Bay area representatives of Florida Veterans for John McCain gathered at the Republican Victory Office in Tampa today and echoed their presidential candidate's belief that there should be no timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Most said McCain has the experience to have good judgment on military and security issues, unlike Barack Obama, who this week traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan for the first time.

Terri Gaffney, whose 19-year-old son is an Army soldier, pointed out that McCain "puts his money where his mouth is," with his own sons serving in the U.S. military. "That tells us something about the family," piped in Chris Hart, a former Hillsborough County Commissioner who chair the county's veterans for McCain group. "They could have been hippies."