Modernized GI Bill passes, despite opposition from McCain, Bush
By Steve Benen Wednesday May 21, 2008 8:19pmOnce in a while, it’s hard to keep a good bill down — especially when it involves expanded benefits for the troops, during a war, in an election year.
The Senate has overwhelmingly passed a new GI bill and billions in new domestic spending as part of the $165 billion Iraq war funding bill pending before Congress.
The 75-22 vote marked a resounding victory for Senate Democrats as well as Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who has battled to expand the educational benefits for soldiers who served in Iraq. The vote was the first critical hurdle in a three vote package on the Iraq war funding bill. The measure also included a 13 week extension of unemployment insurance, home heating assistance and other domestic spending add ons. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill, which will top $200 billion with the extra spending. […]
What was most surprising was not that the domestic funding amendment and the GI bill won a majority of the Senate votes, but that half of the Senate’s 49 Republicans bucked President Bush and GOP presidential candidate John McCain to back the dramatically expanded GI bill. Many uncertain Republicans stood in the well of the Senate, taking their time to make a decision. Virtually every GOP senator who is politically vulnerable this year voted for the domestic spending, including Sens. John Sununu of New Hampshire and Roger Wicker of Mississippi.
It’s interesting how vulnerable Republicans suddenly start to notice the merit of Democratic legislation six months before Election Day, isn’t it?
In all 25 Senate Republicans broke ranks with Bush/McCain to support the measure, giving the bill a veto-proof majority. Even Lieberman voted for it. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke in favor of the bill and voted for it. McCain, who has repeatedly said he opposes the measure, decided to raise money in California and skipped the vote. All 22 “nay” votes were conservative Republicans.
I want the list of who vote to uphold the veto.
John McCain does not care about the welfare of US aremed forces.
Bush and McBoosh are against it because they don't want this to happen. God forbid we might start showing some fiscal discipline!!
http://tinyurl.com/3zldv2
GI Bill to GI Joe
"Why can't I quit you?"
Yet Bush and mcCain cheerfully sign contracts for those of Blackwater's ilk, where a single mercenary gets paid more than the Sec. of Defense, even after the Blackwater takes its cut.
Will all of those in the military who wholeheartedly and blindly support ANY republican agenda
finally wake up to the fact that Republican Party USES the military to further the Republican agenda––
Corporate Fascism.
Its often another example of just how dumbed-down our country has become.
Now if only Congress would abstain on voting on the next funding bill in order to get those troops out of that slaughterhouse in Iraq as quickly and as rapidly as possible.
FBush @ 6:
There you go. You nailed it.
FBush @ 6:
Excellently stated for pointing out what should be an obvious truth. Yet many liberals continue to insist that those in the armed forces must continue to blindly obey illegal orders and be doing so they continue to aid in the subjugation and occupation and brutalization and terrorization of the Iraqi and Afghani people.
Soldiers resist- by saying NO to the U.S. war machine.
Hey 6,8,& 9... Join the military so I can express my opinion and promote my political agenda? Really? Not obeying illegal orders aside...
Che's Lounge @ 2:
OT sorry
Chimpy and the present bunch of perps dont care for anyvbody in the US,
witness the US Dept of Agriculture's lack of funds and the stopping of the survey into pesticide use in the USA.
For the lack of a paltry $8 million a year (2.7 cents per head) we now will not know what the farmers are spraying onto the crops,
its open season on US consumers now, pesticide and poison with everything, nobody will be checking for safe levels.
MSNBC link from AP
Erroll @ 9:
Actually the 22 republicans who voted nay are doing their part to support the troops. I'm sure that they have magnetic ribbons on their SUV's and are wearing flag pins.
McCain, who has repeatedly said he opposes the measure, decided to raise money in California and skipped the vote.
This would be a great ad to run against John McCain. Democratic Party chiefs take note.
Bravo for a politician actually putting his money where his mouth is. For the past 5 or 6 years, the Republicans have screamed from the Hilltops "Support the Troops" yet all that came from it was a bunch of SUV's with yellow bumper stickers. Thank you Jim Webb for actually supporting them instead of spouting mindless rhetoric.
Finally, some republicans are growing a backbone and going against their "Fearless Leader."
