At the Colorado appearance where he stressed his economic program, John McCain got a question about a vet that he didn’t seem too happy about.
Download | Play 
Download | Play (h/t Heather)
The questioner, apparently a veteran, asks McCain about his voting against expansion of healthcare benefits to veterans for the years 2004-2007, years in which we have Iraq and Afghanistan veterans adding exponentially to the VA rolls. McCain testily reminds him that he has been endorsed by “all the organizations” and then launches into an explanation of his resistance to the Webb GI Bill that provided educational assistance to veterans. Wrong bill, Gramps.
When the questioner reiterates that his question went to healthcare–not educational–benefits, McSame reiterate that all the veterans’ groups love him and blew him off. Temper, temper.
McCain: I’ve received every organization in America, their awards…[questioner says something-inaudible] Now, sir, I don’t…I don’t know what you’re referring to nor do…[questioner continuing-inaudible] Sir, I’m responding to your question and then I will let you speak again, if you’d like, but you oughta…the way we try to conduct these is let people finish and then I will go back to [audience applause] to you…I’ll go right back. So I don’t know what bill you’re referring to or what you’re referring to and I’ll be glad to have you refer to it. But the reason why I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veterans’ service organization is because of my support of them, but if you can go ahead and respond if you want to. Go ahead. Give him the microphone back.
Q: I’ll respond by saying this: that you do not have a perfect voting record by the DAV and the VFW. That’s where these votes are recorded. And the votes were proposals…they were proposals by your colleagues in the Senate to increase healthcare funding of the VA in 2003, 4, 5 and 6, for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and you voted against those proposals. I can give the specific Senate votes, the numbers of those Senate votes, right now.
McCain: Well, I thank you and I’ll be glad to examine what your version of my record is. But, again, I’ve been endorsed in every election by all of the veterans’ organizations that do that. I’ve been supported by them and I’ve received their highest awards from all of those organizations, so I guess they don’t know something you know. So I thank you very much and I will continue to be proud of my support for the veterans of this country and proud of their support.
Transcript of full exchange below the fold:
Senator, veterans and all Americans admire your service in Vietnam. We admire the fact that you’re the Straight Talk Express, but we know that you voted against…well, actually, you didn’t vote on the new GI Bill and you spoke out against it. We understand you have a difference on that, but we don’t…we haven’t heard an explanation of why you voted against your colleagues’ proposals to increase healthcare funding in 2004, 5, 6 and 7, when we had troops coming back from two wars.
McCain: Well, let me say first of all, sir, on the issue of the GI Bill, I have great respect for Sen. Webb and I appreciate his efforts and his service to our country. The issue was we need to increase our educational benefits for our veterans. And we were dedicated to that proposition. The problem that some of us had, who were career military people, was that there were studies that showed that we didn’t have incentives to for people become career military people. I think those who have served understand the importance of the Non-Commissioned Officer and incentives for people to stay in. So we argued for an ability of veterans after… of active-duty service personnel after they’ve been in for a period of time, they could transfer those educational benefits to their spouses and/or family members. We felt that was one, appropriate, so a career military person doesn’t have to worry about providing educational benefits in that way and also an incentive to stay in. Well, we reached an agreement. In case you missed it, we reached an agreement and we passed the legislation and we will now not only have the increased educational benefits but we will also have incentives for people to become career military people and be able to transfer those benefits. Now, I’m disappointed that it only went back to 2001. Senator…and I was disappointed that Senator Webb didn’t support making it permanent. Senator Graham and I and other veterans will be looking to trying to extend that to all veterans, not just 2001. I hope you’ll urge Sen. Webb and others to agree with that. Uh, my friend, I…all I can say is I don’t know what you’re pointing to but I received every award from every major veterans’ organization in America. I’ve received every organization in America, their awards…[questioner says something-inaudible] Now, sir, I don’t…I don’t know what you’re referring to nor do…[questioner continuing-inaudible] Sir, I’m responding to your question and then I will let you speak again, if you’d like, but you oughta…the way we try to conduct these is let people finish and then I will go back to [audience applause] to you…I’ll go right back. So I don’t know what bill you’re referring to or what you’re referring to and I’ll be glad to have you refer to it. But the reason why I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veterans’ service organization is because of my support of them, but if you can go ahead and respond if you want to. Go ahead. Give him the microphone back.
