McCain can't be sure veterans will fall in behind him

At a major Las Vegas convention, some veterans express concern about his positions on veterans' benefits.
By Bob Drogin
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 10, 2008

LAS VEGAS — No one was surprised when both presidential candidates appealed for votes Saturday at the annual convention of the nation's largest organization of disabled military veterans.

But Fred Bristol, who has attended the Disabled American Veterans convention for the last 55 years, marveled at his fellow veterans' reaction to Sens. Barack Obama, who sent a video, and John McCain, who addressed the group in person.

"I think there's an unusual split in the group we haven't seen in the past," said Bristol, 81, of Sarasota, Fla. "I'm hearing that from a lot of friends."

McCain has built his political career on his Navy service, including 5 1/2 years as a POW in Vietnam, and he remains immensely popular with many veterans groups. But the Arizona Republican's appearance here suggested limits to that appeal.

The 1.4-million-member group said that in 2006, he voted for only one of the five spending bills the group considered most important -- 20%.

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