Version I, and (in his dreams) version II.
9 Erroll
What does that have to do with the new GI Bill?
After as many as 2-3 tours of hazardous duty they deserve no less.
What you suggest is like blaming the janitor at Enron for what Ken Lay did.
Ta
The Adventures of Superman radio show awaits.
The Scarlot Widow may've stole some kryptonite from the Metropolis museum.
And then the Return of Chandu with Bela Lugosi.
Piiiiffft! Who would of frigin' guessed?!
geneHUSSEIN214 @ 14:
Sorry, that is "off the table"
cboy @ 16:
Whoa, you're giving the Repigs WAAAAYYYY too much credit.
There is a palpable anger in this country over what they've done to this country these past 8 years and I am guessing that the walk very quickly to their limos when leaving the Congressional building.
Don't kid yourself. If this were two years ago, Republicans would have vetoed it overwhelmingly and we'd
be watching videos of Bush in his flight suit being replayed on Hannity as the hero to American soldiers.
I mean come on look at the history of these guys.
[November 13, 1987] The designated congressional committees filed their joint report on the Iran-Contra affair. Wyoming Representative Richard Cheney, the senior Republican member of the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, helped steer the joint committees to an impotent result. George Bush was totally exonerated, and was hardly mentioned. George Bush, when President, rewarded Dick Cheney by appointing him U.S. Secretary of Defense, after the Senate refused to confirm John Tower."
Oh yea. McHatethetroops gives the men and women who sacrificed so much lip service but when it is time to put up or shut up he changes the subject. He is shitting on the troops who have given life and limb so that he can be McBush.
Three Cheers for MY Senator James Webb!
His election gave the Democrats the fragile "majority" they hold in the Senate today.
And in this instance he has successfully rallied the Senate to AGREE on something - by splintering the Republican minority.
GREAT!
Hopefully former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner will follow in Webb's footsteps to fill the US Senate seat being vacated by Republican John Warner.
That would be a major turnaround for Virginia - to replace both Republican Senators (George "Macaca" Allen & John Warner) with Democrats in just two years.
This is where it would be nice for Obama and Clinton to use smear tactics to ask McCain and Bush, "Why do you hate the troops? Why can they not have education?" in nice attack ads.
If you claim the Democratic party is too good for such a thing, get out of Politics.
Lieberman's vote was McTroophata's proxy.
Dana @ 18:
And let's see-I wonder how many of those Thugs served...
MountainMan23 @ 23:
I'm sure you know that Sen. John Warner did in fact vote "Aye" on this Bill, so for
a change, he did show some love for the troops.
MountainMan23 @ 23:
edit: "with Progressive Populist Democrats"
FBush @ 6:
Yeah, all those blind - and, by implication, stupid military folks. For your information, since you obviously have little to no real knowledge of military people, and no experience actually talking to them, there are many, many military people who are not blind supporters of right-wing politicians. I should know - I spent 22 years in the military, and never supported the war-mongering right-wingers with a single vote.
It's never accurate or intelligent to categorize people based simply on who signs their paycheck.
anyone but McCroak in 08' ,
To all warmongers and goverment privateers , HOW CAN WE MISS YOU WHEN YOU WONT GO AWAY .
( Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks , it just seemed to fit , dn )
So, shell shock McCain couldn't be bothered. It will be interesting to see how he spins his absence from a vote for 'fellow soldiers'.
ysbaddaden @ 17:
Allow me to try and make this as simple as possible. Despite what you seem to be implying, as a Vietnam veteran, I am certainly not saying that soldiers today should not be receiving their benefits. That proposition would make absolutely no sense at all since I was able to complete my college education because of the GI Bill. What I am saying is that there will be more soldiers ending up in places like Walter Reed and Betheseda Naval Hospital and VA hospitals across the country because they have become severely burned, blinded, brain damaged, paralyzed [like Ron Kovic from the film Born on the Fourth of July], missing their limbs, and suffering from PTSD, as I am, as long as they are placed in that untenable position of being occupiers against the Iraqi and Afghani people.
