Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

4th term Republican from Arizona. First elected in 1986.
Our Comments

D (http://www.veteranreportcard.org/about_the_report_card.html)

(3 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor)



Bio (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Contact (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Committee (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Votes (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

PAC (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&lvl=C&chamber=S#)


http://images.capwiz.com/img/photos/192.jpg

Visit Official Website (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/webreturn/?url=http://mccain.senate.gov)

Visit Sen. John McCain's candidate bio page. (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/election/candidate/id/146053)
Residence: Phoenix
Marital Status: Married (Cindy Lou)
Prev. Occupation: Naval Officer
Prev. Political Exp.: US House, 1982-86; US Senate, 1986-present
Military: USN, 1958-81
Education: BS United States Naval Academy, 1958
Birthdate: 08/29/1936
Birthplace: Panama Canal Zone
Religion: Episcopal



(3 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor)



Bio (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/192&lvl=C&chamber=S#)


Current Elected Office Key Votes:
These are our key votes and this is how Sen. John McCain voted on our issues. Click on each heading to sort.


Status Name of Legislation Date Voted Score A A New GI Bill (2nd vote) (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=161&chamber=S&congress=1102) 06/26/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png A A New GI Bill (3rd vote) (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=162&chamber=S&congress=1102) 06/26/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png A A New GI Bill (1st vote) (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=137&chamber=S&congress=1102) 05/22/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png A Stopping a Second Rate GI Bill (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=127&chamber=S&congress=1102) 05/14/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png P Enhanced Veterans' Benefits (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=112&chamber=S&congress=1102) 04/24/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png P Expanded Veterans' Benefits (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=359&chamber=S&congress=1101) 10/01/2007 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png P Veterans' Health Care, 2008 (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=316&chamber=S&congress=1101) 09/06/2007 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png A Funding for MRAPS (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=124&chamber=S&congress=1101) 03/29/2007 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png A Veterans' Health Care, 2007 (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=48&chamber=S&congress=1101) 02/14/2007 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png
P = Passed http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png= Voted With Us A = Agreed To http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/x_icon_blue.png= Voted Against Us R = Rejected http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png= Not Scored C = Confirmed http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_eligible.png= Ineligible to Vote F = Failed

http://www.veteranreportcard.org/

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

1st term Democrat from Illinois. First elected in 2004.
Our Comments

B (http://www.veteranreportcard.org/about_the_report_card.html)

(5 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship)



Bio (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/3181&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Contact (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/3181&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Committee (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/3181&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Votes (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/3181&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

PAC (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/3181&lvl=C&chamber=S#)


http://images.capwiz.com/img/photos/3181.jpg

Visit Official Website (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/webreturn/?url=http://obama.senate.gov)

Visit Sen. Barack Obama's candidate bio page. (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/election/candidate/id/146055)
Residence: Chicago
Marital Status: Married (Michelle)
Prev. Occupation: Attorney, Lecturer
Prev. Political Exp.: IL Senate, 1996-2004; US Senate, 2004-present
Education: BA Columbia University, 1983; JD Harvard University, 1991
Birthdate: 08/04/1961
Birthplace: Honolulu, HI
Religion: United Church of Christ



Current Elected Office Key Votes:
These are our key votes and this is how Sen. Barack Obama voted on our issues. Click on each heading to sort.


Status Name of Legislation Date Voted Score A A New GI Bill (2nd vote) (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=161&chamber=S&congress=1102) 06/26/2008 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png A A New GI Bill (3rd vote) (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=162&chamber=S&congress=1102) 06/26/2008 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png A A New GI Bill (1st vote) (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=137&chamber=S&congress=1102) 05/22/2008 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png A Stopping a Second Rate GI Bill (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=127&chamber=S&congress=1102) 05/14/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png P Enhanced Veterans' Benefits (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=112&chamber=S&congress=1102) 04/24/2008 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png P Expanded Veterans' Benefits (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=359&chamber=S&congress=1101) 10/01/2007 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png P Veterans' Health Care, 2008 (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=316&chamber=S&congress=1101) 09/06/2007 Not Voting http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png A Funding for MRAPS (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=124&chamber=S&congress=1101) 03/29/2007 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png A Veterans' Health Care, 2007 (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/iava/issues/votes/?votenum=48&chamber=S&congress=1101) 02/14/2007 Yea http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png
P = Passed http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/check_icon_blue.png= Voted With Us A = Agreed To http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/x_icon_blue.png= Voted Against Us R = Rejected http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_scored.png= Not Scored C = Confirmed http://images.capwiz.com/img/bio/not_eligible.png= Ineligible to Vote F = Failed

