Here you see the people who don't treat "Support The Troops" as a slogan and don't treat the men and women as bags of feed for a war machine. These politicians actually give a damn about the people fighting and dying for America. Unlike Bush and McCain, who complain of the "cost" and it being "too generous". TOO GENEROUS? These troops are FIGHTING AND DYING while a draft dodger and former POW who should know better complain about the cost??? Our sons and daughters are on their 3rd, 4th, 5TH tour into war and the best McCain, Bush, and Cheney can come up with is "So?"? From the same people who complained a 3% raise for the troops last year was too generous.

Veterans and TRUE patriots, it says a lot about Bush and McCain when liberals like Pelosi are out there fighting to make the lives of the people and families who give EVERYTHING for this country a little better. If this is what was mockingly called "San Francisco Values" in 2006, then we need those values embraced by everyone who says they "Support the troops".

Our sons and daughters, now on their 3rd, 4th, and 5th tours of Iraq, deserve this bill, at a minimum. Time to treat them as Americans we honor, not work animals.

It is imperative our nation provide our brave GIs with the benefits they deserve. They have given themselves to fortify our defenses and protect us from evil. If there was a way to even reserve a mere 10% of what we have lost in the Iraq war and are continuing to lose still, we would be fulfilling our reponsibilities for the contributions they have made. If we had a way to distribute the remaining 90% to benefit the Iraqi population directly, they would all have a life of peace and happiness.

Well, here we go again! The only time this bunch of "patriotic, conservative draft dodgers" with their flag lapel pins "support" the troops are when they use can them to win elections...just the same way they treated wounded vets at walter reed......one question i would like answered.....could someone please explain to me how getting shot down and captured makes one a war hero?...and in mccain's case it seems to have insulated him from any questions or scrutiny from the press....

Hey Jim O'Neill, question McCain's proposals, his political record, or his temperment, but don't question his military service. If the guy got shot down and spent 5 years in a Vietnamese prison and refused to be released until his fellow prisoners were let go, there is not much to question about his heroism. Much lesser achievements have been dubbed heroism. Indeed, we would be lucky if all other political candidates and citizens would go so far to serve their country. Taken together, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have not spent one year in military service. McCain spent more time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than John Murtha's entire tour of duty there. If your brand of heroism can top that, then you'll get my vote.

if you are voting for someone just because they were once a POW, that is not reason enough.l There were tortured POW's from the Gulf War who asked for compensation and Bush would not pay them because he said he needed money for Iraq war. John McCain was once a war hero-now he is a mean old man who doesn't care enough about the poor our our vets. They are afraid they are going to leave the military so they won't give them benefits, or enough time off between deployments, or good conditions when they come home. Wake up. John McCain is not the John McCain he once was. You cannot vote on what someone used to be or you would have voted for Kerry. Instead Republicans mocked his purple hearts at the convention with band aids-it was disgusting.l

These veterans could have earned more for college by participating in a work/study program and stacking books in a college library. Instead they risked their lives for service to their country, and THIS is how we reward them? Disgraceful.

I finished my College Education in Civil Engineering following WW2 and like many vets of that era we couldn't have done it with out the GI Bill. It was the best investment the Government made at that time. It's inconceivable to me that when the present GIs are laying their life on the line they get a slap in the face when they come home.

Only one of the current Presidential candidates has actually bombed and killed innocent women and children. Think about it!

As a Vietnam-era veteran, I applaud the work of
Webb, Warner, Pelosi, Reid, Brown-Waite, and Mitchell in putting together a decent bill for the veterans. Please let your Senators and Congressmen know that you care, and that you support that bill.
I am appalled and disgusted by McCain, Lindsey and Burr introducing a watered-down fake veterans' bill that is supposed to be "less expensive". How can those men show their faces in public? Have they no shame? How can anyone back-stab the military personel like that and then claim that they "support the troops"?

"... Vietnam war hero."

Sorry, but the only American heroes in the Vietnam war were those that refused to go.
Those that went were victims.

Sen. Webb's bill is not the answer. Taxpayers should not be burdened with paying veterans for a four year full ride at college. The current GI Bill is set up to assist separated or retired service members with education costs not cover all of them. I do believe that active duty and guard/reserve education benefits could be increased as long as the member is still serving. I served six years in the Air Force and just recently separated. I'm going to school full time at University of Maryland University College. The GI bill covers all of my tuition and books, but I still have to work to eat. Having a wife and child, working full time and going to school full time is the quite a burden. However, I'm willing to pay that price for my education. Furthermore, the Air Force taught me how to deal with obstacles like these and overcome them.

Sen. Webb's bill is not the answer. Taxpayers should not be burdened with paying veterans for a four year full ride at college. The current GI Bill is set up to assist separated or retired service members with education costs not cover all of them. I do believe that active duty and guard/reserve education benefits could be increased as long as the member is still serving. I served six years in the Air Force and just recently separated. I'm going to school full time at University of Maryland University College. The GI bill covers all of my tuition and books, but I still have to work to eat. Having a wife and child, working full time and going to school full time is the quite a burden. However, I'm willing to pay that price for my education. Furthermore, the Air Force taught me how to deal with obstacles like these and overcome them.

Well all you conservative Republicans out there...you know who you are...are you ready to admit that you've elected to power the worst of the worst, the most mean-spirited cowardly draft-dodging deserter of a President who only uses your sons and daughters in uniform for political photo-ops so he and his minions can rob the coffers of our great nation? Its okay to be wrong once, and maybe we can forgive you for your second round of stupidity in re-electing this pile of human excrement to a second term, but for the love of God get some brains and lets vote these bastards out of office in '08. You are Americans, after all, and the rest of us need you. The world is watching what we do here.

