The Grades Are In!

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the troops and veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the civilian supporters of those individuals, recently released their 2008 Congressional Report Card (http://www.veteranreportcard.org/reportcard.pdf) on every member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The report card from this non-partisan organization measures each individual's leadership and voting record during the 2007 and 2008 legislative agendas concerning the most critical issues facing veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Here are the grades for the politicians currently in the presidential race:

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): D

• McCain was absent for votes on legislation to both expand and enhance veterans' benefits and to stop a poorly conceived GI Bill, as well as three votes on the much more popular Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Along with his absence, McCain went even further to display his strong dedication towards the veterans of the military by actually refusing to sponsor the educational assistance legislation, which was supported by 300 members of the House of Representatives, 60 members of the Senate and all of the leading Veterans Service Organizations.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL): B

• Obama did vote in favor of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act that McCain refused to sponsor. However, Obama was absent for votes on increasing funding for veterans' health care, expanding and enhancing veterans' benefits and stopping the second rate GI bill.

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE): B

• Biden also voted in favor of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act. At the same time, he was absent for votes on increasing funding for veterans' health care and expanding veterans' benefits.

What grade did Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin get? She received a gold star and a cookie for coloring in between the lines and reciting her ABCs.