SALEM N.H. (Jan. 6) — With a six-point lead in the latest Concord Monitor poll, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sought to boost his presidential bid on Sunday by links to veterans and talk of military experience.
“My first priority is to take care of our veterans,” said McCain to a cheering crowd in the Woodbury School gymnasium in Salem, N.H.
McCain’s own military background is storied and a key part of his campaign. McCain began his military career at the United States Naval Academy. He was a naval aviator for 22 years. And he spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, where he was beaten and tortured.
At his rally on Sunday, McCain was surrounded by veterans. He told the audience that he would create a healthcare plan to help every veteran receive the healthcare they deserved.
“My friends, I’m going to make sure that, for routine health care, every veteran who needs it is going to get a plastic card. And when they need health care, they’re going to take it to the doctor of their choice and they’re going to get the health care they need,” said McCain to applause from the crowd. “We are going to care for these veterans.”
McCain is a strong supporter of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. Despite the war’s unpopularity, McCain has remained steadfast in his support. McCain told the audience he supported the decisions made by Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq. Playing off his own military background, McCain said his years of experience qualified him to make those decisions.
He had been an early supporter of the surge in American troops in Iraq, he said, “because I had the judgment, and the knowledge and the experience in order to know what was best for this country. I’ve been involved with every major national security issue this country’s been engaged in for the last 20 years.”
(Bryan Young is a sophomore magazine major.)
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