Glad to hear from SSgt Eric, someone who actually knows what he is talking about. In addition to the GI Bill, active duty members now receive 100 percent tuition assistance for college classes while serving. I know that is how I got my Master's Degree. This is an obvious plan to strangle the administration's funding for the war masked by the quasi patriotic plea "it's for the brave troops." Please support our troops by increasing our manpower authorizations, funding much needed replacement aircraft and tanks, and improving family member programs. I truly thank each of you who wish to support our troops but let our military professionals figure out the best way how not politically driven Congressional earmarks.

Mr. Weisman,

You have misused the word "loathe", in you post. The word you were looking for was "loath".

When I (as a 24 year vet) see all of these anti military DIMS suddenly bending over backward to "support" the troops, I get a bit suspicious. As I recall Sen Webb wasted no time confronting Pres Bush on the war. What better way to strip the military than devise a gold plated program which provides more incentive to get out than stay in. The current GI bill just isn't that bad.

Hopefully those little patriotic lapel pins will stick those who only mouth "Support the Troops" - and may those little sticks draw blood!

Why pick such a time to pick on John McCain? I hope both the author and his bride a long and happy marrage and may they have many children such as Obama.

Helpless liberal reporters just can't keep from making themselves look foolish. This article doesn't contain one word regarding "Senators" Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama. I guess we can mark the Washington Post off the list of media sources that provide "fair and balanced" coverage. Just another hatchet job from a liberal rag.

Did you see the White House Press Corps dinner on Cspan? Craig Ferguson, the late night talk show host, was the comedian of note at the annual White House Press Club Dinner. He was pretty funny, and at one point he sucked in the liberal media and played them like rubes.

He asked a question "How many here are Republicans" of the throng of about 750. A polite cheer went up. He then asked "How many here are Democrats" and the room exploded. He then looked out at the room and laughed while he excalimed, "it's kind of useless to deny the liberal bias of the press after that!"

McCain is the next US President.
GO McCAIN!

We can let these kids die ofver in Iraq & Afghanastan but we can't take care of them when they come home? Something is wrong with this picture. And McBush with is "superior" I support the troups is full of crap. Why won't he support this or any of the bills that Jim Webb has proposed? His claim of wanting small government is stupid-look at the size of it now after 8 yrs with GWB. A portion shoul be spent at home especially on our troops.

I have been told (by a "died in the wool" Republican not to vote for McCain. This surprised me, since This man is known to be a dedicated Republican. Here is what he said: McCain was on the way to his assigned target in N.Vietnam, when he got orders to divert, due to the enemy having
"locked their missile on to his plane"
McCain answered he was only 4 or 5 minutes from his assigned target, so he did not want to divert, but fly on to his target. He was shot down.
I'd like to know if this is true. Does anybody know?

.....could someone please explain to me how getting shot down and captured makes one a war hero?...
Posted by: jim oneill | April 29, 2008 9:15 PM
--------
Since you asked, I will explain it to you. McCain was not only "shot down and captured." After he was captured, he was given the opportunity to accept release from the Hanoi Hilton because his father was a prominent American admiral. McCain refused release, stating that there were prisoners who had been in the POW camp longer than he had and that they should be released first. McCain, through his own free will, endured five years of torture because he would not leave his comrades.

If you do not understand how that makes him a war hero, then I am afraid that there is a great deal that you will never be able to understand.

Of course, his war hero status hardly qualifies him in itself to be President. Like all the candidates, voters should judge McCain on both his stands on issues and his character. You may disagree with him on the issues, and you are free to vote for Mr. Obama or Ms. Clinton. His actions do, however, tell a great deal about his character - also a relevant trait for the most powerful political leader in the world.

why all the running around the bush...Senator John McCain is the worst possible person the republican's could have come up with, pathetic bunch that they are, My father fought in 2nd world war..he was a great man, war hero probably not...but because McCain was a prisoner..I (Yes that means I) do not think he has a right to be President of the United States.. and i do not think he is any kind of hero.. so talk all you want, thankfully there are alot of intelligent people in the Country and we see thru the smoke screen...Go Dem's 08

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Someone From her Campaign, Please Contact the Editor !

In the last election the Pro-Israel lobby financed the Bush Election

In the last election the Military Industrial Complex lobby financed the Bush Election

In the last election the OIL monopolies lobby financed the Bush Election

As a result after Bush's election, they were all given Carte-Blanche to do anything they liked !

All three are out of Control !

The Lobby, the Oil-Cartels and the Military Industrial Complex, are so much out of control, that they now run the Government and no
President elected this time can really stop them.

Since the election of Bush, hundreds of Journalists like me who tell the truth have been assassinated, I can prove it. The result is that

other journalists are afraid to tell the truth or are ultimately financed by one of the above monopolies within the corporate press. The plain ordinary American people as a result, do not know what is really happening in the world and cannot make the informed choices at election time as a result.

SO WHERE IS THE BIG MONEY GOING THIS TIME ???

Well the big OIL Cartels and Monopolies are financing Obama !

I am not getting paid for this, so you can work the rest out for yourselves.

IF I SAY ANYMORE , I TOO WILL BE ASSASSINATED ! I'M TRYING TO STAY ALIVE !

I NEED HELP ! WILL YOU STAND WITH ME AND THE DEFENCELESS ORDINARY PEOPLE OF THE WORLD ?

DEMOCRACY IS DEAD !

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