 percent of veterans backed Bush and 39 percent backed Kerry.

Since then, McCain has fallen sharply in the national polls and Obama has expanded his lead from three points to eight in Gallup's tracking of registered voters.

It is likely that McCain has also lost support among veterans, Feaver said, explaining that while members of the military tend to "skew on the Republican side," they also tend to track the sentiment of the general population.

Democrats have also "assiduously courted the military" in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, he added.

They sharply criticized the Bush administration for neglecting returning veterans following the scandal over conditions at the Walter Reed Medical Center and have pushed through legislation which would improve medical benefits and expand college funding for returning veterans.

"Then you have Obama, who has exceptional appeal to three groups over-represented in the military: African Americans, Latinos and young people," Feaver said in a recent interview.

Obama, who served on the senate's veterans affairs committee and has been active in expanding benefits and fighting homelessness among veterans, has also tapped into discontent among veterans frustrated with the way the Iraq war has been handled and the strain that multiple deployments has put on families.

He has called for a staged withdraw from Iraq and greater focus on the war in Afghanistan and regularly asks injured veterans to speak on his behalf at rallies and even at the Democratic National Convention.

His highly organized grassroots campaign has set up chapters of Veterans and Military Families for Obama across the country to knock on doors and make calls on his behalf.

And he recently added Colin Powell, Bush's former secretary of state and the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to his tally of endorsements by retired generals.

There are plenty of veterans who believe McCain's military service is sufficient testament to his character and ability to be commander-in-chief
click link for more

I would really love to know what people think qualifies McCain to be Commander-in-Chief when he was pushing to invade Iraq right after 9-11? I mean, aside from his disgraceful record of voting against veterans, while Obama has really supported them, Obama was against invading Iraq when McCain was pushing to do it. Seems to me on test one, McCain failed miserably.

Unearthed Video: McCain Pushed Bush Iraq War Agenda Two Months After 9/11


Recently unearthed video shows that just two months after 9/11, John McCain was not only fully aware of the Bush Administration's Iraq War Agenda, but also that he actively helped make the argument for war.

In an interview broadcast November 28, 2001 on ABC News Nightline, McCain:

* Said that the Bush Administration would build a case for military conflict with Iraq, and expressed his support for such action

* Advanced false claims made by the Bush Administration about the threat of Iraqi WMD

* Connected Iraq with 9/11 by repeating the false claim that 9/11 hijacker Muhammad Atta had met with Iraq intelligence authorities in Prague before 9/11
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/30/unearthed-video-mccain-pu_n_130680.html
Go to this link and see it with your own eyes. McCain was on Nightline on November 28th talking about the need to invade Iraq. He failed the Commander-in-Chief test and began to prove that he does not know how to "win" wars as he claims. He failed the part of the test on sending men and women into harms way without need or facts. He was pushing for this before the trumped up charges were even presented to Congress. Obama had the right judgement and listened to Generals who said that invading Iraq was wrong, believed it was wrong so much that they resigned. Then McCain did the most deplorable thing of all. He failed the veterans wounded for his fantasy of flight.

Shocking, CNN has a typo "Arizona senator trails McCain"

Meanwhile, a new poll of polls in Florida shows a similar story. The Arizona senator trails McCain by 4 points there, 49 percent to 45 percent. That gap is 3 points higher than it was earlier today and is largely due to a newly released survey from LA Times/Bloomberg showing McCain down 7 points in the state. The Florida poll of polls also includes surveys from Suffolk University and Reuters/Zogby.

Polls show McCain not making up ground in Ohio
Posted: 09:00 PM ET
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

McCain is still trailing in Ohio.
(CNN) — John McCain does not appear to be making up ground in Ohio, the key battleground state that is crucial to keeping his White House hopes alive.
According to CNN's latest poll of polls of the state, the Arizona senator now trails Obama by 6 points there, 50 percent to 44 percent. That gap is two points wider than it was Monday and double what it was one week ago.
click link for more
Glad to see that I'm not the only one who does this. I do it all the time but hardly ever catch CNN doing it.

Veteran says "The Democrat has made the right promises"

This is one of the biggest points that can be made. The author of this goes on to say how McCain has not supported veterans. In my opinion, with all that has been happening since McCain returned from Vietnam, he has had 26 years of opportunity to be an advocate for veterans but decided he didn't need to stand up for them. He only claimed he did but when more should have been expected out of him as a veteran he turned his back on them. His record proves that.

The Democrat has made the right promises

Date published: 10/24/2008


THE PERSON chosen to be the next president will face extremely difficult challenges over the next few years.

The choices the president makes will undoubtedly upset many Americans in both parties, if our out-of-control economy is to be brought back into balance after eight years of rampant spending under an administration that has done little to provide leadership on economic issues. Now more than ever, true leadership and courage is needed to affect the change in policies we so very much need to change course, and to heal the economic woes faced by so many Americans throughout our great nation.

As a Virginia small-business owner, veteran, and Latino, I'm voting for Sen. Barack Obama for the same reasons as millions of other Americans: because I believe this country desperately needs change. Obama will change our economic policies to help middle-class families, promote the growth of small businesses, and increase funding for veterans' affairs, so no member of our armed services goes without the medical treatment he or she needs and deserves.

