August 13th, 2008 2:03 am
Veterans group will campaign against McCain


By Mike Cronin / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

One base of Sen. John McCain's staunchest supporters might be eroding.

A group of 15 military veterans on Tuesday held the first meeting of the AFL-CIO Pennsylvania Union Veterans Council at the Sheraton Hotel Station Square.

"We need to educate our fellow veterans that McCain has turned his back on us," said John Vento, 85, who manned anti-aircraft guns in the Pacific during World War II.

The vets and union members joined Vento, director of political education for the Allegheny County Labor Council, in announcing their intention to show voters the GOP's presumptive presidential candidate has not lived up to his image as a defender of veterans.

They hope to help elect Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats' presumptive nominee.

But Paul Lindsay, an Ohio-based McCain spokesman, said: "Veterans and our military men and women have always supported John McCain because he has always, and will always, support them."

"We honor Sen. McCain as a POW and a war hero, but he has a dismal record of taking care of vets," said Mark Ayers, the council's national chair and the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department president. Ayers, 59, flew in C-130s over Vietnam as a Navy engineer from 1967-72.

The council published a flier that listed, among other things, McCain's opposition to the recently passed GI Bill and his votes against increased money for veterans health care each year from 2004-07.

Since the council's creation last month in Dayton, Ohio, about 60,000 people have joined, Ayers said. Councils exist in five other states.

Union Veterans website:

http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/unionveterans2008.cfm

Why do democrats always have to be taken care of. How are thses two men mentioned ( the 85 yr old and the 59 year old disabled as a result of their service). Or did they just get old? I got old i have arthiritis bad eye bad knees. But it wasnt the fault of the american people.

They might not be doing it for themselves. They like thousands of other Veterans may just be trying to bring to light the Voting Record of John McCain on Veterans Issues. The only Senator that has voted NO more than him is the "Bathroom Bandit", Larry Craig!

I don't see anywhere that John McCain has offered to give his VA Compensation back. Hes in his 70s,even though he is married to a rich Beer Barbie he also has his VA Comp paid by the American people. So,,Just what makes him so Special?

BTW-He recently addressed the DAV and Long time supporters of him in Las Vegas and got a rather Cool Response. Out of 14 interviewed only one supported Him.

I think that soon many more Veterans Against McCain 527s are going to hit the Airwaves. They probably will all praise his service record on one hand and condemn his John McBush Veterans voting record on the other. His voting record speaks for itself.


The Election will be the final Judge...

Standing ovation Jinks!!
I don't think being a POW makes anyone a candidate to be the President. Still haven't found anything profound that HE has done...alot of hoopla because he was captured..

Joy