6th term Democrat from Delaware. First elected in 1972.
Our Comments

B (http://www.veteranreportcard.org/about_the_report_card.html)

(6 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship)



Bio (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/696&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Contact (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/696&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Committee (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/696&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

Votes (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/696&lvl=C&chamber=S#)

PAC (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/bio/id/696&lvl=C&chamber=S#)


http://images.capwiz.com/img/photos/696.jpg

Visit Official Website (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/webreturn/?url=http://biden.senate.gov)

Visit Sen. Joseph Biden Jr.'s candidate bio page. (http://iava.www.capwiz.com/election/candidate/id/149683)
Residence: Wilmington
Marital Status: Married (Jill)
Prev. Occupation: Attorney
Prev. Political Exp.: New Castle Co. Council, 1970-72; US Senate, 1972-present
Education: BA University of Delaware, 1965; JD Syracuse University, 1968
Birthdate: 11/20/1942
Birthplace: Scranton, PA
Religion: Catholic

Yes, but how many points would Sarah Palin get towards an 'A' for humping the leg of a returning vet?

Well, sure, you could look at voting records. Hey, did you know John McCain is a maverick war veteran who was a POW and reaches across the aisle? Hey, 9-11 folks, 9-11.

Sorry Jedd, you can play that flipping cheerleader card only so far.

I work with military, am military and have a general military mindset myself and I'm here to tell you most do not appreciate Obama ...at all.

We're all scared he'll rape our pay,bennies once he gets in to pay for one nanny program or another.

Yeah, in the event you haven't figured it out , I'm writing Ron Paul in instead of this same ole same ole sob. I really wanted to give him a chance, but once I got past the "pom pom up their ass" cheerleader crown bullshit I see he's the same as the rest. The Bailout vote sealed it ;(

This shows as many have known that the republicans as a whole have really never been supportive of the troops in the military, the record shows it as does the endorsement of Obama by a large amount of military officers and retired generals.

Rhetorically the republicans have always given the impression that they support the troops but in reality they haven't, consistently cutting or ignoring veterans benefits, medical care, basic equipment needs and base closings. They have however been noted for awarding huge contracts to military contractors, because that's where the money is for them.

I heard a republican congressman this morning talking about how their strategy for the past decade or more has been to concentrate on the "low information voter" which is how they have given the impression that they have been supportive of the military.

I think, now, with the war in Iraq, Afghanistan the whole Halliburton/KBR and how their policies have essentially gutted the military infrastructure and cut the benefits of returning vets. They have been increasingly adding to the coffers of these private contractors, KBR, Blackwater etc.. with their bullshit cost+ no bid contracts which again were heavily supported by the "low information" crowd, I hope now people see the reality of the situation where in actuality most democrats have supported the military infrastructure, I guess that's why most veterans become democrats.

This shows as many have known that the republicans as a whole have really never been supportive of the troops in the military, the record shows it as does the endorsement of Obama by a large amount of military officers and retired generals.

Rhetorically the republicans have always given the impression that they support the troops but in reality they haven't, consistently cutting or ignoring veterans benefits, medical care, basic equipment needs and base closings. They have however been noted for awarding huge contracts to military contractors, because that's where the money is for them.

I heard a republican congressman this morning talking about how their strategy for the past decade or more has been to concentrate on the "low information voter" which is how they have given the impression that they have been supportive of the military.

I think, now, with the war in Iraq, Afghanistan the whole Halliburton/KBR and how their policies have essentially gutted the military infrastructure and cut the benefits of returning vets. They have been increasingly adding to the coffers of these private contractors, KBR, Blackwater etc.. with their bullshit cost+ no bid contracts which again were heavily supported by the "low information" crowd, I hope now people see the reality of the situation where in actuality most democrats have supported the military infrastructure, I guess that's why most veterans become democrats.


Actually voting records trend right over the long haul. Not sure where you got this stat from.

