More Bashing on John McCain

What many people don't know is the Veteran Activist community hates John McCain with a passion. Now some of what they say about him collaberating with the enemy in Vietnam I just don't know the quality of the information on it. But in my popping over to one of their websites I have found stuff I think should be shown to the public as to why I'm never supporting McCain.

here are some issues they brought out the 2000 Campaign

1) According to Burch, beginning in 1984 when the coalition sought co-sponsors for the Agent Orange bill, John McCain refused to sign on. When Burch and his men asked other members of the House to co-sponsor, these congressmen would invariably ask, "Has John McCain signed on to this bill?" When told that McCain had not it was believed, as often happens on the Hill in matters like this, that McCain was against the bill.

It was only after more than two hundred congress members expressed their support for the bill and final passage was assured that McCain finally agreed to come on board. But McCain's foot-dragging and initial reluctance made the coalition's work much more difficult and delayed the veterans' final victory.

2) In 1988 the coalition led the charge for "Judicial Review," a new system whereby veterans rejected for benefits by the Veterans Administration would have the same right to appeal as Social Security recipients have. Again, the coalition members working the halls of Congress asking for co-sponsors to the bill found McCain in opposition.

The senator from Arizona never signed on.

3) In 1991 when new evidence of living American servicemen missing in Vietnam surfaced, the coalition - in conjunction with those "mainstream" veterans organizations, the VFW and American Legion - led the charge for a Senate Select Committee to investigate whether or not any American POWs were left behind in Southeast Asia and whether some might still be alive. All these veterans groups wanted a senate panel instead of an executive branch panel because no one believed the executive branch could be trusted to investigate itself.

Senator McCain initially opposed the Senate committee. Later, when the Senate ultimately created the panel, McCain was appointed a member.

4) As a member of the Senate POW Committee, McCain "distinguished himself" by repeatedly insulting wives, mothers and children of POWs and MIAs and accusing many veterans groups fighting for the POW cause of "making a living off this issue." He made similar charges in the South Carolina primary when the National Right to Life Committee endorsed Bush: "It is a shame when they take a cause and turn it into a business."

The last two issues cover the Kerry/McCain commission which is why the field was ripe for the swift boat veterans. Much as John Kerry has never apologized for attacking the people who believed with a passion that we left men behind, and we needed to get them out....His attacking them seems almost like his mode of attacking blogs and others who are out their trying to speak freely unburdened by the establishment.

The first two issues however I think are even more signifigant. When we look at issues of the US government being responsible for the men and women who fought and struggled in Vietnam.... a place which John McCain trumpets as part of his Charecter... he couldn't be bothered to help their human suffering. He couldn't be bothered to give the governments basic response and decency to those men who sacrificed for it. Thats not Presidential metal.

another matter of Charecter that John McCain has displayed that I want to take a further look at.

or who divorced the wife that stood by him while he was a POW, after she became crippled in an accident.

I want to read up on why John McCain divorced his first wife. Because on its face a woman who supported him while he was in the Hanoi Hilton deserves his trying harder then most to keep that marriage.

also his new wife and family makes the whole Keating 5 scandal something that should be brought up for media attention.

"While Sen. John McCain's wife and father-in-law were investing with Charles H. Keating, Jr. in a shopping center, McCain was helping Keating battle federal regulators who questioned his operation of Lincoln Savings and Loan . . . [photo caption] Documents show that Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy, and father-in-law, James W. Hensley (second from right) are the largest investors in Fountain Square Shopping Center. Their partnership is managed by subsidiaries of American Continental Corp., run by Charles H. Keating, Jr. (right). But John McCain contends there was no conflict in his helping Keating battle federal regulators." The Arizona Republic - October 8, 1989

I never remembered the fact McCain's wife and father in law were investors with Keating on various developments hitting the National media. This again ads to the charecter of who John McCain is, and what kind of President he would be.

While a lot of these stories are old news I think they are instructive about Who John McCain is as a man.