McCain called out on GI Bill & vets benefits

You can bet that John McCain will soon revert to the George W. Bush of 2004-style audiences for the duration of the campaign, because he doesn't like being called out on his b.s. and lies, specifically on his voting record. Bush had people sign "loyalty pledges" before they were let into his audiences during the '04 campaign, and anyone who asked a question he or his handlers didn't like, out they went. I haven't yet gone back and looked up all of McCain's various votes on veterans benefits, but I do know that regarding the G.I. Bill that just passed Congress, McCain did NOT support the bill, and he didn't show up for the final vote, either. So, I got a good laugh out of McCain saying we passed the bill. Hmm, wonder who the we is?

Pop-Up Double Talk: McCain's health care

I do get a good laugh out of these videos, but McCain's health care proposal is no laughing matter.

Just as indefensible as his opposition to the G.I. Bill was McCain's opposition to renewing the S-CHIP program for children. But, his explanation for opposing SCHIP was equally as stupid - that it would "cover too many children." (He opposed the GI Bill, in part, because he opined that it would cause an incentive for troops to leave the military. I don't suppose that being stop-lossed, having tours of duty extended or inadequate body armor or equipment would qualify as an incentive to leave, though. I'm just sayin'.)

Anyway, I'm beyond skeptical about what McCain wants to do with health care. His voting record and his proposals aren't congruent, and they aren't good for the American people. The fact is, no one with an "R" behind his or her name will ever support universal health care. Why? Because they don't want to pay for other peoples' health care. Nevermind the fact that, in the end, we all pay for people who don't have coverage anyway. The law says (and it should) that anyone who shows up in an emergency room for medical treatment cannot be turned away because they don't have medical coverage.

When those bills go unpaid, who pays? But, this fact doesn't register with most Republicans, who don't want universal health care for inexplicable reasons. My conclusion is that it's because of party ideology.

Outrage: Bush praises McCain for GI Bill

Seriously, I wouldn't have even believed this if not for the video above. A little while ago today, President Bush, with a straight face, offered up praise for leaders of both parties for passing the G.I. Bill, including John McCain. What's so crazy about that, you ask? Well, as I've written about it before, McCain has been inexplicably opposed to the bill from jump, and he didn't even cast a vote in the Senate for the final bill.

I really don't see how any normal, rational, even passively political person couldn't conclude that Bush told a whale of a lie, and knew it, during this press conference. It's one of the things that drives me crazy about Bush - his blatant lying, when he knows he'd doing it. Okay, I'm not naïve enough to believe that there are many honest politicians in our country, if any, but that doesn't make Bush's words above any less wrong.

But it takes a special sort of contemptible scoundrel to drop a complete lie with a straight face before the cameras. During the last 7+ years, Bush has joined the ranks of Clinton, Reagan and Nixon by telling so many lies, it actually now stands out more when Bush is honest, because those instances are few and far in between. Today is just another sad, pathetic example.

A few other things are worth noting here. I'm wondering just what, in fact, Bush was thanking McCain for - opposing the bill as much as possible behind the scenes until public opinion overtook both men's opposition? It's a very poorly kept secret that Bush opposed the bill as much as McCain did, the former calling the bill "too expensive," which is incredibly laughable, since we are spending between $3 and $4 billion per week in Iraq.

Bush's signing the G.I. Bill into law is a typical move from the Bush play book, too - turning around and supporting a bill that he initially vehemently opposed - kind of like the Department of Homeland Security Bill in 2002, which was sponsored by Sen. Lieberman, back when he really was a Democrat. So, the play goes like this - Bush fights a bill he hates like crazy, and when public opinion proves him wrong, he turns 180 degrees and takes the credit by supporting it.

I'd love to know how many tens of millions of Americans who now think that McCain and Bush "support the troops" because of what Bush said about McCain after signing the bill.

McCain's "support" for the bill? How about not even showing up to vote for it. This is another one of many examples of McCain's strategy that he's employed for many, many months now - not showing up for votes, so he can't be criticized either way. So, if the public supports the bill, no one can say he voted against it. And if there are problems with the law's implementation later, no one can say that McCain voted for it. That's called a blatant lack of political courage. Translation: This must be more of what McCain calls his "straight talk" and another reason why the subservient press continues calling McCain a "maverick."

One final thought - the GOP, whose members never misses an opportunity to wrap themselves in the flag and to thump their chests while screaming, "We support the troops," should be called out on this fact - 22 senators voted against the G.I. Bill, all of them Republican. Now that's supporting the troops!

But wait! Look! Over here! Obama's not wearing an American flag on his lapel!!! He doesn't care about the troops! He's not patriotic!

Anyway, don't take my word for it about who voted what on the GI Bill - the non-partisan U.S. Senate Website has the roll call vote. People should remember this when, months from now, Bush is busy licking himself all over, saying he "supported the troops by signing the G.I. Bill." He initially didn't, and 22 Republican senators didn't when it counted, either.

I'd love to say the press won't let Bush and McCain get away with their lies about this, but I know better.

Happy Memorial Day

Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME) has made a very fitting, appropriate Memorial Day tribute to our troops who have served and who are still serving in our armed forces around the world - take a look - it's only six minutes long.

