It's me, and it's in the Tennessean,today and starts as follows:
"My son is going back to Iraq later this year for a third time. This time, through the back-door draft since he's been out of the service for three years.
On Thursday, Sens. John McCain, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, you chose to turn your backs on him and Tennessee's other veterans. McCain, you were shockingly AWOL on the vote and Lamar and Bob, you voted AGAINST the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007! How could you, when the nonpartisan measure garnered a full three-quarters of the Senate to pass overwhelmingly? Sure, it was bundled with other expenditures, but again, your colleagues, both Republican and Democratic, voted overwhelmingly for this bill! You three are seriously out of touch!"
You can visit the site to read the rest of it but know this is an issue I've followed for years.
The plain and simple of it is that McCain was too busy to take his principled stance on this, waffled all along about supporting it, saying he'd "have to look into it," and then signing onto Sen. Lindsey Graham's bill instead. Alexander is up for re-election this year and he, too signed on as Co-sponsor of Graham's bill, along with Tennessee's Junior Sen. Corker.
To me and to the hundreds of thousands of other veterans and military family members around the country, their opposition was purely political since President Bush threatened to veto the measure anyway.
To me, McCain's absence showed a stunning cowardice I would never have expected from someone intent on leading our country in these very difficult times. Moreover, one has to question his principles when he chooses to campaign rather than do the nation's business related to such a critical issue as supporting our troops and veterans.
Have a great Memorial Day everyone and to any who are troops, veterans, or military family members: thank you all for your service!