As a 26-year veteran of the United States Navy, I have had the opportunity to serve this country under the leadership of Democrats and Republicans alike. I served at the highest levels in both Democratic and Republican administrations. In the ruins of 9/11, I commanded the construction and operation of the Navy's newest and most capable warship. I will be forever grateful that I had the opportunity to lead some of America's bravest men and women, and the privilege to serve my country.
click post title for more of this great piece

Carlos Del Toro is a resident and small-business owner in Stafford County who serves on the boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Council and as a member of the local Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Blogger had better judgment than news reports

Yesterday I faced a hard choice to make after reading the original story. I opted to pass the report by without posting it. Tracking traumatic events is what I do and the over 4,000 posts in just over a year prove that. With friends across the country forwarding me what they find to make sure I don't miss much, the original story came in from ten different friends. Something didn't sound right. Yesterday I hadn't seen the picture but now that it has been published, it's clear that even the rest of the media should have been a lot more suspicious. A backwards "B" is something a not very bright person would do to herself in a mirror, not something an attacker would do in a hurry.

Police said the woman admitted making up the report she was attacked because of a John McCain sticker on her car.

Woman admits making up attack linked to McCain sticker, police say
Story Highlights
NEW: Police said Texas woman, 20, has admitted to faking the report about assault

Woman told police man robbed, beat her after noticing John McCain sticker on car

Woman told police man kicked, punched her, carved B into her cheek with knife

(CNN) -- A woman who told police she was assaulted by a man angered about a John McCain bumper sticker on her car admitted she made up the report, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, assistant police chief said Friday.


Police said the woman admitted making up the report she was attacked because of a John McCain sticker on her car.

The 20-year-old from Texas told investigators a man approached her Wednesday night at an ATM in Pittsburgh's East End, put a blade to her neck and demanded money, Pittsburgh Police Department public information officer Diane Richard said.

She said she gave him $60 and stepped away from him, Richard said.

She further said the man "punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground, and he continued to punch and kick her while threatening to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter," according to a police statement.

The woman also told police her attacker "called her a lot of names and stated that 'You are going to be a Barack supporter,' at which time she states he sat on her chest, pinning both her hands down with his knees, and scratched into her face a backward letter 'B' on the right side of her face using what she believed to be a very dull knife."
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/24/mccain.sticker/index.html

McCain Was Not Tortured, POW Guard Claims

McCain Was Not Tortured, POW Guard Claims

By John Hooper, The Guardian. Posted October 15, 2008.



An interview with the chief prison guard of the North Vietnamese jail in which McCain was held claims, "We never tortured McCain."

The Republican US presidential candidate John McCain was not tortured during his captivity in North Vietnam, the chief prison guard of the jail in which he was held has claimed.

In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Nguyen Tien Tran acknowledged that conditions in the prison were "tough, though not inhuman". But, he added: "We never tortured McCain. On the contrary, we saved his life, curing him with extremely valuable medicines that at times were not available to our own wounded."

McCain, who fell into enemy hands after his plane was shot down in 1967, has frequently referred to being tortured and has cited his experiences as a reason for vigorously opposing the endorsement by the Bush administration of the use of techniques such as "water-boarding" on terrorist suspects.

Shortly after his release in 1973 McCain told US News & World Report that his prison guards had beaten him "from pillar to post". After being worked over at intervals for four days, he said, he had become suicidal and agreed to sign a "confession" admitting to war crimes.

In his 1999 autobiography, Faith of My Fathers, he described how after his capture he was subjected to inhuman treatment in an effort to force him to disclose his ship's name, squadron number and the target of his final mission. He was threatened with the withdrawal of medical assistance and, while still suffering from his crash injuries, his guards "knocked me around a little".

For his service in Vietnam and his actions as a POW, McCain was awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart.

Tran, now 75, said McCain reached Hanoi with the worst injuries he had seen in a downed pilot. But he denied torturing him, saying it was his mission to ensure that McCain survived. As the son of the US naval commander in Vietnam, he offered a potential valuable propaganda weapon.
click post title for more

Joe the Plumber? What About Jim and Jane the Veteran?

Really think about this.

Joe the Plumber? What About Jim and Jane the Veteran?
Paul Rieckhoff
Posted October 16, 2008


First it was Main Street. Then it was Joe Six-Pack. And last night, Joe the Plumber took center stage. After three presidential debates between Senators McCain and Obama, our nation's veterans can't help but be left wondering: What about us?

Beyond the fact that there was no real talk (straight or otherwise) at all about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, foreign policy or military affairs, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are facing unbelievable challenges when they come home. More than 300,000 new veterans are suffering from a serious psychological injury, and less than half are receiving the care they need. Tens of thousands of troops have suffered disabling physical injuries, new veterans are also facing high rates of unemployment, and almost two thousand brave men and women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan have already wound up homeless. And all the economic issues hitting the average American are hitting our military folks even harder. Millions are wrestling with the mortgage crisis, rising food costs, and the high price of gas. Now imagine dealing with all that while being deployed to a war zone for 12 months for the third time in five years. This is what our servicemembers are facing.

But not once during the presidential debates did we hear any substance from the candidates about how they plan to support our veterans.

