CHARLESTON, W.Va. - More than 700 military veterans who are members of the United Mine Workers from four states rallied at a Charleston hotel Thursday in an effort to make veterans' issues heard and seen in the 2008 presidential campaign.

UMW President Cecil Roberts, a Vietnam war veteran, was the main speaker, telling his membership that despite having been a prisoner of war, presumed Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has opposed increasing veterans' benefits.

"As veterans, we honor and respect the service and sacrifice of Sen. John McCain to our nation," Roberts told the gathering. "But there is little to respect about his time in public office when it comes to his record on issues of importance to working families - including veterans."

Roberts appointed members to the UMW's Veterans Leadership Committee, which will work in conjunction with the AFL-CIO's Union Veterans Council to inform and educate military veterans about the candidates' positions.

Nationally, AFL-CIO leaders have run ads opposing McCain in a few states. They hope to drive a wedge between McCain and his mostly white working class supporters who are military veterans and union members. To do so, they point to McCain's opposition to increased veterans' health-care and other issues important to vets.

Roberts said McCain has not always voted correctly in Congress.

"We point out who stands with veterans when they're voting [in Congress]," the Cabin Creek native said.

As an example, Roberts said McCain initially opposed efforts in Congress to pass the new G.I. Bill of Rights, while presumed Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was an original sponsor of the bill,

Robert noted McCain opposed an increase in the minimum wage, favored a national right-to-work law, favored the privatization of Social Security, supported the North American Free Trade Agreement and opposed increases in funding for VA health-care programs.

"John McCain is not for national health care," Roberts said.

He pointed out McCain's health-care proposal would force recipients of employer-paid health-care benefits to pay personal income taxes on it.

"He wants to give Don Blankenship a tax back and tax your health care," Roberts said.

Roberts also said McCain does not seem concerned about the high number of homeless veterans.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - More than 700 military veterans who are members of the United Mine Workers from four states rallied at a Charleston hotel Thursday in an effort to make veterans' issues heard and seen in the 2008 presidential campaign.

UMW President Cecil Roberts, a Vietnam war veteran, was the main speaker, telling his membership that despite having been a prisoner of war, presumed Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has opposed increasing veterans' benefits.

"As veterans, we honor and respect the service and sacrifice of Sen. John McCain to our nation," Roberts told the gathering. "But there is little to respect about his time in public office when it comes to his record on issues of importance to working families - including veterans."

Roberts appointed members to the UMW's Veterans Leadership Committee, which will work in conjunction with the AFL-CIO's Union Veterans Council to inform and educate military veterans about the candidates' positions.

Nationally, AFL-CIO leaders have run ads opposing McCain in a few states. They hope to drive a wedge between McCain and his mostly white working class supporters who are military veterans and union members. To do so, they point to McCain's opposition to increased veterans' health-care and other issues important to vets.

Roberts said McCain has not always voted correctly in Congress.

"We point out who stands with veterans when they're voting [in Congress]," the Cabin Creek native said.

As an example, Roberts said McCain initially opposed efforts in Congress to pass the new G.I. Bill of Rights, while presumed Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was an original sponsor of the bill,

Robert noted McCain opposed an increase in the minimum wage, favored a national right-to-work law, favored the privatization of Social Security, supported the North American Free Trade Agreement and opposed increases in funding for VA health-care programs.

"John McCain is not for national health care," Roberts said.

He pointed out McCain's health-care proposal would force recipients of employer-paid health-care benefits to pay personal income taxes on it.

"He wants to give Don Blankenship a tax back and tax your health care," Roberts said.

Roberts also said McCain does not seem concerned about the high number of homeless veterans.

"It is estimated that 200,000 veterans are homeless, not because we can't do anything about it, but because we choose not to do anything about it," Roberts said.

Most importantly for coal miners, Roberts said, are the candidates' stances on coal. Obama's energy plan continues the use of coal.

"Sen. Obama is from a coal state and he understands the importance of coal to our nation's economy and the economic impact coal mining brings to the communities where our members and their families live," he said. "His commitment to funding for the development and implementation of clean coal technology far outweighs that of Sen. McCain."

Vietnam veteran Bob Brown, who heads the school service personnel union, noted in the 13 months he spent in combat he never met a politician's or a banker's child.

"They were red and yellow, black and white, but they all had one thing in common, they were all working class," he said.

Out of 535 members of Congress, Brown said only five have had children serve in Iraq.

Brown piled on McCain, whom he said "wears his veteran credentials on his sleeve," pointing out he voted to cut VA hospital funding every year from 2003 to 2007.

"A vision with no resources is an illusion," Brown said.

Those in attendance also heard from some West Virginia candidates the union supports.

Attorney General Darrell V. McGraw called for better health care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan so they will "be able to integrate themselves again" into society.

Anne Barth, the Democratic nominee for the 2nd Congressional District seat, got standing ovations when she announced she favors the Employer Free Choice Act and later when she also said she is for Obama.

"That's why we need to elect a Democratic commander-in-chief and a Democratic Congress," she said.

Reach Tom Searls at tomsea...@wvgazette.com or 348-5198.