Who REALLY supports the troops?

I think I'll let this one speak for itself. ArmyTimes.com writes:

"A group representing Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans says voting records do not match words in Congress about supporting the troops.

“Every member of Congress claims to support the troops, but this guide shows us that, more often than not, the rhetoric does not match the reality,” said Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq War veteran and the founder and executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which assigned grades to the House and Senate based on a review of six years of votes on military and veterans’ issues such as Tricare for reservists or bigger veterans’ health care budgets.

“A legislator’s low score can be directly linked to the unnecessary hardship that U.S. troops, Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, and military families often face. There is no excuse for a low score,” Rieckhoff said.

About one-quarter of the lawmakers received an A, while 86 received a D or F.

The complete score for members of Congress — House and Senate — is available at the association’s Web site, searchable by ZIP code or state.

Released weeks before the Nov. 7 general elections, the ratings draw comparisons between Republicans, who control the House and Senate, and Democrats, who are in the minority.

The group gives an A average to the top four Democratic leaders in the House while giving an average grade of C to the top four Republicans. One of the biggest differences is among the senior party leaders. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., gets an F from the veterans group while House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California gets an A.

IAVA Senate Rankings

Huh. Fancy that...

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., received a C from the veterans group while Rep. Lane Evans of Illinois, the committee’s ranking Democrat who is retiring from Congress at the end of the year, received an A.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., received a C while the committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep Ike Skelton of Missouri, received an A minus.

The ratings give a B plus to Sen. Daniel Akaka, ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a D minus to the committee chairman, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho. Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. John Warner, R-Va., did slightly better than Craig, with a D plus, while Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the armed services committee’s top Democrat, received a B plus.

The association statement says the results are startling.

“This should be a wake-up call for every American who thinks Congress is doing all it can for those who have sacrificed so much,” Rieckhoff said. “We should all demand more from our elected officials.”