We've been bombarded with talking point after talking point on the economy, healthcare, and energy. Joe the Plumber even had his name repeated more than a dozen times last night. But Jim and Jane the Veteran have been left behind.

click above for more

We can talk all we want about getting government out of our lives when it comes to our money, but when we do, we limit our view to "self" and cannot see beyond. Our taxes go to the roads we drive on and bridges we cross over expecting them to be safe and well maintained. Taxes pay for checking the food we eat, air we breathe, what we drink, medications we take and products we use so that we can trust they are safe. Taxes pay for the education of our children. Taxes pay for the police and fire departments. We can complain about the fact we are supporting people who have fallen on hard times, the ill who cannot pay for medical care or the elderly.

We can simply forget about all of this because it is just so easy to say government needs to get out of our lives so that our tax burden can be cut but when we are honest we know that sooner or later, it all has to be paid for. With all the talk about tax cuts and how McCain doesn't want anyone to pay more, no one is talking about common sense. McCain and the GOP seem to have no problem just borrowing money this nation cannot afford so they can take care of the rich, just expecting them to do the right thing and take care of those with less. They expect the money to just flow down but after all these years, it hasn't.

We have food that has been contaminated by chemicals imported from China. We have medications that were supposed to be safe, sent into the homes of millions only to discover they are harmful. Roads fall apart and bridges collapse. Schools across then nation leave our children unable to compete with the rest of the world and if you go into any establishment, young cashiers cannot do simple math unless the cash registers tell them exactly how much change to give back. Yet some will simply shut their eyes to what our taxes do.

Another part of what our tax dollars do is to supply the nation with defense. From the citizen soldiers of the National Guard and Reservists to the Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, CIA, FBI and all the other branches, our money pays for them. It is also supposed to be paying for those who have served when they need to be taken care of with medical expenses and compensation if they are wounded in the process.

The man who becomes our next president has to have his mind in the right place. He cannot be one who ignores all that is required of him. Far too little has been said about all of this. It's been about cutting taxes, either for the rich or those who have less. It has not been about doing the right thing or wiser use of the tax dollars collected. What is the most telling of all is that the men and women who served in the military have been forgotten. We have two active military campaigns producing wounded everyday, being added into the system and in need of being taken care of.

Families are living on food stamps, being foreclosed on because their husband or wife has been sent to Afghanistan or Iraq multiple times. We have wounded coming back, faced with having to fight to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the incomes they are no longer able to obtain. Why is it no one is talking about the fact we owe them?

I listen to people like Ron Paul talking about the evil of taxes but never hear him say what good our tax dollars do. I hear McCain say that he wants people making the most money in this country to not have to suffer for making more, but never hear him mention how he has voted against the veterans needing to be taken care of, especially if it is tied to any kind of corporations having to pay their share. I hear Obama talk about the middle class but not about the poor or the needy or the fact we have to be smarter with the money we do have. None of them have talked about the debt we owe those who serve or the suffering they are going through.

When you hear them talk, notice what they are not talking about and then demand they address the things you are concerned about. If you are not concerned about anything listed here, then please look in the mirror when you read about it all falling apart or another veteran who has committed suicide or see another veteran you pass by on the street because that has become his home. You'll have only yourself to blame because you didn't want to pay taxes and refused to hold them accountable for the taxes you did pay.

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

Cindy McCain made PTSD work worthless

I heard about Cindy McCain's comment on PTSD while I was away and it was infuriating. This just one example of how much harm what she said is doing to far too many.

Here’s the “one particular area” that was touched upon:

“MC: You met your husband after his POW days. To what extent is that still with you — or is it a part of history?
CM: My husband will be the first one to tell you that that’s in the past. Certainly it’s a part of who he is, but he doesn’t dwell on it. It’s not part of a daily experience that we experience or anything like that. But it has shaped him. It has made him the leader that he is.”

“MC: But no cold sweats in the middle of the night?
CM: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. My husband, he’d be the first one to tell you that he was trained to do what he was doing. The guys who had the trouble were the 18-year-olds who were drafted. He was trained, he went to the Naval Academy, he was a trained United States naval officer, and so he knew what he was doing.”
go here for more

http://www.opednews.com/articles/ACCORDING-TO-CINDY-
McCAIN-by-Stuart-Steinberg-081011-144.html

While trying to defend the fact McCain would statistically have PTSD from being tortured as a POW, just like the other 99% of victims of torture, she managed to insult everyone who is wounded by it.

Saying that McCain's training had anything to do with "preventing" him from developing it was a slap in the face to all veterans with PTSD and all the families who have watched them suffer. How dare she?

This pathetic excuse for a veteran's wife has just slandered millions including civilians who have PTSD. She also managed to push all the hard work that has been done since Vietnam to get rid of the stigma of it. She reinforced the view far too many ignorant fools have to even suggest if was her husband's "training" that made the difference. In other words, if a veteran has PTSD, it's their fault and the fault of their commanders for not training them right.

So what have all the years of fighting against people like her accomplished? This woman is reflecting the attitude her own husband has about PTSD. We've seen it long enough whenever another veteran even tries to talk to McCain about PTSD. She didn't come up with this absurd comment on her own.

Every veteran in this country should be sending letters to the McCain campaign demanding a full, public apology. Imagine the way this comment was received by some who were contemplating suicide when they heard this! Imagine a family left behind when someone they loved committed suicide over PTSD had when they heard this! It's like another stab in the back from someone who had the responsibility to find out what PTSD is and what causes it before she even opened her mouth.

