Congress: Money for War, But No Money for the Troops? small group of Dems torpedoing GI Bill

[G_j]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff/congress-money-for-war-bu_b_101435.html
Congress: Money for War, But No Money for the Troops?

Posted May 12, 2008 | 11:25 PM (EST)

When it comes to hypocritical "Support the Troops" rhetoric, I thought I'd seen it all. But I was wrong. This week, a small group of Democrats are using back door dealings to torpedo the widely-supported new GI Bill. For anyone new to the issue, here's the bottom line up front:

In 1944, FDR signed the original GI Bill, which gave every veteran a chance to go to college. It paid for tuition, fees, and books, and gave veterans a living stipend. The GI Bill helped the "Greatest Generation" readjust to civilian life, it helped pull us out of a post-war recession, and it helped build the middle class. Every dollar spent on educational benefits under the original GI Bill added at least seven dollars to the national economy.

Today, 1.7 million troops have come home from Iraq and Afghanistan, but the GI Bill no longer covers anything like the cost of college. So a bipartisan coalition of veterans now serving in the Senate introduced a new GI Bill, modeled on the World War II legislation. This bill recently got added to the war funding bill currently in Congress.

In the real world, two things are obvious:

1) If you send troops to war, caring for the veterans who come home is an unavoidable and necessary cost of that war.
2) The GI Bill is a proven program, and a smart financial investment that pays for itself.

It just makes sense. That's why the 300-plus Senators and Representatives from both parties and all the major veterans organizations in America have endorsed the legislation.

In Washington, however, it seems like nothing is ever easy. A couple of Congressmen, including Rep. John Tanner (D-TN), Jim Cooper (D-TN), and Allen Boyd (D-FL), all members of the Blue Dog Coalition, have gotten together to OPPOSE paying for the GI Bill this week. (If you live in their districts, you can urge them to support the GI Bill by clicking here.)
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[Zodiak]

1. There go the Blue dog again

Then and the DLC make their living destroying good legislation, and then they can shift the blame on the "liberals" for not getting anything done.

These people need to leave the party, and we need to work hard to get rid of them. DLCers and Blue Dogs...with friends like this, who needs enemies?

[Hydra]

2. They're the republicans' best friends

They help destroy our majority for our bills, and they help push things for Bushco.

Third way seems to be support for the top 10%, and screwing anyone else.

We may as well have Ron Paul at that point.

[VP505]

3. Meanwhile back at the Senate,

the Reptilians have decided to not back the Webb GI Bill but have floated another Bill authored by Graham and McSame. Its reported that Reid was absolutely livid about that and right now they are voting to try and table the Graham/McSame bill.

[nels25]

4. Carter gutted the FDR original in 77

and boy did he make us mad (I was USN active duty then) his dumb ass VEEP program was a complete rip off and insult to service members/veterans.

There were more than a few of us who volunteered post Nam who in part did so for the educational benefits and Carter shredded them.

You may not like it but Reagan brought at least some of them back with the passage of the Montgomery G. I. Bill in 84.

I like the fact that the original G. I. bill is being restored, but I am not happy about all the extra money in cost me to get educated because Carter castrated the original G. I. bill.

You had to be there but a large number of active duty armed forces members had nothing but contempt for Carter.