The GI Bill

[24KT]

Why won't McCain support the new GI Bill?

It's been stated that as a veteran himself he should know how difficult it is to re-integrate yourself back into society, but I wonder if he really does. afterall, he did marry an heiress worth over $100 million dollars. I wonder if he is in any way in touch with the trials and tribulations of todays vets let alone the common man on the street?

Edit:
Ooops, sorry I was on the phone, typing this post & setting up for a conference call and posted the wrong video 

This is the correct video.

[Dos Equis]

McCain defends opposition to GI Bill

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain on Monday defended his opposition to a Democratic bill that would expand education benefits for veterans, saying it would hurt the military that he hopes to lead.

The new GI Bill being debated in Congress would expand education benefits for veterans who served at least three years in the military after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The bill's main sponsor, Sen. Jim Webb, is a Virginia Democrat and, like McCain, a Vietnam War veteran. The Senate passed Webb's bill 75-22 last week. McCain was not in Washington for the vote.

Democrats have targeted McCain for his opposition to the Webb legislation. Watch McCain talk about the U.S. debt to veterans

Saying he takes "a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans," McCain said Webb's bill would be a disincentive for service members to become noncommissioned officers, which he called "the backbone of all the services."

"In my life, I have learned more from noncommissioned officers I have known and served with than anyone else outside my family," McCain said at a Memorial Day event in Albuquerque.

"They are very hard to replace. Encouraging people to choose to not become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly."

McCain, along with Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Burr of North Carolina, has introduced an alternative bill that would increase education benefits on a sliding scale based on an individual's years of service. McCain argues his bill would have a smaller impact on retention rates than the legislation that the Senate passed.

"The office of president, which I am seeking, is a great honor indeed, but it imposes serious responsibilities," the presumptive GOP nominee said.

"I can only tell you, I intend to deserve the honor if I am fortunate to receive it, even if it means I must take politically unpopular positions at times and disagree with people for whom I have the highest respect and affection."

Over the weekend, Sen. Barack Obama, who appears to be the likely Democratic nominee, again tried to tie McCain to Bush by noting that both of them oppose the GI Bill expansion.

"I revere our soldiers and want to make sure they are being treated with honor and respect," Obama said Saturday. "I think the GI Bill is one way for us to do that, and I hope that John McCain and George Bush decide they believe the same thing."

Sparring between McCain and Obama over the GI Bill got personal last week when McCain said he would not be lectured from someone "who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform."

Obama hasn't served in the military.

Referring to Iraq in his closing comments Monday, McCain said he recognized Americans have grown tired of the war and the mistakes made, "but we cannot react to those mistakes by embracing a course of action that will be an even greater mistake, a mistake of colossal historical proportions."

"We must give Gen. [David] Petraeus and the Americans he has the honor to command adequate time to salvage from the wreckage of our past mistakes a measure of stability for Iraq and the Middle East, and a more secure future for the American people," he said.

Later Monday, McCain will attend a fundraiser in Albuquerque.

On Tuesday, President Bush will fly to Phoenix, Arizona, for a fundraiser at a private residence. Bush has been one of the Republican Party's most prolific fundraisers, and McCain will need help to keep up with Democratic fundraising this fall.

The McCain campaign said the event will be held at the senator's home because it is more private.

But the Phoenix Business Journal said the event was moved from the Phoenix Convention Center due to lackluster ticket sales and concern over anti-war protesters. A McCain aide denied the report on poor ticket sales.

The aide also said the event wasn't moved to McCain's private residence to avoid having the senator and unpopular president appear together on camera.

"We have a policy that fundraising events are closed events," the aide said, adding that any confusion about the fundraiser originally being open to the press should be chalked up to the campaign "working out the kinks" on its first event with Bush.


McCain consistently has trailed the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates in fundraising. The $17 million McCain raised in April was dwarfed by the nearly $31 million by Obama and the $21 million by Sen. Hillary Clinton.

McCain also trails both Democrats in the amount of cash on hand. He had nearly $22 million in the bank at the end of April, while Obama had more than double that amount -- nearly $47 million -- and Clinton had nearly $30 million.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/26/mccain/

[youandme]

Why won't McCain support the new GI Bill?

strike 3.

He's been over this, several times.

The bigger question is why did Obama vote "yes" for FISA
 

[calmus]

McCain defends opposition to GI Bill

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain on Monday defended his opposition to a Democratic bill that would expand education benefits for veterans, saying it would hurt the military that he hopes to lead.

The new GI Bill being debated in Congress would expand education benefits for veterans who served at least three years in the military after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The bill's main sponsor, Sen. Jim Webb, is a Virginia Democrat and, like McCain, a Vietnam War veteran. The Senate passed Webb's bill 75-22 last week. McCain was not in Washington for the vote.

Democrats have targeted McCain for his opposition to the Webb legislation. Watch McCain talk about the U.S. debt to veterans

Saying he takes "a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans," McCain said Webb's bill would be a disincentive for service members to become noncommissioned officers, which he called "the backbone of all the services."