John McCain is self-serving without honor

John McCain has shown that he comes first and has lost any shread of decency he once had along with the tiny fraction of honor he had left. The man is proving he is not honorable. He cannot run on his record and has consistently tried to run away from his own record as well as the Bush administration he supported so much so that he boasted he voted with the Bush administration almost 90% of the time. Back then he thought only the Republican's were watching the GOP primary debate but the truth is, America was watching. He is self-serving without honor.

McCain can claim he supports veterans until he turns blue but it will not make it the truth. We know his record well. He can say he deserves honor and votes for being a POW, but cannot run away from what he did after his return to this nation. He can claim he served the American people all these years in the Senate but he served only himself going back to the Keating 5 and the Lincoln Savings and loan scandal because he wanted the power enough to sell out the tax payers backing Keating. While McCain served as a senator from Arizona, it was up to them to judge him and the rest of the nation allowed him to operate below the radar until he decided he wanted to control the entire nation in the lead job. Now the national eye is on him and frankly, we no longer like what we see. He is not who we thought he was. The man has no conscience to feel ashamed of how low he has sunk. This nation deserved better out of him and so have the veterans he betrayed. It's time for McCain to answer for his own character and his own actions instead of coming up with lies about Obama.

I thought his votes against veterans were about as low as a person could get but he sunk even lower by claiming he supports them looking them right in the eye. He's lying now still looking at us right in the eye.

Vets group slams McCain on voting record

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Oct 7, 2008 9:05:14 EDT

The nation’s most prestigious group for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans released a congressional scorecard Tuesday that ranks Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona as having one of the worst voting records to support troops and veterans.

The grade is due to his absence on several key votes on military and veterans’ issues over the last two years.

McCain, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a decorated Navy fighter pilot who spent 5½ years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, received a D on the report card from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. D is the lowest grade given by the nonprofit, nonpartisan group, and McCain is one of just four senators and five members of the House of Representatives who received such a low grade. McCain also is the only veteran among the nine who received a D on the record card.
go here for more

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/military_
vets_congress_reportcard_100708/

For the whole report go here

http://www.veteranreportcard.org/reportcard.pdf

"If John McCain wants to have a character debate, then I'm happy to have that debate because Mr. McCain's record, despite him calling himself a maverick, actually shows that he is continually somebody who relies on lobbyists for big oil and big corporations," Obama told CNN.

"One of the things we've done throughout this campaign, we don't throw the first punch. But we'll throw the last."

For the campaigns, now it's personal
Agence France-Presse
Published: Monday October 6, 2008
by Myriam Chaplain-Riou

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AFP) - Republican John McCain questioned Barack Obama's character, while the Democrat pressed his foe's alleged weakness on economic issues as tempers escalated ahead of the White House rivals' debate Tuesday.

Both candidates intensified their attacks ahead of the second of three presidential debates, this one to be staged in a "town hall" format with less than a month remaining before the November 4 vote.

The debate was to feature questions from undecided voters in the audience, a format preferred by McCain who frequently paces the stage and engages directly with voters, in contrast to Obama whose style tends to be more reserved and contained.
go here for more
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/For_campaigns_now_its_personal_1006.html

Mishaps mark John McCain's record as naval aviator

Library of Congress
This photo provided by the Library of Congress shows John McCain, front right, with his squadron in 1965.

Mishaps mark John McCain's record as naval aviator
Three crashes early in his career led Navy officials to question or fault his judgment.
By Ralph Vartabedian and Richard A. Serrano, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 6, 2008
John McCain was training in his AD-6 Skyraider on an overcast Texas morning in 1960 when he slammed into Corpus Christi Bay and sheared the skin off his plane's wings.

McCain recounted the accident decades later in his autobiography. "The engine quit while I was practicing landings," he wrote. But an investigation board at the Naval Aviation Safety Center found no evidence of engine failure.

The 23-year-old junior lieutenant wasn't paying attention and erred in using "a power setting too low to maintain level flight in a turn," investigators concluded.

The crash was one of three early in McCain's aviation career in which his flying skills and judgment were faulted or questioned by Navy officials.

In his most serious lapse, McCain was "clowning" around in a Skyraider over southern Spain about December 1961 and flew into electrical wires, causing a blackout, according to McCain's own account as well as those of naval officers and enlistees aboard the carrier Intrepid. In another incident, in 1965, McCain crashed a T-2 trainer jet in Virginia.


After McCain was sent to Vietnam, his plane was destroyed in an explosion on the deck of an aircraft carrier in 1967. Three months later, he was shot down during a bombing mission over Hanoi and taken prisoner. He was not faulted in either of those cases and was later lauded for his heroism as a prisoner of war.

As a presidential candidate, McCain has cited his military service -- particularly his 5 1/2 years as a POW. But he has been less forthcoming about his mistakes in the cockpit.

The Times interviewed men who served with McCain and located once-confidential 1960s-era accident reports and formerly classified evaluations of his squadrons during the Vietnam War. This examination of his record revealed a pilot who early in his career was cocky, occasionally cavalier and prone to testing limits.
click post title for more


The USS Forrestal Museum Page
Once the fire was finally under control, the time had come to tally up the loss of life and the damages. One hundred and thirty-four men had lost their lives, twenty-one aircraft were destroyed and forty-three others damaged.
http://forrestal.org/fidfacts/page14.htm

Americans want to know about McCain's mental health

This was posted on CNN IReport with a video. The topic of McCain and PTSD are all over the net and is a question that has to be answered. Statistically people who have been tortured have PTSD. The question is, how badly was McCain affected by his years as a POW and how has he been treated? Is he still in treatment? Is he on medications and is he being monitored? Normally this topic should be personal and talked about only if he wants to but McCain wants to be the president of this nation and with all seriousness, these questions need to be answered for us to know if he is even capable of making rational decisions, controlling outburst of anger, dealing with short term memory loss and flashbacks.

