And veterans always vote veteran, right?  Not so, say veterans:

From the debate transcript September 25, 2008:

John McCain:  As far as our other issues that he brought up are concerned, I know the veterans. I know them well. And I know that they know that I’ll take care of them. And I’ve been proud of their support and their recognition of my service to the veterans.

And I love them. And I’ll take care of them. And they know that I’ll take care of them. And that’s going to be my job.

John McCain may have put the final nail in his own coffin with his shameful lies about his support for veterans in last Friday’s debate, and during his campaign.  

May 2006:  McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.

April 2006:  McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.

March 2006:  McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.

You can read more at this diary.  And you can read more about a few personal stories like these:

This morning my husband and I stopped by to see [Grandpa] and he was in a pretty good mood. He doesn’t talk much because he has trouble swallowing and his throat gets pretty dry, but when we first got there he asked us if we watched the debate. My husband and I exchanged an awkward glance — with our extended families, it’s a general rule that we don’t discuss politics. Grandpa is a pretty staunch conservative, so we both were a little worried about where this was heading.

Grandpa said, “That John McCain is a goddamned liar.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

You can read more about the actual voting record of John McCain at the Library of Congress and on the Senate site.  The voice at Veterans for Obama continues to grow, and with good reason.  Not only is is aggravating to have veterans treated poorly, it is infuriating to have them used as a political prop — lauded publicly, then abandoned where they need it most.