Advocating that the soldiers receive their benefits is certainly a laudable goal but it focuses more upon the symptom and not the cause of these soldiers' maladies. The goal, as I said at comment #7, should be to get them out of that abattoir as quickly and as rapidly as possible. But as I mentioned at comment #9, they should also listen to their consciences by not terrorizing the Iraqis and Afghanis and by doing that, they will not be coming back to this country physically and psychologically crippled. As I mentioned to you on another post, take the excellent advice of Attila the Appeaser at #12 and rent or purchase the powerful documentary Sir! No Sir!. What the military and this country needs are for more soldiers to emulate one of the early scenes in Sir! No Sir!, which showed an image of a soldier. As the camera pulled away, one could see what was written in large white letters-ARMY SUCKS.
About time this bill was passed...
Someone post the nay's? I am sure my jag off Senator Coleman the weather vane voted for it because he is up for election, but it would be interesting to know.
Thanks,
Alec
Che's Lounge @ 2:
And neither does his chief foreign policy analyst Henry Kissinger:
“Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy”.
The Nuremburg trials were on legally dicey ground to begin with.
An international court preceding all national sovreignty was unheard of.
Before, the plea I was only obeying orders worked.
However, fortunately, those convictd took especial delight in obeying the worst orders and deserved there fate.
Again as I said it before, soldiers should not be held responsible for the orders of their superiors.
Not only does that exonerate the superiors by spreading the blame in a tu quoque manner.
But if soldiers can decide on their own who not to attack
They can decide who to attack.
That's why we have civilian control over the military.
Otherwise, we have a fourth branch of government.
And that may be us.
They Need more.
ysbaddaden @ 36:
Well said Y.
You put the onus on the officers. Where it should be.
Last thought, before I'm going to bed, unaccompanied alas, but no lass.
If an innoncent man was convicted by judge and jury to be executed for a capital crime
Do we blame the executioner?
ysbaddaden @ 39:
Not in Texas.
I'm drunk off my ass again, but in Ysbaddaden36 I was trying to say if soldiers could decide on their own who to attack, that may be us.
ysbaddaden @ 41:
Scary Y.
But when you think about it.
What's stopping Generals like Petraeus from doing it?
McCain was a POW. The administration back then did not support him 100%, so he thought for veterans and active service members rights.
Today, McCain supports Bush, giving as little support as possible to our service members and veterans, but expects them to give 100% in Iraq with their lives.
McCain 1998 "We have to support the troops 100%"
McCain 2008 "The new GI Bill being presented will hurt military retention, creating an exodus of service members from active duty for a college education."
John McCain states his past military service matters, just not ours.
Is this who you want as President? What will our troops be fighting for if McCain's administration wont back them up with more than just ammo?
Perhaps the Admin & McCain fear more people would ENLIST, thereby destroying our reliance on Blackwater, causing their Pals to loose money.
bajaboy @ 29:
PUHLEEZE, don't use that "you don't support the troops" on me.
I am disgusted beyond words when I read about what these troops are subjected to on a daily basis while serving in a senseless war.
I also knew in 2002 while this country cheerleaded its way into the war in Iraq that many of the families of
the soldiers whole-heartedly supported the charge into the invasion.
Look at the statistics and the percentages of those in the military who cheered their way into the war and tell me why and how those families didn't see a Vietnam-like experience in their future.
I did. And I learned this from a handful of books about Vietnam.
future.
Here they are. I GOOGLED and found the link on the Huffington Post by an article by Paul Rieckhoff about the vote. I noticed Senator Graham's name listed. Hopefully this vote will be thrown back in his face when goes surrogating for McCain. What is really interesting is that I think if I'm not mistaken that Senator Graham is a full bird colonel in the Reserves(JAG). He is technically not a chicken hawk, but he is really not looking out for the little guys under him. I really don't know how he can look into his subordinates faces during his next drill. But that requires a conscience. I guess as long as he can buy $5 Persian rugs on his Iraq junkets, he's the COLONEL and his subodinates are not. Not unusual about senior officers though.