WHEN MIGHT A MAN [A WAR HERO A POW SURIVOR) have a PTSD EVENT...A flashback?
A outburst of anger?}

P.T.S.D. is no joking matter.This is an illness that is profound and and can be lifelong. usually requiring medications to keep under control!

ARE THE PEOPLES nominated for Leadership of this Nation required to disclose any Prescription MEDICATIONS or other medications They are taking?

I NEED TO KNOW THIS Answer?

I believe we all know drugs can alter mood anxiety,,,and if not taken can, CAUSE very unpleasant episodes. I would not want anyone in this position to have rely on these types of medications for optimal performance, because without them they become less efficient and think in a different manner!

My reason! I know that all medications can stop working for any number of reasons and before a replacement can be found the person in question may not be in there right mind as we know it!

Senator McCain, I feel does his best to keep it under control, It is also my understanding he has released Medical information which is required for a Presidential nominee. His Psychiatric History is also required which I feel is justifiable as a Psych nurse. The way he clenched hid jaw so often when debating Obama, his inability to look at him with respect in his face I feel has a deeper significance then just trying to win. I feel that was the only way he could maintain control of his emotions.

PSTD manifests itself in many ways, uncontrollable anger and many other ways and has many different features
More info on PSTD, best source I am aware of: (the DSM VI American VERSION)

In addition to all of this there's his nasty sense of humor aimed as
hurtful humor that jokes of rape, bigotry or prejudice or the fact that
that McCain twice attempted suicide as he reported to his doctors in
his recently disclosed medical reports. All of this really begs more
questions about whether McCain is really mentally fit and rational
enough to be president. This is a difficult question that voters need
to seriously answer and the McCain Campaign should be more forthcoming
with any mental health records as this information is just as important
if not more so, than the health records they have so far released.

The U.S. needs a president who seriously weighs when to actually use military power only when necessary and not one who sings a song parody of a Beach Boys song, "Bomb, Bomb Iran" when asked a question about the Iranian nuclear program. The U.S. has the most powerful military and nuclear arsenal in the world.

Voters need to be darn sure that the person with their finger on the "red" button has good mental health and anger management. how DO WE KNOW HE WON'T HAVE A POST TRAUMATIC EVENT AT THIS VERY MOMENT IN TIME! a FLASHBACK TO THE ATROCITIES HE LIVED THROUGH?
go here for more
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-104742

DEBATE FACT CHECK: IGNORING AFGHANISTAN

DEBATE FACT CHECK: IGNORING AFGHANISTAN
October 02, 2008

The Facts: McCain Has Ignored The Threat In Afghanistan. Obama Recognizes Afghanistan Is The Central Front In The War On Terror And Has Been Calling For Increased Troop Levels.

FACT: MCCAIN HAS IGNORED THE THREAT IN AFGHANISTAN AND THINKS IRAQ IS THE CENTRAL FRONT IN THE WAR ON TERROR


· McCain: Iraq Is The Central Front In The War On Terror. “I agreed with General Petraeus when he said Iraq was the central battleground in the war and the struggle against al Qaeda. And he said that repeatedly.” [NBC, “Today,” 7/21/08]


· McCain: “We May Muddle Through In Afghanistan.” During a November 2003 appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations, John McCain was asked about his views on Afghanistan. McCain noted that there had been a rise in al Qaeda activity along the border with Pakistan, and said that he was concerned about the increase in U.S. casualties. However, he added, “But I believe that if Karzai can make the progress that he is making, that -- in the long term, we may muddle through in Afghanistan.” [Council on Foreign Relations , 11/5/03;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wazv45RYj60&eurl=http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/17/mccain-03-afghanistan/




FACT: OBAMA HAS BEEN CALLING FOR MORE TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN FAR LONGER THAN MCCAIN


· Major Garrett: McCain “Was Behind Obama” On The Call For More Troops In Afghanistan And “Lost Ground When He Offered Three Different Explanations About Where The Additional Combat Forces Would Come From.” “McCain this week backed Obama’s call for more combat troops in Afghanistan. He had resisted that for months because he didn’t want to siphon troops from Iraq. McCain said Afghanistan needed more troops than Obama (McCain says three brigades and Obama says two brigades) AND a new military strategy — a re-think, as it were, comparable to that which led to the new counter-insurgency approach in Iraq. On this, many analysts agree, but no new strategy can be implemented without more troops and McCain was behind Obama on that call. McCain also lost ground when he offered three different explanations about where the additional combat forces would come from (the U.S., then NATO, then maybe the U.S. and NATO).” [Fox News, 7/19/08 ]


