A man at a town hall meeting wants to know why McCain didn’t vote to increase health care funding for returning Vets. McCain first talks about the GI Bill, which he also didn’t support, but never gets around to answering the man’s question about health care for returning Vets. McCain goes on to claim he’s received every award from every major Veterans organization in America, a claim that the guest rebuts with facts and figures, and McCain proceeds to essentially call the man a liar in front of a room full of people.

McCain has made the exact same claim before — and it is just a false today as it was then. As ThinkProgress documented, McCain’s so-called “perfect” record has been roundly criticized by prominent veterans groups: He received a grade of D from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a 20 percent vote rating from the Disabled Veterans of America; Vietnam Veterans of America noted McCain had “voted against us” in 15 “key votes.”

As for the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars — with whom McCain claims to have a “perfect voting record” — both groups vigorously supported Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) GI Bill that McCain tirelessly opposed.

Later in the town hall, McCain admitted he does “not have a perfect voting record,” but then declared that questions about veterans issues were off limits: “I will be glad to debate a lot of things, but not that one,” McCain said. (Think Progress)

McCain never thanks the man, who appears to be a Veteran, for his service to our country, despite the fact that the man recognizes McCain’s service. Way to support our troops, McCain. Calling them liars when they bring up questions about your voting record, pretending not to know what they’re referring to because it will catch you in a lie, and not acknowledging their service after they’ve applauded yours isn’t the way you’re going to get their votes.

For a man who claims to thrive in the town hall format, scolding guests for speaking out of turn and suddenly declaring question topics “off limits” doesn’t make you seem very approachable or open.

And these are just the people that get in to the “public” townhall meetings. Imagine what kinds of questions McCain would be butchering if his townhall guests weren’t screened to make sure the dissenting 61-year-old librarians didn’t “trespass.”