Superlabtech
NAYs ---22
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Sessions (R-AL)
Voinovich (R-OH)
#45-FBush & 46-Mike
Very well said. I found it amazing [or perhaps not so amazing] how I was ripped apart yesterday, not by those on the far right, but by some commenters on Crooks and Liars for asking why American soldiers should be considered heroes. I have also found it astonishing that when a soldier returns to this country either in a casket or maimed and crippled, that the family members of that soldier are not outraged by the government and the military for allowing him to return to this country in that wretched condition. Instead, many of them wish to delude themselves into believing that he or she died or returned in a debilitated state because that soldier was supposedly fighting for some ambiguous noble cause or allegedly for our freedoms. As the writer Norman Mailer once remarked, they apparently need something to believe in, even if that means that that raison d'etre has become an illusion.
Erroll @ 48:
Dear Errol, thank you for expressing something which I have kept bottled up for more than a decade.
Let it begin: publicize widely to the troops how McCain who professes to support the troops has voted with his conservative brothers against a bill designed to aid the vets. Only thing that remains is to sit back and watch how the repubs will color it to slant the vote in favor of our military. Or the dems could always take the offensive before the repubs begin their lying.
cboy @ 16:
They are protecting their own gutless asses!
They know the people loathe Bush and the neocon agenda, which they support wholeheartedly. They just realize the jig is up for the repukes, and they are just trying to save their own asses - like any rat would on a sinking ship. If they can survive the next election, they will go right back to sucking out of the corporate fascist shit-trough, and spending every waking minute trying to screw the american people on their behalf! They are amoral pigs, and never do anything unless it benefits them first and foremost.
The ones who voted against it, I wonder how many of their strong strapping sons/daughters have been to war, or even in the military?
They aught to be ashamed.
Superlabtech @ 47:
It's interesting to go to this vote link and look at the bottom where it lists who didn't vote. It's sad to see Kennedy's name there. You know he would have wanted to be in on this vote.
And then after Kennedy's name is that asshole McCain. He has the great courage of a POW hero -- but he was too chicken-shit to get his sorry ass there in time to put his name in and be shown accountable for his "Nay" vote. What a chicken-shit double-talking little bastard. POW hero, my ass. From this day forth he's a disgrace to all that have served our country.
Yea, the two fun loving troop lovers are showing their true colors. Don't we just love these ass holes?
.
The troops, who fight for these 22 US Senators' privilege to serve the People, effectively were told ... SO?
And McTORTURE...?
A B S E N T!
.
Mccain and wife have 7 or 8 houses, private jet, spend thousands on domestic help and Obama is an eletist. John Mccain crashed 3 planes, and broke both arms when shot down over Nam. ( sounds like he didn't follow SOP during bailout. )
He can't raise both arms above the shoulder ( perfect Republican candidate - can't ever surrender ), and for that he gets $58,358/year disability.
I don't believe he has said any thing about fixing the VA's management - who seem incompetent in most areas other than suppression of horrendous health statistics, and he does not want an update of the Veterans benefits bill. He
While it's veto-proof in the Senate, it's not veto-proof in the House.
Still, Bush vetoing it - combined w/ McCain's "Not Voting" will be re-visited often on the campaign trail ... as it should.
To be sure, McCain gets some shelter from his military record - but his not supporting the troops still won't play well w/ the masses.
geneHUSSEIN214 @ 14:
Oh you can bet the ranch this was well calculated by the Dems. And this wont be the last bill that will force McSame to decide between Bush or the troops. So far, he has chosen BOOSH.
Too bad for him. Didn't his 97+ year old mother ever teach him not to play with radioactive shit ?
Billy Shears @ 53:
Kennedy's excuse ... He's coming off a seizure and has been diagnosed with terminal cancer just 2 days ago.
McSame's excuse .... Collecting $25,000 from elitists.
McSame is also telling Obama not to lecture him on military matters given taht Obama never served in uniform. Funny how McSame doe snot have the same feelings for his chick-hawk fellow Repugnicants who ran away from military service ny using their elitist privilages.
Ok fine, Obama never served in uniform. Still doesn't change the fact that McSame has abandoned the troops in order to side with Bush.
Superlabtech @ 47:
If any voter who lives in these bloodsuckers' states dont vote them out of office, you will not be SUPPORTING THE TROOPS. And shame on all of them and all of you!!
"It’s interesting how vulnerable Republicans suddenly start to notice the merit of Democratic legislation six months before Election Day, isn’t it?"