· David Gergen: “In The Last Two Days We've Seen Twice Now The Bush Administration Reverse Itself And Take Positions That Are Much Closer To Obama’s,” Added “The Greater Danger To Our Troops Right Now Is In Afghanistan. That’s What Obama’s Been Arguing All Along.” David Gergen: “For the last few months, John McCain has had the upper hand in the arguments about foreign policy, as one of the chief architects of a surge that Obama voted against and then it seemed to work. And yet in the last two days we've seen twice now the Bush administration reverse itself and take positions that are much closer to Obama’s. Last night we talked about the fact that suddenly the Bush administration had reversed course and was going to begin talking directly to Iran this weekend, and now tonight we're talking about them reversing course and saying we must send more troops into Afghanistan, and Afghanistan is becoming in many ways at least as dangerous as Iraq. You know, last -- in June, there were virtually the same number of American troops who died in Afghanistan as in Iraq, and yet in Iraq we have five times as many troops. So the danger, the greater danger to our troops right now is in Afghanistan. That’s what Obama’s been arguing all along.” [Anderson Cooper, CNN, 7/16/08]


· Christian Science Monitor: McCain “Has Resisted Calls For More Troops In Afghanistan.” “McCain has resisted calls for more troops in Afghanistan and has rejected criticism that the Iraq war is detracting from efforts to secure Afghanistan. He labeled Barack Obama ‘naïve’ for saying he'd strike terrorist targets in Pakistan with or without the cooperation of President Pervez Musharraf. … Aides to the Arizona senator said Wednesday that he continued to view success in Iraq as the best chance for victory in the global war on terror. ‘As on many things, Senator Obama is not listening to our commanders, and Senator McCain is,’ says Kori Schake, a senior policy adviser to McCain. ‘General David Petraeus believes Iraq is the central front in the war on terror. Al Qaeda has even said it is.’ … Ms. Schake's comments came about two hours after Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said additional troops were needed in Afghanistan but that too many were tied down in Iraq to send more.” [Christian Science Monitor, 7/7/08]


· 2004: McCain Said, “We Have Sufficient Troops” In Both Afghanistan And Iraq. In an appearance on CNN, Wolf Blitzer asked McCain, “As you know, the critics argue that there's a finite number of U.S. soldiers, finite number of special operations forces, Arabic-speaking personnel, and that you either use them in Iraq or Afghanistan but there's probably not enough to do a thorough job in both places.” McCain responded, “I think we have sufficient troops to do the job in both places. It's very difficult but I believe we can.” [CNN, Wolf Blitzer Reports, 4/1/04]

McCain Is Wrong On Afghanistan

McCain Is Wrong On Afghanistan
Forbes - NY,USA
Barnett R. Rubin 10.02.08, 12:01 AM ET


I have supported Sen. Barack Obama for president for well over a year, mainly on the strength of his positions on international affairs--I judged him the candidate most likely to restore America's position in the world. The first presidential debate reinforced that view, especially on the issue I know best: Afghanistan, Pakistan and al-Qaida. The vice-presidential debate Thursday, between Sen. Joe Biden, who has focused on this region for years and whose criticisms of the McCain-supported policy have proved valid, and Gov. Sarah Palin, who knows nothing of this deadly problem, can only reinforce the difference between the tickets.

Sen. Obama knows that on 9/11, America was not attacked by "terrorism," but by al-Qaida. The core leadership of that global network remains where it has been since 1996: in the border areas spanning Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yet before those leaders had been killed or captured, before Afghanistan was secured, before the Pakistan military reversed its policy of Taliban support, McCain acted as cheerleader for moving intelligence assets and Special Forces from South Asia to Iraq--a move so rushed and irresponsibly precipitous that the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Dan McNeil, threatened to confine all Special Forces there to base if further intelligence resources were removed. As long as we have four times more troops in Iraq as in Afghanistan, we cannot even start to remedy this situation. What's more, Sen. McCain refuses a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq even though the Iraqi government itself has demanded one.
click link for more

One of the comments left on this article was that Obama is getting support because of his speaking ability. How absurd is that? Obama can speak clearly and passionately but even with that, if he did not speak with the conviction, understanding of the issues and intelligence, none of that would matter. Obama has been right on Afghanistan, Iraq, national defense, the economy, global warming and energy issues, international affairs and above all, how to take care of veterans. Obama has a shorter record but his is one of excellence while McCain's is one of being wrong. What good does experience do a person when they have more time to prove they have been wrong on so many things and learned nothing from them?

McCain can claim anything he wants and look right into the camera but he lies as easily as he tells the truth. This comes from a person with absolutely no conscience at all. His record on veterans is abysmal but he tells veterans he knows how to take care of them. Does this mean he knows how to make them suffer?


He claims to know what is right in Iraq but his plans did not go past adding more troops. This was just a fraction of what has worked in Iraq but was not the success he claims it has been. It was his bad judgment when he pushed for the invasion of Iraq right after 9-11. This act was responsible for the deaths of the troops in Iraq, the Iraqi people, as well as the situation in Afghanistan since 2001.

America can't afford more years of experiencing McCain's record of bad judgment. kc

Veterans beware of McCain trick on how he treats you

This Halloween there is something veterans really need to fear and that is a McCain Palin administration. McCain claims to "care about veterans" and it's a claim he's gotten away with making for far too long with having nothing but the opposite to show for it. His record on votes against veterans is legendary. So much for this maverick who betrays his own. While McCain has received a free ride from the broadcast media, the print media has not forgotten his consistent lies about "supporting" veterans. Most Americans who do not read the congressional record of votes or the publications coming in from the DAV, the VFW, American Legion or go onto sites like Vote Vets and IAVA, are stunned when they discover how they have been mislead all these years and tricked into voting against their best interests by supporting people like McCain who do not support them. Military and veteran's families should have expected more out of one of our own.

