Obama Hits McCain Over Webb GI Bill

Barack Obama is giving a speech right now on veterans' issues in West Virginia in which he hits John McCain for failing to back Jim Webb's 21st Century version of the GI bill -- a measure that would cover the full cost for veterans to attend a state university.

In the speech, Obama makes a passing reference to Hillary, conceding he'll likely lose West Virginia to her, then pivots to a general election argument, saying that he "couldn't disagree more" with McCain's refusal to support Webb's measure.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[tiredofhillary]

What a hypocrite. Mr. Magoo wants voters to believe that he is the ultimate authority on the military and the soldiers, but he won't get behind the new GI bill. Somethings wrong with this picture.

[TabysGrandma]

Here is the recent status of S.22
Title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a program of educational assistance for members of the Armed Forces who serve in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (56)
Related Bills: H.R.2702, H.R.5740
Latest Major Action: 5/7/2008 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL ACTIONS:
1/4/2007:
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S56-57)
1/4/2007:
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S57-61)
7/31/2007:
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
2/28/2008:
Star Print ordered on the bill.
5/7/2008:
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

Here is the Link to see if your Senators are one of the 56 cosponsors
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN00022:

[TrueIndy08]

I'm so happy Obama pointed this out... and I hope from now until NOV this receives more air time!!! The truth of the matter is, Mohn McCain is no Maverick...

The man claims to love our troops yet you vote against benefits for them... he has sold his soul down the river to those right wing nutties...

As the spouse of an active duty Marine, I hate the fact that my husband is now fighting in Iraq for the 3rd time... even he doesn't know why he is there!!!

We have managed to kill 4000+ and disable countless others, yet when it comes time to pay them back, they get voted down by a man who wants to be their Commander In Chief!

The extra $600 a month paid to these brave souls over in Iraq and other conflicts is nothing when their lives are on the line every moment of every day! Its sad and disgusting that we have these crooked politicians cashing in on this horrendous war while our troops are making pennies! Why don't we give them the best???

A vote for McCain is a vote against our troops... He wants to keep them over in that mess for who knows how long... and doesn't want to reward them when they get home...

He is no "MAVERICK"... he is a old desperate soul kissing the a$$ of right wing corruption all in the name of the White House!

[eej]

That speech was incredible.

[dagnew]

McCain receives a pension of $58,358 a year as a retired 'disabled' veteran, yet he is touting that he is in good health and will be hiking the Grand Canyon this summer.

[eej]

I'll bet none of the Iraq veterans who are really disabled will get that much. You know, the ones he sent to war for nothing by campaigning for George W. Bush - twice.

[steamboat]

A 100% disability rating is $2527 a month. A veteran can receive less and/or more than 100% by the way..And its compensation, by the way, not pension. McCain gets a disability rating + navy officiers pension rating.

[JackLivigni]

I reiterate what the previous poster wrote. http://www.wegoted.com/News/more.asp?ID=4398 This is a must read link on McCain's record.

[forpeace]

*

John McCain... Electable?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y395Tftgz0E

*

[merle7]

http://www.wegoted.com/News/more.asp?ID=4398

Take a look at McCain's veteran voting record,ans is whole campaign is base on his record as a verteran.

John McCain is a phoney!!!

[JackLivigni]

This link is a must read!! Thanks for that.

[debwarot]

Thanks for the link. This took me by surprise - talk about being hypocritical!

[IngeniousGirl]

Obama knocked this one out of the park, as a Blue Star Mom with many Veteran friends from WWII to Iraq, this is the message our country is looking for. Just the other evening we were saying we need to clean house in the VA period.

McCain opposes supporting our troops, he's the guy who votes for fancy toys for the boys, bombs, missle systems, stars in his eyes for Air Force and Navy, for get Marines and Army.

GOP has done everything in can to denigrate our troops, Tanner thinks there should be no money for any of them including "candlestick makers" - he is an atrocious person.

[Ariesjill]

Bless you....and U bet: they actuall think humans are stupid enough to think wearing a lapel pin obfuscates they are using American youth as canon fodder.

Let's make sure we prove them wrong.

[debwarot]

It was an incredible speech, I agree!

I hope all veterans and their families realize what a friend they will have in Obama!

