Who Supports The Troops? Democrats, As It Turns Out…
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America took a look at 324 legislative votes in the last five years which affected American troops and veterans. Legislative proposals included veterans’ benefits, healthcare, and medical research dedicated towards injured soldiers (head injuries, etc.) Based on these votes, IAVA calculated which senators and congressmen had a history of supporting the troops, and which didn’t, and graded them on a curve.
IAVA – Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America – Full Ratings List:
Washington
Rep. Brian Baird B
Senator Maria Cantwell A-
Rep. Norman D. Dicks A-
Rep. Doc Hastings C
Rep. Jay Inslee B+
Rep. Rick Larsen A
Rep. Jim McDermott C-
Rep. Cathy McMorris D
Senator Patty Murray A-
Rep. Dave Reichert D+
Rep. Adam Smith A-
Is it any surprise that three of the four lowest performing members, the only ones to get a C or below — Hastings, McMorris, and Reichert — are Republicans? I think this kind of scorecard could be pretty powerful.
[updated, thanks to a commentor without a reading comprehension problem.] So how did McDermott end up with a C-?