McCain’s latest ad, which you’ve likely seen or heard about, is a doozy:

Announcer: Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan. He hadn’t been to Iraq in years. He voted against funding our troops.

And now, he made time to go to the gym, but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn’t allow him to bring cameras.

John McCain is always there for our troops. McCain. Country first.

John McCain: I’m John McCain and I approve this message.

Of course, it’s all a stinking pile of bullshit: Obama has visited wounded troops at Walter Reed, and canceled his visit to the wounded at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany only because the Pentagon wanted to call it a “Campaign Event” when all Obama wanted to do was visit with the troops. So Obama canceled rather than let himself – and the troops – be manipulated by Bush’s Pentagon.

Nothing illustrated John McCain’s ethics better than his habit of using the troops when he needs them, and fucking them when he doesn’t. Let’s review McCain’s actual record on supporting the troops:

• S.Amdt. 2909 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585: To specify minimum rest periods between deployment of units and members of the Armed Forces. McCain voted No.

•S.Amdt. 2032 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585: To limit the length of deployment of members of the Armed Forced for Operation Iraqi Freedom. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 2673 to H.R. 2642: To limit the the use of private contractors in the Department of Veterans Affairs. McCain voted No.

• S. 1315: To enhance veterans’ and servicemembers’ insurance and housing benefits. McCain didn’t show up to vote.

• S. 1315: To enhance life insurance benefits for disabled veterans, and for other purposes. McCain didn’t show up to vote.

• S.Amdt. 4245 to S.Con.Res. 70: To restore full funding for the international affairs budget, in support of the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, nuclear nonproliferation, foreign assistance, fighting global AIDS, promoting sustainable development, and other efforts, with an offset. McCain didn’t show up to vote.

• S.Amdt. 2476: To establish a committee to investigate private contracting in Afghanistan and Iraq and the GWOT. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 1933 to H.R. 2863: To increase by $360,800,000 amounts appropriated for “V-hull” up-armored tactical vehicles for units deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 2519 to S. 1042: To clarify and recommend changes to the policy of the United States on Iraq and to require reports on certain matters relating to Iraq. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 2634 to S. 2020: To provide an additional $500,000,000 every year through 2010, to be used for mental health and substance abuse counseling and treatment for veterans. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 1052 to H.R. 2361: Emergency supplemental appropriations for the Veterans Health Administration. McCain didn’t show up to vote.

• S.Amdt. 149 to S.Con.Res. 18: To increase veterans medical care by $2.8 billion in 2006. McCain voted No. (McCain voted yes to increasing it be a measly $410 million.)

• S.Amdt. 16 to S. 256: To protect servicemembers and veterans from means testing in bankruptcy and to protect servicemembers from usurious interest rates. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 3642 to H.R. 4939: To provide an additional $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans. McCain voted No. (McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against it.)

• S.Amdt. 3141 to S.Con.Res. 83: To provide an assured stream of funding for veteran’s health care by restoring the pre-2001 top rate for income over $1 million, closing corporate tax loopholes and delaying tax cuts for the wealthy. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 3007 to S.Con.Res. 83: To increase Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 2735 to S.Amdt. 2707 to H.R. 4297: To support the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the deficit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans. McCain voted No.

• S.Amdt. 4265 to S. 2766: To express the sense of Congress that the Government of Iraq should not grant amnesty to persons known to have attacked, killed, or wounded members of the Armed Forces of the United States. McCain voted No. (McCain was one of only 19 Senators to vote against it.)

• S.Amdt. 4292 to S. 2766: To establish a committee to investigate private contracting in Afghanistan and Iraq and the GWOT. McCain voted No.

And that’s only going back two years.

Maybe you ought to pick a few out of this list and hit back hard, Senator Obama, instead of moderating your position on the surge in the precisely ineffectual manner that made John Kerry such a stellar candidate.

Related posts:

1. unacceptable
2. cold-blooded
3. they say that memory is the first thing to go
4. Iraq/Afghanistan Winter Soldier Hearings
5. no succor for vets once they’re out of the suck