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Wisconsin vets for Obama say McCain's 'lost track' on military

Steven Elbow  —  7/22/2008 4:54 pm

Barack Obama Wisconsin campaign officials today used local veteran Obama backers in seeking to counter an ad by Republican presidential candidate John McCain that accuses the Democrat of shifting his views on the war in Iraq. 

At a press event next to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Chief Warrant Officer David Boetcher, a 27-year veteran of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, blasted McCain's voting record on veteran's health care, hospital funding, veteran's education benefits and equipping soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It shows that he's no longer voting for veterans. He's voting for something else," Boetcher said.

Boetcher, a Waunakee resident who serves with the 32 Infantry Brigade, said McCain served his country honorably during the Vietnam war, where he was held captive and subjected to torture during six years of captivity.

But he added, "That was years ago, and since then he seems to have lost track of what that means."

His comments followed criticism of McCain by state Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, a 30-year Wisconsin Air National Guard veteran, who declared, "I believe we need to set the record straight."

Miller said he backs Obama's timetable to draw down troops in Iraq, contrary to McCain's stated intention to beef up security there, so the U.S. can focus on military efforts in Afghanistan, which he said are central to the global war on terror.

McCain spokeswoman Leah Joon sent this response to The Capital Times Tuesday: "Barack Obama can thank Senator McCain for being 'on track' with supporting a surge that is succeeding in Iraq. Senator McCain continues to put country first over partisanship and personal ambition. As he visited Iraq, Barack Obama enjoyed the security and witnessed progress that was only possible because of the success of the surge strategy that he voted against, campaigned against and rallied against in the Democratic primary." 

McCain's ad, which aired Friday, accused Obama of playing politics with the troop surge in Iraq, which the Democratic senator opposed but last week conceded brought down the level of violence.

The ad also blasts Obama for not holding hearings on Afghanistan as chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. The subcommittee's jurisdiction includes "all matters, policies and problems concerning the continent of Europe, including the European member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization." NATO forces are fighting in Afghanistan.

The ad came as Obama prepared for a high-profile trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, aimed to bolster his credentials on national security matters.

A review of the ad by the media watchdog group Media Matters noted that while McCain accused his Democratic rival of inaction on the war in Afghanistan, McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has not attended any of the committee's six hearings on Afghanistan over the last two years.

Steven Elbow  —  7/22/2008 4:54 pm