[Teritt]

When I first read this I was thinking, well, McCain really has sold his soul to the GOP to get the nomination - now he's turning on his fellow Veterans. But the more I thought about it, the more I realize that the real GOP does not really like War Heroes. Look what they did to Kerry, yet they backed Bush all the way even though no one would come forth and even prove he actually fulfilled his TX National Guard duty. People like Bush & Cheney & Rove & Romney & Limbaugh & Guiliani & Bill O'Reilly & Newt Gingrich & Tom DeLay & Bill Kristol should I go on? there's plenty more) all recieved deferments. They think all the poor kids should go and fight and they'll give lip service and NOTHING else. I thought McCain was different.(A friend of mine is a Marine that served in Afghanistan & Iraq and said all the guys he served with want Obama to get the nomination.) The above chicken hawks will wear their flag pins and SAY they support our troops. But when it comes to respect or money - it's all a bunch of lies. If they had respect they'd use their influence to get the support for the troops, but they're too worried about their own tax breaks . The GOP would all rather just keep their whisper campaign going against Obama rather then do something good for our soldiers.

[JackLivigni]

Ain't that the truth!

[missette]

What no one's mentioned yet is that this is a really great speech. It needs more coverage, now.

[08timefortruth]

I just watched his speech on C-Span and it was great.

[harriscrl3]

You mean to tell me that West Virginians actually showed up to hear Obama speak. With the way the pundits were carrying on I felt sure that he would be speaking to an empty room. Its too bad he doesnt have the time because I suspect if he did he would prove some of these pundits wrong. I suspect WV is a state where a lot of misinformation is being spread about Obama. I can only imagine what they are saying and he is not there to interact with the people so they believe it.

Carol

[heal57]

I agree Carol. When people get to see and hear Senator Obama speak on the issues, they are usually convinced of his truthfulness and moral leadership. He talks to people, not at them. I saw his speech on C-Span in central Oregon and he was wonderful as always. He took questions and his answers were very deep, yet personal and he knows more about everything than any other 'politician' I've ever heard. He is unlike anybody else in government . I think a lot of Veterans has come to that realization, including some of those in West Virginia.


Independent for Obama '08

[eej]

Sadly, that was true of Dennis Kucinich also but he was blacklisted by the press, even by this blog.

I wish Kucinich would have a place in Obama's administration. We need him.

[debwarot]

I think you are right on target, heal57. Senator Obama is an extraordinary and compelling candidate. I don't think he will win tomorrow in West Virginia, but he may have opened the door a bit. Later, after he has won the nomination, I hope he will be able to return to the state and continue the process of introducing himself.

[jayburd]

I'm starting to think that one of the real reasons the right wing didn't want McCain on the ticket in the first place is precisely because he's not your run-of-the-mill Vietnam vet turned politician - he's THE Vietnam Vet. And toeing the party line on being stingy with veteran's benefits makes him look not just like a hypocrite, it makes him look like THE Hypocrite.

Republicans have managed to dodge their hypocrisy issues for years now by simple distraction. But McCain is looking more pro-war and and less pro-veteran every day. I don't see how he can wrangle away from that image even with the media being as friendly with him as they are.

[V4Vigilance]

Exposing what utter BS GOP "support the troops" rhetoric is and what a Democratic administration and Congress would REALLY do to "support the troops" should be a major issue in the upcoming election.

OBAMA/RICHARDSON 08

[steamboat]

Last week on TV McCain said, "he and Sen. Webb need to get a 'new GI Bill' finalized. He absolutely did NOT say he was NOT supporting the vets. So be fair---and I'm NOT a McCain backer.

BTW, I live in Illinois. So all you Illinois folks know what I'm talking about. Our state is the worst for getting benefits and disability rating for her veterans. BTW, the red-states like Texas and Alabama are the best. The Chicago Sun-Times did an extensive report on this. Anyway, I'm a VietNam vet and belong and participate in veteran organization activities (I belong to Disabled American Veterans). When the report first surfaced, Obama talked big, saying he was going to look into this and that, do this and that. Very soon afterwards, we NEVER heard from him again. And never got return calls when we called his offices. So I'm not as sold on him like you all are. And I speak from experience.

[nomobull]

so why didn't he support the webb bill

[steamboat]

I can only go by what he said on TV. That there finalizing the details.

Now I ask you a question or two: 1. Why did Obama break his promise to us war vets in Illinois?
2. Why is my state (Illinois) with two liberal democratic US Senators, a democratic governor, and a democratic-controlled state house ranked FIFTY (the worst) when it comes to benefits and disability ratings for veterans? .....explain?

[Ramirez]

The GI Bill was bundled as part of an amendment to an enormous legislative package. Had it been stand-alone legislation it would have passed easily, but the Democrats filled the full bill with poison-pills so it would fail. The goal was not to pass the Webb bill, but to create talking points for the election.