10/14/08

One of the top domestic priorities that should be discussed in tomorrow night’s debate is support for our veterans. America has been fighting for seven years in Afghanistan and more than five in Iraq. Keeping our promises to those who served must be a top priority not just for the next administration but for those that follow as well. Yet when it comes to veterans issues, Senators Obama and McCain have very different approaches. Sen. Obama has consistently supported expanding veterans’ benefits in health and education and was a co-sponsor of the 21st Century GI Bill that put veterans’ benefits on par with those provided after WWII.  McCain, on the other hand, has not been a consistent supporter of expanding veterans’ benefits. He has received poor ratings from numerous veterans groups, did not support and did not show up to vote for the 21st century GI Bill, and recent comments emanating from McCain’s campaign demonstrate little understanding of the serious implications of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Such a record is cause for concern, as keeping our promises to our veterans must be a top priority for the next administration.

John McCain has been a poor advocate for our war veterans.  There are strong differences between the Presidential candidates on veteran’s issues, something most recently demonstrated by a report by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).  While IAVA rated Barack Obama favorably, awarding him a “B,” John McCain did poorly, receiving a “D.”  But McCain’s poor record on veterans extends beyond this congressional term.  According to Project VetVoice, “[s]ince arriving in the U.S. Senate in 1987, McCain has voted at least 28 times against ensuring important benefits for America’s veterans, including providing adequate healthcare.”  On numerous occasions, such as in 1995, 1996, 2000. 2001, 2003 and 2006, McCain has voted either in opposition to increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, or in support of measures that cut Veterans funding.  Though McCain has claimed that he will “take care of them (veterans),” his record speaks to the contrary.  [IAVA, Barack Obama Report Card, 2008. IAVA John McCain Report Card, 2008. Vet Voice, 10/01/08. John McCain, 9/26/08]

McCain did not support and skipped the vote on the 21st Century GI Bill, one of the most important votes on veterans’ since the end of the Cold War. “The Senate just voted to pass Jim Webb's 21st Century version of the G.I. bill, which would greatly expand educational benefits to veterans. Guess who skipped it? John McCain. McCain, who touts his support for veterans, had previously declined to support the bill … And rather than vote against it, he skipped the vote instead.” At the time the Sarasota Herald Tribune wrote, “Yesterday the U.S. Senate approved modernizing the GI Bill for many good reasons… The proposed GI Bill benefits are hardly lavish, in light of the demands on today's military and the cost of living facing today's veterans, who are often older than vets in the past and married with children. The bill approved by the Senate would, essentially, place the benefits on par with those once granted to World War II vets -- and, wisely, extend them to active reservists and the National Guard…The opposition's argument fails on numerous counts…The veterans who would qualify for the modernized benefits -- those who have served in the military for at least three years since Sept. 11, 2001 -- deserve them. Yes, they deserve them.”  This is just one of the reasons that Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America gave John McCain a “D” on their congressional report card.  [TPM, 5/22/08. Sarasota Herald Tribune, 5/23/08]

The McCain campaign seems not to understand the challenges confronting America’s veterans when they return home.  Veteran’s for America recently criticized Vice Presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin’s performance in dealing with veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, saying “as a result of inadequate leadership from the Governor of Alaska, among others, the Alaska National Guard has an inadequate understanding of the full range of post-combat issues facing those who have served abroad from the Alaska Guard in recent years.” Additionally, when asked about the long-term effects of her husband’s prisoner of war experience, Cindy McCain responded, “Oh, no, no, no, no, no. My husband, he’d be the first one to tell you that he was trained to do what he was doing. The guys who had the trouble were the 18-year-olds who were drafted. He was trained, he went to the Naval Academy, he was a trained United States naval officer, and so he knew what he was doing.” Meanwhile the military’s top uniformed officer, Admiral Michael Mullen, “is calling for all returning combat troops, from privates to generals, to undergo screening for post-traumatic stress with a mental health professional, a move aimed at stemming an epidemic of psychological issues among veterans.”   Mullen said, “I’m at a point where I believe we have to give a (mental health) screening to everybody to help remove the stigma of raising your hand.  Leaders must lead on this issue or it will affect us dramatically down the road.” While the McCain campaign may not recognize the challenges facing those coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, they are serious and it is our responsibility as a society to take care of them.  [VFA, 10/2/08. Vet Voice, 10/10/08. USA Today, 10/12/08]

Quick Hits

The United States plans to invest $250 billion in banks, following Europe’s lead.  Global stocks rallied on the news.

The Afghan Defense Minister said that Afghanistan is suffering from the security gains in Iraq, which have driven militants back to the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.

A government official, three NATO troops, and five militants were killed in Afghanistan today.

Tehran has not yet received a formal request for an American interest section in Iran, but hints that they would respond favorably.  Iran has an interest section in the United States through the Pakistani embassy.

Syria established diplomatic relations with Lebanon for the first time since they became independent from France in the 1940s.

Iraq opened the first opportunity for foreign bids on oil contracts since the U.S. invasion in 2003.

Israel’s Kadima and Labor parties signed a draft agreement for a coalition government, which will give Defense Minister Ehud Barak an official status as the cabinet’s second-in-command.

Defense lawyers and human rights advocates at Guantanamo Bay are challenging the quality of interpreters.  They say that “incompetent interpretation” “routinely undermined” the fairness of the proceedings.

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, a moderate, may be moving towards a presidential campaign for Iran’s June 2009 election.

A rise in religious identification amongst Turkish youth has created clashes with more traditional strains of Turkish culture which “has built its modern identity on secularism.”

A 20-year old man believed to be a U.S. citizen was arrested at a checkpoint in the tribal area of Pakistan.