Politics for Any and All !

Today's GI Bill, however, is a pale shadow of the original, particularly when it comes to college, as Congress has not kept the benefits in line with the rising cost of higher education. The World War II-era living stipend is gone; now, members of the military must agree to a $100 monthly payroll deduction to receive the college aid. An education benefit that sent WWII vets to Yale won't cover four years at the average public university, though many recruits don't understand this when they sign up.
Sen. James Webb, D-Va., a former Marine who served in Vietnam and who was President Reagan's Navy secretary, has made restoring the GI Bill education benefits one of his signature issues; it was his bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., that cleared the Senate over McCain's and Bush's opposition.
McCain contends that making the education benefits too generous will hurt retention, as enlistees will leave for college rather than re-enlist. McCain's position makes sense only by overlooking the fact that the main retention (and recruiting) problems facing the military are the Iraq war and the scandals plaguing military and veterans' health care.
The inadequacy of the military's prime recruiting tool — subsidized college educations — is hurting recruitment too, and Webb claims this can be fixed only by fixing the GI Bill. He says McCain, a friend, "is missing the boat" by siding with the Bush Pentagon rather than veterans groups. Webb points to a Congressional Budget Office analysis that found any possible losses in retention caused by his bill would be balanced by the increases in recruitment it would generate.
McCain's rationalization for opposing the bill may not hold water, but his stance makes perfect sense in light of his record. From 2004 to 2006, the Disabled Veterans of America gave him annual scores ranging from 50 percent to the most recent 20 percent when it comes to supporting the group's legislative priorities. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave him a grade of "D" in the group's most recent analysis of voting records. The American Legion says he is dead wrong on the GI Bill, as does the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
When Obama criticized McCain on the GI Bill, the Arizona senator angrily suggested that Obama's status as a nonveteran rendered his opinions on military matters worthless (an odd stance, as this standard would also discount the opinions of 85 percent of American men, 98.8 percent of American women and two-thirds of Congress). Then he invited a look at his record by asserting, "I take a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans."
So where does McCain stand on legislation supported by major veterans organizations?
On Webb's GI Bill, he expressed opposition, and he was AWOL when it was time to vote on May 22.
In September, he voted against another Webb bill that would have mandated adequate rest for troops between combat deployments.
On a badly needed $1.5-billion increase for veterans medical services for fiscal year 2007 — to be funded through closing corporate tax loopholes — he voted no. He also voted against establishing a trust fund to bolster under-budgeted veterans hospitals.
In May 2006, he voted against a $20-billion allotment for expanding swamped veterans medical facilities.
In April 2006, he was one of 13 Senate Republicans who voted against an amendment to provide $430 million for veterans outpatient care.
In March 2004, he voted against and helped defeat on a party-line vote a $1.8-billion reserve for veterans medical care, also funded by closing tax loopholes.
Before the Senate voted on Webb's GI legislation, McCain offered what he called a compromise bill, but it was rejected. Webb pointed out that there really was no compromise in McCain's proposal because it would have excluded most veterans by offering full education benefits only to those with multiple enlistments, even though 70 percent to 75 percent of enlistees leave after one tour.
Compare McCain's stingy standards with the original GI Bill: It paid for 12 months of college or vocational school if a veteran served 90 days, with additional benefits, up to 48 months of school, for each month of military service. It is Webb's bill that represents the reasonable compromise between the gold standard set for the "greatest generation's" original GI benefits and what is doable in today's economy: a GI Bill that will truly pay for a college education after three years of service, without the onerous payroll deduction.
So here is where the McCain image and reality part company. It is certainly true that his affectionate and respectful rhetoric for America's servicemen and women takes a back seat to no one. But when it comes to improving the health and education of our veterans, McCain's record leaves them stranded by the side of the road.
Humes is the author of "Over Here: How the GI Bill Transformed the American Dream."

McCain has explained this, and it has been repeated over and over. Have you not heard the explanation, or are you deliberately ignoring it?

Maybe we are watching different media but the ones I have been watching are not giving McCain much coverage it is always Obama.

govwatcher,
You mean "obama the Messiah"?

silas, please be so kind as to post a link giving us McCain's official explanation, perhaps a taped interview, or his published statement.

No one who is actually thinking of voting for Obama considers him a “Messiah”. So using it says much more about the fear of those who cling to that word than it does about the enthusiasm of those of us who are leaning towards Obama. Every time someone uses that overblown exaggeration instead of a considered reply, I know that person has no good explanation for their point of view.

Here ya go...

I believe they think he is the Messiah. Count on it.

McCain has been known to jokingly call the media his "base."

McCain DID favor a bill that would be a bit less in order to encourage people to stay in the military.
Many, including me, were more in favor of upping the benefits now and having the new incentives increase enlistment.
To me, this is an example of one of the times what is good for the military might not be good for the individual soldier.
I'm swinging toward the soldier.

And I sure don't think the media is mesmerized by McCain. Obama seems to get a lot more coverage--- often defending the slings thrown against him. Keep it up; free press.