Something Stinks in Sturgis

By Vince Morabito

As a proud veteran of the United States Navy, I will say that I admire the military service of my fellow swabbie, former POW and current GOP presidential contender Sen. John McCain.
That doesn’t mean that I believe that he is a friend to service veterans, as he is erroneously believed to be by many of his red, white and blue supporters, including the throngs of  Harley Davidson riders that hopped on their bikes to hear him say things like “I recognize that (roaring) sound.  It’s the sound of freedom,” at a recent jamboree of jingoism in Sturgis, South Dakota, at a site fittingly called “Buffalo Chip.”
Speaking of recognizable sounds, I recognize the one that Sen. McCain made when he made his freedom analogy.
It’s the sound of a man desperately and shamelessly pandering for votes while engaging in mass deception not seen since illusionist David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear faster than you can say “Patriot Act.”
Sen. McCain’s apparently sports his omnipresent Navy ballcap as a tribute to his own seafaring exploits, and not as a way of saying “Thanks” to the men and women who wear the  uniform of their country during these turbulent times of war in Iraq, war in Afghanistan, and looming war in Iran and God knows where else.
Consider the following facts that I culled from the website “Veterans for Common Sense”:
-Sen. McCain skipped close to a dozen votes on Iraq, and on at least 10 occasions, he voted against arming and equipping the troops, providing adequate rest for the troops between deployments, and for health care or other benefits for veterans.
-In May 2006, Sen. McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs for health care facilities.
- In April 2006, Sen. McCain was one of only 13 senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.
There is more - much more - to be found by logging on to the website www.veteransforcommonsense.org.
For his service to his country, from one sailor to another, I salute Sen. John McCain.
At the same time, I ask him to save his speeches about caring for veterans for places with names like “Buffalo Chip,” where people are accustomed to smelling what is shoveled at them.