Actually most vets I know dislike associating with either party atm. I can only think of maybe 10% who call themselves democrats atm.

Yeah, I'm defenitely not a Democrat....

I wonder how many become Libertarians?

Sorry Jedd, you can play that flipping cheerleader card only so far.

I work with military, am military and have a general military mindset myself and I'm here to tell you most do not appreciate Obama ...at all.

We're all scared he'll rape our pay,bennies once he gets in to pay for one nanny program or another.

Yeah, in the event you haven't figured it out , I'm writing Ron Paul in instead of this same ole same ole sob. I really wanted to give him a chance, but once I got past the "pom pom up their ass" cheerleader crown bullshit I see he's the same as the rest. The Bailout vote sealed it ;(

And If McCain wins, You will get what you voted for. Some people are just stupid.

Yeah, I'm defenitely not a Democrat....

I wonder how many become Libertarians?


Probably more than become dems and definately republicans.

But seriously, I do notice that many realize that they had supported the wrong party over the last decade, these are people who have been in the mud and blood and are quite shocked at what they find when they get out in the world.

QUANTICO, Va. -- One of the largest U.S. marine bases in the world is located in Quantico, a tidy town with scant election fanfare. Everyone who lives here just assumes Republicans have a lock on the military vote. And so when Obama signs began to appear, tongues began to wag.

"At first I was worried about how my neighbors would view it," said former marine corporal Dawn Jennings, 31, who bravely put an Obama sign in the center of her front yard. Jennings told OffTheBus that Quantico is the "kind of place where they'll ask you to remove an Obama bumper sticker from your car."

Barack Obama is promising to make college affordable for all Americans, and this appeals to Jennings. "I can't imagine telling my two kids, "No college for you, because I voted for McCain." She emailed all of her military friends, encouraging them to register two new voters. "It's time to take a stand," said the marine vet. "I want us to be like Michigan -- I'd love to see John McCain quit campaigning in Virginia, too."

Jennings isn't the only Obama supporter in Quantico -- not by a long shot -- and this should raise a red flag for the McCain camp. In hotly contested states with large military populations, these voters can make an impact because they turn out to vote in higher percentages (79/64) than the general public, according to a Rand study.

John McCain assumes he has the military vote -- but does he?


Military Voter Surveys Can Be Misleading

The Military Times recently released its annual survey of subscribers, which shows McCain-Palin enjoying a commanding lead over Obama-Biden (68/23 percent). But this is not a random sample, by any stretch of the imagination. Military Times subscribers are significantly older than the active military population. Nearly half of those surveyed are retirees, and minorities are under-represented.

"Everyone I talk to wants change but on base you can't say certain things. At a bar or a party, everyone tells me they're voting for Obama," said Thomas Singleton, 27, a former military telecommunications specialist who was speaking to OffTheBus outside the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Perched on a hill in Quantico, the museum's stunning roof line can be seen for miles. Its design -- a 200-foot tilted mast atop a huge glass atrium -- was inspired by the famous Iwo Jima flag raising of World War II.

"My military friends are tired of being lied to," said Singleton. "They're told to deploy for six months, but it ends up being a year. And when they come home, they can't find a job. One of my friends is staying in the Army only because he can't find a civilian job."

The genuine patriotism these young people feel is complicated by events in Iraq, and grumblings about military miscalculations. "I was proud to go to Iraq, but when I got there all we did for weeks was play cards. We were unprepared. We had the wrong supplies," said Skye Spann, 27, a former medical specialist. "It didn't seem like we had a clear mission."

Deployed Troops Give Four Times More Money To Obama

People in all branches of the service are getting tired of repeated deployments. "I think more of them will vote for Obama than McCain," said Jennings. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, deployed troops are putting their money where their mouth is: they've given four times as much money to Obama as McCain.

"Any assumption that the military vote is overwhelmingly in favor of the Republican Party -- based on demographics alone -- is suspect, at the very least," said Donald S. Inbody, a retired Navy Captain who is on the political science faculty at Texas State University. Inbody also is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas in Austin, where he is researching the political attitudes and behavior of the American military enlisted person.

