McCain Supporters

Veterans backing Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain for president came to Raleigh Tuesday to call on North Carolina voters to take his military experience into consideration when choosing a president. About three dozen supporters gathered at the Legislative Building to highlight McCain's Navy background and trounce Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's qualifications to be commander in chief. West Point graduate and Army veteran Kate Kohler said the next president should offer good judgment and tested military experience -- not merely hope. Obama has made hope a keystone of his campaign. But state Rep. Grier Martin said only Obama has put forth a responsible plan to end the Iraq war. Martin, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, denounced the McCain's plan to leave troops in Iraq. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 7/22/08).