On your marks...get set...and get loaded for bear!  Don’t you think it’s time to find something about McCain to object to other than his lobbying staffers and stupid posturing?  If so, the L.A. Times'  Edward Humes has some great talking points for you the next time your Republican neighbor or family member confronts you about Obama's support for the troops:

McCain's Attack on Vets

Humes starts off with a very detailed critique of McBush's opposition to the new bipartisan GI bill, which would have restored meaning to subsidized education for veterans.  However, although I often roll my eyes at long quotes, I'd like to highlight some great talking points, laid out with such clarity that even I am shameless enough to include this:

. . . . From 2004 to 2006, the Disabled Veterans of America gave him [McCain] annual scores ranging from 50% to the most recent 20% when it comes to supporting the group's legislative priorities. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave him a grade of "D" in its most recent analysis of voting records. The American Legion says he is dead wrong on the GI Bill, as does the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

When Obama (who has averaged an 86% rating from the Disabled Veterans of America) criticized McCain on the GI Bill, the Arizona senator angrily suggested that Obama's status as a non-veteran rendered his opinions on military matters worthless (an odd stance, as this standard would also discount the opinions of 85% of American men, 98.8% of American women and two-thirds of Congress). Then he invited a look at his own record by asserting, "I take a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans."

So let's take McCain up on his invitation. Here is how he has stood on recent legislation supported by major veterans organizations:

* On Webb's GI Bill, he expressed opposition, and he was AWOL when it was time to vote on May 22.

* Last September, he voted against another Webb bill that would have mandated adequate rest for troops between combat deployments.

* On a badly needed $1.5-billion increase for veterans medical services for fiscal year 2007 -- to be funded through closing corporate tax loopholes -- he voted no. He also voted against establishing a trust fund to bolster under-budgeted veterans hospitals.

* In May 2006, he voted against a $20-billion allotment for expanding swamped veterans medical facilities.

* In April 2006, he was one of 13 Senate Republicans who voted against an amendment to provide $430 million for veterans outpatient care

* In March 2004, he voted against and helped defeat on a party-line vote a $1.8-billion reserve for veterans medical care, also funded by closing tax loopholes.

I love our troops.  I worry about them every single day.  Every death hits me, every story of PTSD, brain injury, mayhem and the ever-increasing suicides.  I don't for one minute think we're going to be able to ship them home tomorrow, but the fact that they are abused and neglected when they do return is outrageous. 

So this is the kind of thing I plan to keep on my computer desktop and feed to my family and friends, drop by savory drop.  Link to it, share it, recommend it, I don't care; I'm starting to get pretty excited about how thoroughly the Dems are going to pulverize this imposter.  I hope you guys start in on him too.

One question for ya'll, though: what are Hillary's ratings with the veterans' organizations?