When I began doing this work with veterans who have PTSD, I took an oath that no matter what party someone belongs to, I will go after them if they do not support veterans. Having the wrong people in office means that all the work I do will mean nothing if they are not one their end fighting just as hard for veterans and what they need. People like McCain are the reason so many are without the care and treatment they not only earned but deserved. What is most telling about McCain is that he can stand in front of the camera with tens of millions of Americans watching and lie without blinking. His claim of how much he supports veterans came out of his mouth as easily as he says the words "my friends" when addressing an audience.

They say that doing the right thing is doing it all the time when someone is watching as well as when they are not. As soon as the cameras are off McCain, when no voter hears his words, he votes against us. Again we are reminded of his attitude with the latest Palin spin.

Gov. Palin was asked a question by a voter about if she thought we should strike in Pakistan if there had been evidence of Al-Qaeda. She said she thought we should. McCain then went on TV with Palin at his side saying that it was a voter who shouted the question across the room and passed it off a "gotcha journalism" insulting all voters in the process. What was not mentioned was the fact that this implies McCain finds no problem with lying to voters. If he does in fact know that Palin agrees with him, then he's approving of this message of lying to voters.

While McCain took high profile positions on powerful committees, he did not serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Obama saw it as payback for his father, uncle and all veterans to serve on this committee and he's been fighting for veterans ever since. Most of the improvements happened in the last two years with the Democrats in leadership roles and Obama has been part of that. The following is a letter from Senator Obama. When you read it and you get angry that the letter didn't come from McCain, the man who says he supports the veterans, get angry enough to look up his voting record and understand that the way he treats veterans is no treat at all. kc

Senator Obama Seeks Critical VA Data on Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans to Improve Veteran Services

U.S. Senator Barack Obama


Sep 30, 2008

September 24, 2008, Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today sent the following letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake, requesting that he release critical information and data relating to veterans health care, disability claims and Vet Center activity. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, veterans have faced unique challenges as they return to their families and communities, including health-related needs as well as community readjustment concerns. It is essential for Congress to have as much information as possible in order to best determine the needs of community and veterans service organizations so it can better understand how to serve them. The National Academy of Sciences is also expected to begin a study, based on Obama legislation, to document the long term needs of these heroes and will require this information as well.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Peake:

I am writing to request your cooperation in providing the American people with some critical information regarding the needs of our Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans.

As you know, OIF and OEF veterans have faced unique needs as they return to their families and communities. Some of these needs are health-related, but other needs are related to community readjustment concerns. I am pleased that the National Academy of Sciences is expected to begin a study, based on my legislation, to document the longterm needs of these heroes. However, the VA can assist in our efforts to determine the needs of these veterans by sharing some critical information.

I am requesting the VA release, as soon as practicable, the following information:

1. The latest reports on healthcare use by the OIF and OEF veterans;

2. The latest reports on disability claims made by OIF and OEF veterans;

3. The latest reports on Vet Center activity by OIF and OEF veterans.

I appreciate your cooperation in providing this important information. With this information, the Congress can better determine the needs of this community and veterans service organizations can better understand how to best serve our most recent veterans.

I also want to commend your office on taking into account recommendations that Chairman Akaka, I and other Senators on the Veterans Affairs Committee submitted on the proposed regulations regarding rating disabilities for veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The recently released revised regulations are a significant improvement from the draft regulations and I am pleased they will provide for consideration of both the frequency and severity of disabilities. I also appreciate that the VA will notify veterans who were rated under the previous regulations that they have the opportunity for a re-evaluation under these new regulations. As you know, we must do all we can to ensure our nation's heroes receive the benefits and services they deserve. I hope all OIF and OEF veterans are afforded this notice. I also hope we can continue to work together to increase TBI research and care for mild-moderate TBI victims.

Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Barack Obama
United States Senator
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/11294

This is more on how veterans feel when they know the difference between who supports them and who does not.

Iraq Veterans Talk About Senator Obama at University of Wisconsin
Signe Brewster


The Badger Herald (Madison, Wisconsin)

Sep 30, 2008
September 30, 2008 - A panel of veterans spoke to University of Wisconsin community members Monday about their experiences at war and why they will support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the November election.

The panelists spoke about their time in Iraq and Afghanistan and how this influenced their choice to support the Illinois senator, citing what they called Obama's commitment to providing health care to veterans.

"We were called to duty and we answered that call," said Abbie Pickett, a veteran of the Iraq war and Desert Storm. "Now where is the support that we need? I came back to a brand-new, different world. Getting help wasn't as easy as I thought it would be."

Pickett sought out psychological care during her tour in Iraq, but said the disorganization of the system prevented her from getting the treatment she needed. She started to drink heavily and entered a "downward spiral."

According to Pickett, she eventually became an advocate for others in need of help and campaigning for Obama is an extension of it.

"I had to look beyond the war hero stories. I looked at the policies and the voting record, and time after time John McCain wasn't the answer," Pickett said. "He isn't the maverick he is made out to be."

go here for more

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/11290

General Carter Ham would have 24 months between deployments

Just one more thing McCain got wrong when he voted against giving more dwell time between deployments. General Ham, well he has the best interests of the troops in mind.

Training soldiers for battle not only priority
By Nancy Montgomery, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, September 28, 2008



HEIDELBERG, Germany — Tough, thorough and relevant training for soldiers before they deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan is Gen. Carter Ham’s top priority. But it’s not the only one.

