GET REAL: WHY WAS THERE AN IRAQ VETERAN PROTESTING McCAIN'S RNC SPEECH?

I'll tell you why! Why would they respect a man who has supported a WAR OCCUPATION in which they've given their lives and limbs, that was devised by neo-conservatives in league with oil giants and war profiteers, bent on getting their greedy hands on Iraq's land and resources, while privatizing the US GOVERNMENT through no-bid contracts that used to be run by the military at controlled costs? They wouldn't and shouldn't, and neither should we.

I DO respect SOLDIERS who ARE DOING THEIR JOB...up to a point. It's time for America, including military servicemen to research the voting records first hand and pay attention to what candidates SAY and how that translates into their legislative ACTIONS. Indeed, lets support our troops and vote for a president who will do the same. Here are links to the ratings from the top war veterans organizations and their ratings on McCain and their ratings on Obama in their support of legislation that actually addresses veterans best interests, as well as their ACTUAL votes on various legislation in the last few years, on which I will go into detail further down.

A family acquaintance actually sent me the video above and in response to the McCain and Obama ratings I sent him he wrote: "AND...let us both remember...Senator McCain has voted more extensively on bills before the Senate than Senator Obama has...so no matter what his 'grade' is...in my book, Hussein Obama is still just the freshman junior Senator from Illinois...with limited practical world experience. Senator McCain is just another POW Vietnam vet that has served his country in and out of the Congress for the last 40 years." Then why is it that since 2002 McCain has voted down 17 pieces of legislation that would have supported our troops before, during and after serving? How is it that in only TWO years Obama has supported 16 pieces of legislation that would have supported our troops before, during and after serving?

Beyond our family aquaintence's blatant racism, using Obama's middle name as if it MEANS something, this is all that is disturbingly wrong with 1/3rd of Americans and the way they educate themselves and vote. This man ACTUALLY expects me to believe that I should throw out REASON! That when it comes down to my actual welfare I should choose "experience" over "substance," even if it means voting against my own welfare and that of family. Even if it means supporting a man who says he supports the troops and then screws them at every turn. He suggests that regardless of the abysmal ratings that Veterans organizations have given McCain and despite his voting against the best interests of our military and the American people, that his being tortured and being in Congress for 40 years somehow makes all his anti-troop voting okay. I will no more support McCain because he's a 40 year politician who was tortured, than I will support an abusive father because he's been a father for 40 years.

I have dedicated 12 years my life to working with marginalized, exploited and oppressed populations, but that means NOTHING if I work to compromise their safety, decrease their funding, or shut down their programs to a bare minimum, all for corporate greed. Our military is being HARMED for no good reason. So, I'M PISSED LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN PISSED before and you can easily say I'm at the point where I'm not PLAYING AROUND with irrational, fear mongering, sociopathic lunatics any longer.

John McCain can say what he wants about supporting the troops until he's blue in the face , but there are some inconvient little facts called A VOTING RECORD that sets John McCain's military voting record, and his veterans voting record apart--so far apart in fact, that what he SAYS and what he is ACTUALLY DOING is a worthy of a multiple personality disorder. If you choose to ignore his documented record, you ignore it at your own peril.

NO: On supporting the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reducing the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans Tax Rate Extension Amendment (HR 4297)

NO: On providing an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (S 2020)

NO: On ensuring that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. Health Care for Veterans Amendment (HR 2863)

NO: On redeployments, reductions, timetable withdrawals from Iraq (S Amdt 3875, S Amdt 2898, S Amdt 2087, HR 1591, S 2766)

NO: On minimum rest periods between soldiers' deployments(S Amdt 2909)

NO: On military prisoners having haebeus corpus rights (S 3930)

NO: On the president NOT being allowed to establish future military commissions (S 3930)

NO: On congressional oversight of CIA detention, interrogation and rendition programs (S 3930)

NO: On a ban on funding of cluster munitions to protect civilian populations from un-detonated bombs (HR 5631)

NO: On a repeal of capital gains tax cuts from 2010 moved to 2008 to appropriate $47.27 billion for Army and Marine operations and maintenance (HR 4297)

YES: On use of Military force against Iraq (H J Res 114)

YES: On the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S 3930) - Abolishing the Geneva Convention and suspending haebeus corpus outside the US, no jurisdiction for courts outside the US, allow evidence seized without a search warrant, allow hearsay evidence as long as the adverse party is informed of it.