For years, the Republicans have enjoyed a reputation for taking care of the troops. But now, at all levels of the military, there's a general dissatisfaction with the lousy leadership in Washington. Inbody told OffTheBus, "We know from several studies that the officer corps, especially senior officers, identify strongly with the Republican Party. But it is more likely that junior officers and enlisted personnel more nearly mirror the general American population when it comes to party identification and voting behavior."

This could result in a 1.2 to 1 advantage for Obama in military communities, according to Inbody, especially if the campaign "isn't tone deaf" to the inroads that are possible.

You beat me by a few seconds LOL I had it ready to paste!!!

HA! Marines FTW! But really, I have a good position as I am not someone that those actively involved need to worry about speaking their minds with. I see an overwhelming amount who won't say it on base but in a private conversation with someone off base will say straight out they are voting for Obama.

HA! Marines FTW! But really, I have a good position as I am not someone that those actively involved need to worry about speaking their minds with. I see an overwhelming amount who won't say it on base but in a private conversation with someone off base will say straight out they are voting for Obama.

Guess the Marines keep ya'll under thumb alot more than the USAF does eh?

Haven't once heard a boss address someone for speaking their mind in regards to politics. Really get weary of hearing folks act as though we're run like a gestapo. It's false as hell.

Oh and Jedd, right back at you. You're going to get what you deserve for voting for the same ole shit we've had to swallow for years. Grats on that.

I used to say something similar to San for suggesting a write in vote. In the end he was right, we need to make a statement to force the two parties to wake the fuck up and quit pushing losers on us.

I used to say something similar to San for suggesting a write in vote. In the end he was right, we need to make a statement to force the two parties to wake the fuck up and quit pushing losers on us.

I'm not really seeing the correlation between submitting a 'write in' vote and "[forcing] the two parties to wake the fuck up and quit pushing losers on us."

I'm not really seeing the correlation between submitting a 'write in' vote and "[forcing] the two parties to wake the fuck up and quit pushing losers on us."

If enough folks write in maybe the two parties will see that they aren't speaking for the people and maybe will really change?

Yes it's a pipe dream, but the two party system isn't really blowing my hair back.

Haven't once heard a boss address someone for speaking their mind in regards to politics. Really get weary of hearing folks act as though we're run like a gestapo. It's false as hell.


No, it works exactly like in any other large organization, in which people thought to not follow the accepted orthodoxy never quite seem to make the cut on promotions and keep getting assigned to backwater tasks no one cares about. No one has to say a word, everybody knows.

There is no need to assign active malice where normal human social tendencies cover it fine.

I agree that a viable third party candidate is good for democracy, but I doubt it will ever happen.

Hell, it was not that long ago that Ross Perot actually had enough support to be invited to the debates with both major candidates. This was before the Internet boom, which really makes it quite an impressive feat.

Did the parties really care? Well, it definitely had an effect on the electoral outcome. Did it change the party structure in the slightest? Nah.

The problem is that in order to be a viable third party candidate, you need a couple of things.

First, you are going to need a whole hell of a lot of money. It's almost impossible to get enough support to qualify for public financing without already having a huge war chest. Also, you don't get this money until after the election, when you can prove that you met the requisite percentage of votes (Can't remember exact number). So in all actuality, you're on your own. The only reason Perot had the success he did is because he spent about 45 million dollars on television ads. Most people cannot afford this.

Second, you need exposure. Exposure not only gets you in the American consciousness, but it also provides credibility. The major news outlets don't talk about third party candidates at all. So not only are their views not being adequately represented, but they are seen as illegitimate.

Are you going to take a candidate seriously if he is not even invited to the debates? Probably not. You need to be polling at 15% or better in at least 5 major polls to be invited. Now you can start to see the cyclical nature of media coverage and how it represents a huge barrier to entry for third parties.

Last, remember that we have single-member districts. It's not like if you win 40% of the vote you get 40% of the seats, like it is in many countries. If it were like that, you could see 2% turn into 15%, and eventually, through political maneuvering, a small minority party could gain a substantial amount of power.

Never under estimate the power of a modern "grass-roots" movement.

With more and more people gravitating towards social networks I would hazard a guess that you may see more alternatives in the future. It's obvious that governments and national parties won't be able to keep up with technological advancement (however hard they try to repress that) of social networks for very much longer, though Obama has a very good hold on it this go around.

