McCain Defends Senator Murkowski's Record For Veterans
McCain: Alaska's veterans couldn't ask for a stronger advocate in the Senate than Lisa Murkowski
Anchorage, AK - This week, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Presidential candidate and Vietnam Veteran, began appearing in a TV ad for Senator Murkowski, confirming that she is a friend to Alaska's Veterans.
Two weeks ago, Tony Knowles began airing intentionally misleading and offensive ads suggesting that Lisa has voted against increased funding for veterans, when in reality, it was Lisa's amendment in the Senate that will raise spending for veterans' health care by $1.2 billion.
"I've had the privilege of working with Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Senate. Lisa's working hard for Alaskans and especially Alaska's veterans. She's helped win the largest increase in veterans funding ever. Take it from me, Alaska's veterans couldn't ask for a stronger advocate in the Senate than Lisa Murkowski," McCain says in the ad.
"What Tony needs to realize is that when he says I somehow voted against veterans, he is also saying that John McCain and Ted Stevens voted against veterans, and no one would believe that," Lisa said. "I welcome the support of Senator McCain, one of the strongest and most recognizable advocates for veterans in the country."
The McCain ad comes on the heels of a harsh denunciation of the Knowles ad by Senator Stevens. Both McCain and Stevens voted with Senator Murkowski on the majority of votes cited in the Knowles ad.
Senator McCain has pledge his support for Senator Murkowski's election in any way that he could and took time from campaigning with President Bush to shoot the ad for Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski noted that while Senator McCain has not always voted for the opening of ANWR, both voting for and against ANWR language in the past, as a vital member of the Republican Party, a party that supports ANWR and progress in Alaska, and as a chief advocate for veterans she welcomes his support in setting the record straight against untruthful attacks.