Ham has been assessing U.S. Army Europe policies and programs since his arrival as commander at the beginning of the month. He sees room for improvement.

On family support, he said, "I think we’re doing OK."

"First, they want their soldiers home," Ham said. "Next they want predictability. That’s a big rock in my rucksack."

Letting people know how often they’ll deploy and how much time they’ll have between deployments is difficult as the U.S. continues to call on its soldiers to fight two wars now in their fifth and seventh years and transform all at the same time — and with a new administration taking over in four months.

During a trip to Iraq last week, Ham and commanders there discussed the difficulty of repeatedly getting troops and equipment ready to deploy again after one year’s "dwell time," and spoke of how superior 24 months between deployments would be.

"A year sounds like a long time. But there’s block leave, returning equipment, schools …," Ham said. "You want to deploy them as well-trained as you can but you don’t want to deploy them tired. We want to give them as much time as we can at home."
go here for more
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57739

McWounded: John McCain and PTSD

McWounded: John McCain and PTSD

In the first Presidential debate, Senator John McCain exhibited an emotionally flat "shutdown" response when he did not appear irritable and cross. He refused to make eye contact with Obama, favored grandstanding over dialogue, and stated that he would refuse to come to the table with world leaders who don't agree with him. If in place of the Paris Peace Talks, Henry Kissinger, McCain's hero, had displayed similar attitudes back in the 1970's, we might still be in Vietnam.

McCain's posturing has a mothball whiff, like the contents of a time capsule from the 1950's. But before we renew our subscription to that particular brand of leadership and heroism, let's take a closer look.

Back in the 1950's, children of the Great Generation fathers found their Dads to be cold, angry, unknowable, and/or out-of-touch. What we didn't know then but do know now is that in the aftermath of World War II, many brave men who saw intense action came back from the war to start families still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) --a then-misunderstood illness that will endure life-long if left untreated. A hair-trigger temper, impulsive behavior, numbed emotions, disassociated responses, and flat expression are all hallmarks of this real disease.

The person's original traumatic experience (and their neurological response to it) become hardwired into the body, causing ongoing deterioration in key areas of the brain. In PTSD, to protect itself from the external dangers, the body will neurologically freeze or over-activate or both, releasing a cascade of neurochemicals and hormones that shut down many normal responses and functions for the sake of survival. Once the dangers pass, the responses still continue permanently.
click link for more


I don't know if McCain has PTSD or not but he does show there is a possibility he has it. 100% of people who have been tortured develop PTSD, at different levels, so it is very possible he does have it, but that is not the most troubling thing about McCain to me. The most troubling fact, what I know for sure, is that McCain was tortured, but ended up approving of Bush torturing detainees under what he called anything but out and out torture. It was clear this was being done and now, McCain admitted it was being done in the debate with Obama, then added that he didn't approve of it.

McCain said he supports veterans, but has not been on the Senate Veterans Committee and in fact, voted against veterans funding bills for most of his career. Service organizations give McCain a failing grade when it comes to what veterans need and real support.

McCain voted against the dwell time between deployments all experts said was needed for the sake of the troops. Yet again, McCain put his views ahead of the troops and what they needed.

McCain loves to remind people he is a veteran but is never reminded of the fact he was supported by tax payer funds to go to college and was treated for his wounds along with collecting a disability check every month. Checks and treatment he can count on but others can't.

These are the things I find more troubling about McCain than the conclusion most people are making about his mental fitness to head this nation.

Why does McCain never remember Afghanistan?

Again, while listening to the presidential debate, McCain keeps talking about what will happen if we pull troops out of Iraq but never notices that is exactly what he did when he wanted them pulled out of Afghanistan and sent into Iraq. Why does he keep missing this? Al-Qaeda was not in Iraq but they were in Afghanistan and now they are more numerous and powerful than they were in 2002!

Again, McCain brought up his "support" for veterans but he has a proven record of failing veterans. Why didn't Obama bring that up since he is on the veteran's committee? Is he too nice to state the truth on this? McCain's record on veterans is almost as bad as his record on POW/MIA's accounting. If you look up his record, compare it to what he claims, then you see that he can lie with absolutely no problem at all just as he did when he talked about Palin's record.

McCain said "take care of veterans" but voted against doing it

When McCain said in the debate with Obama about taking care of veterans, I was lucky to not have anything in my hand to throw at the TV set!

He's voted against them every chance he's gotten to prove it!

Iraq, the "surge" didn't bring about the drop in violence but was only part of it. Paying off the Iraqis to stop killing our troops was a bigger part of it but McCain likes to leave this part out as well. McCain talk about how he's right but when he turned around and said we should hit Iraq right after 9-11 and then pushed to do this, he was wrong and he was wrong when he said Afghanistan was won so it was fine to pull the troops out. He's been wrong all along and the troops along with our veterans can't afford any more of his mistakes in judgment.

Next, if the military really believed McCain would be the better choice as Commander-in-Chief, then they would put their money behind him instead of Obama, who has received the bulk of military donations as well as Ron Paul, who on the Republican side, received a lot more than McCain did.

I am listening to the debate now and still stunned at the lack of any kind of understanding of what all of this is costing the troops and our veterans. You would think that if anyone would understand the suffering of the men and women who serve this country would be understood by anyone, it would be another veteran, but he hasn't a single clue.