"In my life, I have learned more from noncommissioned officers I have known and served with than anyone else outside my family," McCain said at a Memorial Day event in Albuquerque.

"They are very hard to replace. Encouraging people to choose to not become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly."

McCain, along with Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Burr of North Carolina, has introduced an alternative bill that would increase education benefits on a sliding scale based on an individual's years of service. McCain argues his bill would have a smaller impact on retention rates than the legislation that the Senate passed.

"The office of president, which I am seeking, is a great honor indeed, but it imposes serious responsibilities," the presumptive GOP nominee said.

"I can only tell you, I intend to deserve the honor if I am fortunate to receive it, even if it means I must take politically unpopular positions at times and disagree with people for whom I have the highest respect and affection."

Over the weekend, Sen. Barack Obama, who appears to be the likely Democratic nominee, again tried to tie McCain to Bush by noting that both of them oppose the GI Bill expansion.

"I revere our soldiers and want to make sure they are being treated with honor and respect," Obama said Saturday. "I think the GI Bill is one way for us to do that, and I hope that John McCain and George Bush decide they believe the same thing."

Sparring between McCain and Obama over the GI Bill got personal last week when McCain said he would not be lectured from someone "who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform."

Obama hasn't served in the military.

Referring to Iraq in his closing comments Monday, McCain said he recognized Americans have grown tired of the war and the mistakes made, "but we cannot react to those mistakes by embracing a course of action that will be an even greater mistake, a mistake of colossal historical proportions."

"We must give Gen. [David] Petraeus and the Americans he has the honor to command adequate time to salvage from the wreckage of our past mistakes a measure of stability for Iraq and the Middle East, and a more secure future for the American people," he said.

Later Monday, McCain will attend a fundraiser in Albuquerque.

On Tuesday, President Bush will fly to Phoenix, Arizona, for a fundraiser at a private residence. Bush has been one of the Republican Party's most prolific fundraisers, and McCain will need help to keep up with Democratic fundraising this fall.

The McCain campaign said the event will be held at the senator's home because it is more private.

But the Phoenix Business Journal said the event was moved from the Phoenix Convention Center due to lackluster ticket sales and concern over anti-war protesters. A McCain aide denied the report on poor ticket sales.

The aide also said the event wasn't moved to McCain's private residence to avoid having the senator and unpopular president appear together on camera.

"We have a policy that fundraising events are closed events," the aide said, adding that any confusion about the fundraiser originally being open to the press should be chalked up to the campaign "working out the kinks" on its first event with Bush.


McCain consistently has trailed the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates in fundraising. The $17 million McCain raised in April was dwarfed by the nearly $31 million by Obama and the $21 million by Sen. Hillary Clinton.

McCain also trails both Democrats in the amount of cash on hand. He had nearly $22 million in the bank at the end of April, while Obama had more than double that amount -- nearly $47 million -- and Clinton had nearly $30 million.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/26/mccain/

a very original post, Mark.

[24KT]

McCain's Vet Hypocrisy Continues
by ZP Heller

Well, it's taken me seven years, but I think I have finally figured out President Bush.  All this time I thought he was just shamelessly lying to us, but as it turns out, he's just using a different dictionary than we are—one in which the words mean the opposite of what we know them to mean.

For example, today Bush had this to say about the passage of the GI Bill for the 21st Century:

"The bill is a result of close collaboration between my administration and members of both parties on Capitol Hill. … I want to thank members who worked hard for the GI Bill expansion, especially Senators Webb and Warner, Graham, Burr, McCain. This bill shows that even in an election year, Democrats and Republicans can come together to stand behind our troops.

Now, I would define "close collaboration" as the coming together of multiple parties who put aside differences for a common goal.  Bush, on the other hand, thinks "close collaboration" means that the White House and Pentagon should do everything in their power to scare people into thinking Jim Webb's bipartisan plan to expand educational benefits for returning veterans would "harm" our country's troop retention rate.

And if I were to thank the Senators who "worked hard for the GI Bill expansion," I would probably thank the 75 Senators who initially voted in favor of the bill (not to mention groups like Vote Vets, WesPAC, IAVA, and Brave New Films, who brought it into the national spotlight).  Bush, on the other hand, thinks that "working hard for" means "voting against," as was the case with Lindsey Graham and Richard Burr.  Or perhaps "working hard for" means not showing up for the vote at all, like John McCain.     

I would NOT thank the people who hypocritically stood in the way of the GI Bill's passage time and time again.  Like McCain, who falsely claimed the GI Bill would "hurt the military."  Or McCain's toady Graham, who told Republicans to vote against the GI Bill and they will "get rewarded in the next election."

But, I'm not the president, and I'm definitely not using his twisted dictionary.


--------------------------------------------------

I wonder how McCain is going to spin this ==> http://votevets.org/news?id=0142

[Hugo Chavez]

The bigger question is why did Obama vote "yes" for FISA
 

no actually that's called a red herring, start a new thead.

[headhuntersix]

He has a very good point.......it might look bad on the surface, but he has a point. In any event it passed.