As Sen. John McCain runs for president, he's using his own service to cast himself as a friend to war veterans. The truth is, although he served honorably in uniform 40 years ago, his much more recent Senate record on veterans' issues is very different than his rhetoric.
In contrast, Sen. Barack Obama has a voting record that lives up to this nation's promise to support those who have served. Obama supported the 21st Century GI Bill, while McCain, who had announced his opposition to the bill, didn't show up for the vote.
In a new mailer, the AFL-CIO is reaching out to some of the more than 2 million union members who are veterans. The mailer features Walter Springs, a Vietnam vet and AFT member who supports Obama.
John McCain hasn't fought for veterans in Congress, and he won't fight for them as president. As a veteran, I want to do what's best for veterans. That means I'm supporting Barack Obama.
The economy is collapsing around us, but John McCain insists the economy is strong. Maybe it's because his top advisers are lobbyists, Wall Streeters and people who deregulated banking and exploited loopholes to make the financial meltdown possible.
We're the 2.1 million union members who are veterans of military service. We respect John McCain's service—and urge him to respect ours. But McCain has opposed increased funding for veterans health care and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Find out about McCain's record on veterans issues here.