NV: Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present and not voting for 14 votes on military/veterans issues since 2002: Defense Authorizations Bill HR 4986, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Condemning Iraq Abuse of Prisoners resolution SRes 356, United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007 S J Res 9, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Permanent Residence for Certain Undocumented Immigrants S 2205, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense S 2340, Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq HR 4156, Concurrent Budget Resolution S Con Res 70, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with Provisions Regarding Conduct and Congressional Oversight S Amdt 4817, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan S Amdt 4818, Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East PN 1641, MOST IMPORTANT FOR RETURNING TROOPS:Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill HR 2642 & GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions S Amdt 4803.

AND WOW! He missed EVERY opportunity to fund the troops, without exception! UNBELIEVABLE!

Now let's look at Barack Obama's military voting record & veterans voting record:

YES: On supporting the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the defiit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans (HR 4297).

YES: On a vote to adopt an amendment to HR 2642 that provides education funding for eligible members of the Armed Forces, extends unemployment compensation, establishes moratoria on certain actions regarding Medicaid, and appropriates a total of $28.67 billion for various domestic and international purposes. GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions (S Amdt 4803)

YES: On providing an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment (S 2020)

YES: On ensuring that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation Health Care for Veterans Amendment (HR 2863)

YES: On the Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill (HR 2642)

YES: On appropriations for 2008-2013 - $3.56 trillion for National Defense, $2.79 trillion for Medicare, $2.49 trillion for Income Security, $2.03 trillion for Health, $577.28 billion for Veterans Benefits and Services, $479.81 billion for Transportation, $155.31 billion for Social Security (S Con Res 70: Concurrent Budget Resolution)

YES: On reductions of US forces in Iraq (S Amdt 2898: Iraq Troop Reduction Amendment)

YES: On prohibiting deployment unless time between deployment is equal to last deployment, recommend rest periods be 2x the deployment time, prohibits deployment of National Guard if previously deployed in the last three years, recommend Reserve deployment be no longer than one year, and onely once every 5 years, President can waive requirements if substantiating an "emergency," (S Amdt 2909: Time Between Troop Deployments)

NO: On striking language that required a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq (HR 1591)

YES: On a phased withdrawal of troops (S J Res 9)

YES: On striking language prohibiting a court, justice or judge from hearing haebeus corpus (S 3930)

YES: On prohibiting the establishment of new military commissions after December 31, 2011(S 3930)

YES: On congressional oversite every three months of CIA detention, interrogation, rendition programs (S 3930)

NO: On the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (S 3930) - Abolishing the Geneva Convention and suspending haebeus corpus outside the US, no jurisdiction for courts outside the US, allow evidence seized without a search warrant, allow hearsay evidence as long as the adverse party is informed of it.

YES: On a ban on funding of cluster munitions to protect civilian populations from un-detonated bombs (HR 5631)

YES: On a repeal of capital gains tax cuts from 2010 moved to 2008 to appropriate $47.27 billion for Army and Marine operations and maintenance (HR 4297)

The odd ones out:

NO: On a redeployment of troops (S 2766 - 6/2006)

NO: On prohibiting a permanent base for purposes of controlling Iraq oil, limits on deployment, Congressional input for security agreements, suspend statute of limitations to 5 years for contractors and government agencies, allow prosecution of contractors and non-armed service employees, investigation of contractors (HR 2642 - 5/2008)

NO: On allowing for House Amendements to a bill "...which makes emergency appropriations to certain departments for various purposes..." (?) Looks like a mixed bag...(HR 2206 - 5/2007)

NV: Not Voting, Excused, Absent, or Present and not voting for 5 votes on military/veterans issues since 2006: Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East PN 1641, Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan S Amdt 4818, Iraq Withdrawal Amendment S Amdt 3875, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 HR 1585, Defense Authorizations Bill HR 4986.

Yes, John McCain was totureed and has had over 40 years in politics, but what is he DOING RIGHT NOW to meet the needs of people, like the soldier in the video earlier? I know...AND NOW--so do YOU! What are Obama's three crappy decisions against McCain's 17? I would like that soldier to actually look at what these organizations have found in the ACTIONS of these two men and then see if he'd be doing that spot. Who ACTUALLY makes it possible for him and his fellow soldiers to get the mental and physical services they need?

Like McCain, just because a soldier loses his leg, while noble in serving his country, does not make him educated on policy or veterans services, nor does it enable him to have sound judgement. Nor is disclosing the loss of his leg in any way appropriate or a JUST response to SERIOUS policy questions that effect people's safety and welfare. Just because McCain doesn't want to talk about the legislative voting facts of his record, creating every left-field distraction to keep us off his trail, doesn't make him a hero, it actually makes him less than any honest man. This soldier certainly gave no facts about how McCain's experience translates into legislation and much needed monetary support for military service women and men.

I'm only supporting candidates who can back their words with action...and INACTION is why an Iraq Veteran was protesting John McCains speech!