It all depends if the 90% that feed from the trough actually decide to get off their recliners, turn off the football game, put down the beer hat and start to participate in their local, state, federal governments even if its from infront of their laptop/blackberry/workstation/etc.

Cheers,

While I definitely agree that grassroots movements are becoming increasingly important, I do not think they are significant enough to even nudge the two party system.

What would these social networking sites do that would be monumental enough to change the system? Further facilitate the exchange of ideas?

Is there a significant portion of the population that does not vote? Yes.

Is there a significant portion of the population willing to shed his/her current party affiliation to move to a third party?

I believe that the answer is no.

If you were to assume, however, that the answer to both questions is 'Yes', then you'd have to consider whether or not social networking sites could possibly act as a catalyst for change.

I just don't see it. While Facebook and the like have definitely had an impact on many social realms, I see no vehicle for mass institutional change.

Yes, I might hear about a party I would not have before because someone sends me an invite or posts about it on their news feed. And while there is a chance that I might decide to foresake my tradititional party affiliation in order to vote with this third party, statistically this is highly impropable.

How many of you have changed party affiliation in the last decade?

How many of you have changed party affiliation in the last decade, due to this website?



P.S. Politicians are getting smart about technology. Howard Dean has lead the DNC with a strong emphasis on Internet technology, and the organization has flourished. Both parties got caught behind once already, and I can promise you they are not going to let it happen again.

Thinking in terms of parties is missing the point, as the Internet continues to transform how people receive their news and form their opinions.

Media controlling who the "viable" candidates are is something with a limited lifespan remaining.

For the longest time, people have chosen a political team/religion and then allowed that team to dictate what it is they believe in. It should be the opposite, and as information and communication continues to open up, it will be.

Just look at how profoundly television changed the political process, in a few short decades. Every advance in communication has that effect. We're witnessing the beginning of another such paradigm shift now.

Jedd, here's Palin's report card:

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2008/10/Picture_754.jpg

lol

Actually, from what gawker is saying, that isn't a forgery either.

Wow, that's... underwhelming, especially the verbal SAT scores for someone who would go on to major in journalism - they'd be par for the course, adjusted for the 1996 change to the test scoring, for my south-side of San Antonio community college, and well below those of most of my majors' students. Kelraz, got Barack Obama's SATs or ACTs stashed anywhere? Joe Biden is old enough that he probably doesn't have scores, as the tests didn't become a widespread requirement until the 1970s.

It might go some way as far as explaining why her 'blizzard of words' torrents are so incoherent though. Maybe *she* doesn't even know what she is is saying!

(And, god, I just realized she's younger than I am by just under a year ;) )

Regards,
Nydia

P.S. And good grief, I had no idea how sharp the 1996 'realignment' was - I just noticed my composite 1300 from 1981 (640 verbal, 660 math) translates into a 1380 post-1995 (700/680). Ack, they really *are* getting dumber :/ (and I feel slightly less inadequate around my younger friends I've, erm, measured against now ;) - and it's interesting that *verbal* scores appear to have to have been 'adjusted' more)

Wow, that's... underwhelming, especially the verbal SAT scores for someone who would go on to major in journalism - they'd be par for the course, adjusted for the 1996 change to the test scoring, for my south-side of San Antonio community college, and well below those of most of my majors' students. Kelraz, got Barack Obama's SATs or ACTs stashed anywhere? Joe Biden is old enough that he probably doesn't have scores, as the tests didn't become a widespread requirement until the 1970s.

It might go some way as far as explaining why her 'blizzard of words' torrents are so incoherent though. Maybe *she* doesn't even know what she is is saying!

(And, god, I just realized she's younger than I am by just under a year ;) )

Regards,
Nydia


Funny you said that about her "blizzard of words" I was kind of amazed that the criteria set for her as "holding her own" in the debate was if she could say something that was coherent, and to many republicans that would mean she won the debate.

Hmmm I took the SAT in '84 and scored a piddly 1275. Didn't go to college after graduation even tho I had a partial scholarship and a Father willing to fill out my ride to IU.

Sometimes I wonder!!!

Hmmm I took the SAT in '84 and scored a piddly 1275. Didn't go to college after graduation even tho I had a partial scholarship and a Father willing to fill out my ride to IU.

Sometimes I wonder!!!


Good evening Mr Vice-President!