Funny what a Republican will do when his* job is on the line huh?
McDoesn’tsupportthetroops makes me very bitter. Very bitter indeed.
At every speech, on every stump, in every interview Obama and is people have to bring this up. Just because McShame was a POW does not make it correct that he should not be held accountable for his anti servicemen/women NON vote. He didn’t even have the courage to push the button and cast his vote against supporting the troops. He went and hid at a fundraiser and then bad mouthed Obama for Obama’s support of the troops. Obama and his people need to ask why McLame was afraid to do the same. It could be said that McBush was a coward when it came time to vote “yea” or “nay”. Obama and his staff need to hit this head on. Not only does McCoward NOT support the troops he does not even have the courage to stand before the Senate and cast his vote. Then he says that Senator Obama does not have the experience to show his support in a way that is real and unambiguous. Shame, shame, shame on you Mr. McLipservice!!!!
Yes, I am bitter indeed.
Regarding the watered-down alternative some conservatives are trumpeting: Do you want to know what the fuck is discouraging military retention? BEING SENT TO COMBAT TO DIE FOR NOTHING!
Give us our damn benefits.
Chico Hussein @ 59:
I put on one of those uniforms for a while. What you do while in that uniform does not give you a blank check for the rest of your life -- and it damn sure doesn't represent any kind of excuse or explanation for why this repulsive little toad turned his back on those who are now serving in the disaster that McCain, and his president, and his party lied this country into.
McCain's service is actually what makes him guilty on this issue -- because of all people he should know better than to turn his back on our military. And he does know better.
The fact that he doesn't give a shit, added in with his personal experience, is all you need to know about what four years of a McCain presidency would look like.
Just like the questions surrounding Bush's desertion from the Reserves were a clear indication of the kind of regard he would have for our military.
WTN @ 63:
The white house is hoping for another macarthur.
46 Mike
They have to wait till their on leave.
Billy @64 ..
.
.
.
.
"Just like the questions surrounding Bush’s desertion from the Reserves were a clear indication of the kind of regard he would have for our military."
It was amazing that this fact just did not sink in with people in both 2000 and especially in 2004.
To those interested,
The next time some republican dipshit wants to drag us into another brilliant move like Iraq, pull out this article and read it. Then give a copy to everyone you know.
The Things That Carried Him
By Chris Jones
http://www.esquire.com/features/things-that-carried-him
Chico Hussein @ 67:
Chico, if you want to go from amazing to psychotic you should have seen the majority of vets I tried to talk to about that issue, back during the 2000 campaign. Most of them (especially the American Legion and VFW types) didn't see, and wouldn't even consider Bush's service record as an issue. They were gung-ho for a dose of that great republican foreign policy -- and I must say, they got an adult dose.
This is one tiny small good thing in compensation for the misuse, and otherwise callous treatment all four branches, but especially what the guard, the army and the marines have been put thru during this presidency. Given the stakes on the 'table' this year, I just hope all vets, active or not, marks down who was for this bill up front and who was against it... And I don't mean to say lets give a pass to the vaccillating 'uncertain' repubs who stood around the senate floor waiting to see which way the wind was blowing first.. Those tools voted for it yea... Not becauese they give a damn about the men and women in uniform, but because they feared for their own political futures. Johnny come lately opportunists don't get any high fives from me for finally doing the right thing for a change. I mean lets make sure we all know who was truly for this long overdo reform of the G.I. bill because of the merits of that bill. Because they actually care about those men and women in uniform. Not because they are looking to save their miserable political careers in an election year....And vote accordingly.. JD
Good. Maybe they can pass some price-control legislation on gasoline.
I am going to check to see if Kyle is running for reelection because this man will difinately l9se cause Will see to it this vote is all over AZ.
Modernized GI's allowed side-burns like this?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Quentin_Collins.jpg/...
What was most surprising was ... that half of the Senate’s 49 Republicans bucked President Bush and GOP presidential candidate John McCain "
i'm laughing hard at that one. it is only "surprising" if you are not paying attention. i would have used the word "predictable" myself.
It's just plain dispicable to vote against the GI Bill, plain and simple.