Allen, who has distinguished himself in many ways in the U.S. House, is running for the U.S. Senate this year against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a rubber-stamp GOPer who needs to be shown a different career path. Allen is in for an uphill fight, but hopefully he will ride into the Senate on an expected wave of Democratic victories this fall. If you wish to support Allen, you can visit his U.S. Senate Website, or by visiting ActBlue.

Allen would make a wonderful, Progressive addition to the U.S. Senate - I wish I could cast my vote for him.

Anyway, Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, please take a moment to think about our troops and how fortunate we are to have our fighting men and women protecting us from those who mean us harm. We really do owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, and I can only hope that Congress, President Bush, and our next president all see to it that they are given the benefits they so richly deserve. It's the very least we can do. (The G.I. Bill proposed by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and recently passed by the House would be a good start.)

In the coming days, I'll be writing about some ways we can support our troops overseas. Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, they are still our soldiers who are just doing their duty, and we will have to support them in the coming months years in many, many ways large and small. We can, we will, we must.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

A real way to Support the Troops

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) deserves our thanks for what he is trying to do for our troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan - getting a modern-day G.I. Bill passed that will give our troops a free education. After all, whether you agree with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or not, I would hope we would all agree that it's the very least we can do for those serving in combat and putting their lives on the line.

As Webb and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) recently wrote in an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times:

In terms of providing true opportunity, the World War II G.I. Bill was one of the most important pieces of legislation in our history. It paid college tuition and fees, bought textbooks and provided a monthly stipend for eight million of the 16 million who served. Many of our colleagues in the Senate who before the war could never have dreamed of college found themselves at some of the nation’s finest educational institutions.

[...]

Veterans today have only the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which requires a service member to
pay $100 a month for the first year of his or her enlistment in order to receive a flat payment for college that averages $800 a month. This was a reasonable enlistment
incentive for peacetime service, but it is an insufficient reward for wartime service today.

It is hardly enough to allow a veteran to attend many community colleges.
It would cover only about 13 percent of the cost of attending Columbia, 42 percent at the University of Hawaii, 14 percent at Washington and Lee, 26 percent at U.C.L.A. and 11 percent at Harvard Law School.

College costs have skyrocketed, and a full G.I. Bill for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan would be expensive. But Congress has recently appropriated $19 billion next year for federal education grants purely on the basis of financial need. A G.I. Bill for those who have given so much to our country, often including repeated combat tours, should be viewed as an obligation.

Absolutely, 100 percent right, without equivocation. Yes, it probably will be expensive, but what money could be better spent? We are spending between $12-16 billion a month in Iraq, and for what?

Hagel and Webb are absolutely right - the G.I. Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history, educating over eight million people who served in World War II. This new G.I. Bill would have a dramatic impact on America's educational and technological competitiveness in the global economy.

However, McCain and Bush are against it, and their reasons are patently absurd, even for them. Both think it's "too expensive," which I find just stunning - really I don't even have the words to express how patently absurd I find that line of reasoning. McCain's logic? It will make leaving the military "too attractive," causing a personnel drain on the military. Incredible. Webb and his cosponsors are working with the various branches of the military to make sure the bill doesn't harm the military - they merely want to help vets get the benefits they deserve.

I certainly hope voters remember who is for and who is against this bill in November - I'm sure that members of the military won't forget.

What I really admire about Webb, as he discussed on Meet the Press yesterday (above), is that he really is trying to keep the politics out of it, and this bill has lots of bipartisan support. It really is good to see that members of Congress can actually come together on some things and get meaningful legislation passed. Here's hoping the votes are there to override Bush's expected veto. My attitude is this - let Bush veto it. If he (along with Senator McCain) wants to go on the record against giving our troops what they deserve, it will be there for all voters to see.

I urge you to please contact your Senators and House Representative and let them know you are paying attention to this bill, and that it must be passed. Call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 225-3121 to be connected to any member of Congress (and an operator can find out who yours is, if you don't know), or click Here to find out your legislators' contact information.

Why won't McCain support a new GI Bill?

This is from Countdown last week, but the issue is still hot and current. We are still yet to hear a reasonable explanation as to why Mr. Military, John McCain, has not signed on to a bill that would give our returning heroes what they deserve - a chance at a quality education. The explanation McCain's has given doesn't hold water, either - that he hasn't had time to review it. As someone running on his military record, he should almost enthusiastically support this one sight unseen.

If it does pass Congress, I wonder what justification Bush will have for no doubt opposing it, other than the obvious one we will all know - that it was a Democratic idea, and he doesn't want to give Dems any sort of victory. After all, this is the same president who wouldn't support a 3.5% pay raise for our soldiers last year, saying it was "too costly"; 3% is all they got. The lesson one can take from that is that a victory over the Democrats is much more important to this president than doing right by our military. What balls this administration has - we ship $10 billion on pallets over to Iraq, and no one knows what the hell happened to it, yet we can't see to it to take care of our troops in their paychecks, veterans benefits and giving them an affordable education when this war finally does end, if it ever ends.

Olbermann is spot on - only an administration this myopic and stupid could possibly use the justification that the incentive to leave the armed forces would be too great if the GI Bill were passed. Amazing.

Democrats ought to be clubbing each and every Republican over the head who is opposing this bill (or who is indifferent to it), and that includes McCain and Bush.