McCain and the New GI Bill

As I've said before, the least we can do for our returning vets is to give them the opportunity to go to college and realize dreams that they may have thought unreachable. Most of the Senate and House agree with me. Unfortunately, the presumptive Republican nominee, a Vietnam vet and POW, doesn't agree. He's more concerned that our current military doesn't start leaving the service in order to go to college. As Cynthia Tucker, of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, points out,

Now, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), joined by his colleagues John Warner (R-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), wants to give veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan a similar package of benefits, since those young men and women, like the vets of the Greatest Generation, have made enormous sacrifices for their country. But their proposal has met stiff opposition from the White House and from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

McCain claims the proposal is too expensive; he has offered a scaled-down version of the plan. Webb's new GI Bill, which covers the entire cost for a veteran attending a public college, would require about $5 billion a year. The continued U.S. troop presence in Iraq costs much, much more — about $144 billion a year. Surely the nation can afford to give a fraction of that to the troops.

Perhaps the real reason for McCain's refusal to support more generous college benefits lies in a letter Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote to Congress a few weeks ago: The Pentagon fears the plan would lure soldiers away from re-enlistment and back into civilian life. With the Republican establishment lined up behind an open-ended commitment to Iraq — and with some chicken hawks screaming for military action against Iran — they need cannon fodder. They don't want enlisted men and women to have the alternative of a college education paid for by a grateful nation.

Revelations like that always give me a shudder — a momentary feeling of disorientation. Is this still America? Aren't we the nation that claims we absolutely support the troops, that we will never dishonor their service again, that we all should be wearing flag pins to show our pride and patriotism?

Applause . . . A Tribute to the Troops

This weekend, as we all take a three day holiday, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are still working their jobs and carrying their weapons without the possibility of having even one day off. They voluntarily wear the uniform and serve their country. Let's take a minute to pause and think of them - male and female, gay and straight, black and white, citizen and immigrant - all of those who wear the uniform.

Thank you!

Update on the New GI BIll

Last week the House voted to expand education benefits for today's veterans by a vote of 256-166. Today, the Senate joined them by approving the bill with a vote of 75-22. The two versions will be reconciled in committee and the final versions will be sent to President Bush's desk for approval. Unfortunately, President Bush has threatened to veto the bill because he is afraid more soldiers will leave the service and go to college. Did he ever stop to think that signing the bill could actually increase recruitment? Or does he even realize that our men and women in uniform can attend school for free while they are still on active duty?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Beginning of the End?

In a ruling that may signal the beginning of the end for the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy on gays in the military, A California appeals court reinstate the case of Air Force Major Margaret Witt.  Witt served as a military nurse and was honored for her service in Oman by President Bush.  After being discharged with only two years left until retirement, Witt sued.  The court ruled that rather than apply on the rationale that gays in the military disrupt morale and interfere with unit cohesion, there must also be evidence, for each individual case, that dismissal of the person serves an important government interest.

Currently, there are thousands of gays and lesbians in our nations military, many of them in harms way in Iraq or Afghanistan, some for the second or third tour of duty.  These men and women are loyal US citizens, willing to give the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.  Many of them serve openly within their units with no backlash from their fellow soldiers.  It's time for our country to end this policy.  We need these dedicated people just as we need all military personnel.

There are those in our country who will say, there goes that court in California again.  I, for one, say thank you.  It's about time reason and logic stood up and said Enough!

For more information on Major Witt's case,  go to the stories on MSNBC or  The New York Times.