Q: I’ll respond by saying this: that you do not have a perfect voting record by the DAV and the VFW. That’s where these votes are recorded. And the votes were proposals…they were proposals by your colleagues in the Senate to increase healthcare funding of the VA in 2003, 4, 5 and 6, for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and you voted against those proposals. I can give the specific Senate votes, the numbers of those Senate votes, right now.
McCain: Well, I thank you and I’ll be glad to examine what your version of my record is. But, again, I’ve been endorsed in every election by all of the veterans’ organizations that do that. I’ve been supported by them and I’ve received their highest awards from all of those organizations, so I guess they don’t know something you know. So I thank you very much and I will continue to be proud of my support for the veterans of this country and proud of their support.
Filed Under: John McCain
Tags: Election 08, John McCain, veterans issues
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Either McSame is completely senile or is a bald faced liar.
Vets are so quaint
Wapo having a discussion to get anti-Obama talking pts.
http://cabdrollery.blogspot.com
“Old Jerk-Off with a Microphone”.
Oh McGramps. It is all about the temper. Fucking uppity vets.
I keep waiting for Senator McCain’s “you can’t handle the truth!!” moment.
Cold War G.I. Bill benefits sent Warner and Webb thru school. McCain got a free education, fifth from last in his class, because he had father and other family in service.
[deleted - off topic. sitemonitor]
First the powerful military figure like Wesley Clark
Than the relatively weak military figure like this anonymous questioner
If mccain handles their views as irrelevant
Doesn’t that make his own military experience irrelevant?
1 Limp-Dick Blimpaugh Says: Either McSame is completely senile or is a bald faced liar.
Are you suggesting Rogaine?
Mccain was owned!
Loss Leader.
I guess its time to go back to the invitation only system at these Town Hall get togethers.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 12:
LOL, yeah, Bu’ush never had to put up with this kind of insolent crap.
7 Happenstance
If you are not a McCain supported, why come here just to bash Obama?
Anonymous Bosch @ 5:
Hee hee. Funny comment. Great moniker!
mcfuckhead is the gop choice for answering
the phone at 3am.? the bastard
can nothear or want to hear the questions in the middle
of the day. he is a joke and a embarrassment
to EVERYONE in America and abroard.
What do you bet the MSM will either not cover this
Or call the vet a heckler
And admire how mccain handled him?
[refers to deleted post]
another neocon troll has surfaced from under mcf#ckhead’s butt.
Y’all remember when someone asked mccain an energy question and he responded with a long answer about cap-and-trade which is a part of the pollution issue?
Just like the other Repugnican Senator(Kyl) and Repug Reps from AZ. They’re all real big on talking up “Support the Troops” and they vote against the veterans on every occasion. Billion$ for corporations 00.00 for human dignity.
Liar, Liar, Depends on fire!
yup, no corporate media coverage of this ever it’s really sad that McCain relies on his service some much while at the same time hating veterens of the armed forces.
reading that transcript, i could almost commend him on his control of his point and his audience…
to watch and listen, though, it’s very obvious what a scatterbrained ol’ coot he must be…
and testy! i bet even the viagra quit working years ago… bummer…
On the plus side, McCain didn’t call him a c*nt.
So…there is that.
Oooo, snippy, snippy old gramps! Time for a nap!
you have to be deaf and dumb not to comprehend that professional ducking of the question….if it was indeed false
mccain should have challenged him on the spot. what cracks me up is how people in the audience get defensive instead of wanting their candidate to debate the issue in front of them…..instead he went for the patriotic card and i served…….this is what clark was getting at… the free pass…. and of course the “we” got it done….having a strong GI bill empowers the middle class they don’t like that. following wwII for every $1 spent on vets there was a return of $7….education and middle class empowerment is a threat……..
danL @ 10:
Most americans will see that as a win for McPain because he used the word Proud a lot.
Limp-Dick Blimpaugh @ 1:
The latter, though most people will lap it up and love him because he talks about war and gets every to clap for 2 hours ever time he mentions the military just in case one one every stops clapping and starts thinking …….. oh no wait, that is never going to happen ………
1 Limp-Dick Blimpaugh Says: Either McSame is completely senile or is a bald faced liar.
A: Both
and, he’s a sell out and meat puppet for the most anti-american regime in US history… the neo-con/zionist movement and leo straussian doctrates
and what the fuck is this campaigning in israel bullshit? with the web pol with the ahmadinejad and the barack obama pcitures right next to each other?
my only question is: firing squad, hanging or tied and quartered for these treasonous MF’s?
Hey, McCain! Fuck you and your awards. Your awards don’t mean shit to the Vet’s who are right now being denied treatment do to your shitty voting record!
Oh, I am so sick of these crusty white men who just want to fuck everyone else for their own benefit
Oh yeah…McCain, you can stick your pride up your ass too!
Well, McCain was quoted if the Iraqis want us to leave , we have to leave.
They want us to leave.
Will he flip flop?
Of course.
BobbyG @ 13:
esp that one US journalist who asked Chimpy the awkward question at one WH press conf,
then did a terminal swan dive from the twentieth floor window at a Canadian hotel a bit later.
To be fair he was also involved in some dodgy business dealings trying to buy a radio station from its owner, but suspicious still.
everytime mccain talks about this topic you have to listen to how proud he is of himself and what he did…..why do we need to be constantly reminded….everytime it’s challenged everything has to be prefaced with all the sugarey speech. it always takes the edge off the conversation…..this is what i have said in the past there are people that know next to nothing about the issues and/or mccain but will vote for him just because of his prior service. this is what clark was attacking…mccain has been in the government his entire life….he didn’t cast a vote for the vets was disgraceful to me……..true colors mcBush
Get off my fucking lawn!
That poor, poor vet. I hope he’s not suffering too badly in his Guantanamo cell now…
IF Dems were really smart they’d get ringers into ALL his events (lots of them) ready with questions and persistence to push him because he’ll either eventually BLOW or make more stupid and inappropriate “jokes” so folks can see what the man is really made of..he has NO SENSE of HUMOR…perhaps just NO SENSE…and he does have this fabled temper (too many comments to be made up)…so I’d say poke the beast where the soft spot is!!! Course then they’ll have to write their own news stories…print their own newspapers…and find their own airwaves to share the events…but what the hey!!!!!!!
I’m just wondering, but the Democrats need to careful what is said to or about McCain. Remember that “elder abuse” is a crime in almost every state. Most legal experts agree that elder abuse includes acts of emotional and/or VERBAL agression. It’s going to be an interesting campaign.
If I’m not mistaken, Timothy McVeigh was also a decorated US combat veteran. That didn’t stop him from being a murdering terrorist. What’s McCain’s point, anyway?
Ask him questions about his days as one of the Keating Five.
Maybe it would do McCain some good to spend some time down at the local VFW hall. Most the people down there are bitching about the price of gas, their fucked up health insurance company, and the rising price of food.
Occasionally, you hear someone talk about how their son and his family are moving in because they lost their home.
Where is his total voting record on troop and vet support or lack thereof. If he has a stellar record let him show us. Maybe I’ll change my mind and declare him a hero.
It looked like he got tested and he didn’t remember the bills the young man was talking about.There are concerns about his age and memory.
This is actually quite sad. McCain just comes off as test and mean. I can’t believe anybody clapped for that bag of dog crap.
Rico @ 35:
you make a good point the poor old grandpa syndrome being questioned about the past….especially in this country where people have become less tolerant of the elderly.
OT but amusing, how the Bushco regime describes friendly politicians in its press kit for the dolts on AF1, with friends like this…
and no they are not talking about Chimpy in a freudian slip way :) or are they !
“a political “amateur” who is “hated by many”
“one of the most controversial leaders” of a country “known for governmental corruption and vice”
“hated by many but respected by all at least for his bella figura (personal style) and the sheer force of his will”
“regarded by many as a political dilettante (amateur) who gained his high office only through use of his considerable influence on the national media”
“We apologise to Italy and to the prime minister for this very unfortunate mistake”
“Wrong bill, Gramps.”
Seriously?
I’d say somebody touched a nerve. *Cough*
AndrewK @ 41:
each seat comes with free mega dose of valium and sodium pentathol in the complementary snack bag.
‘zombies make the best McNasty cheerleaders’
I’m sorry - but isn’t this “town hall” meeting format supposed to be McCain’s strong suit?
He came off as a bitter, angry, ass. I can’t WAIT for the debates.
So McC*nt thinks he has the veterans support, can he count on the POW and MIA families as well, not a chance after he closed down the congressional hearings.
36 Marcus Aurelius
It’s my understanding that not just Timothy McVeigh was a vet, but also Lee Harvey Oswald.
Does this suprise anyone? No. Bush and his cronies always pack those stupid Town Hall shindigs for years, The fact that they threw out a libraian for her McCain=Bush sign is downright criminal. But that is the way Repugs always played, but now Americans are finally wising up.