Bush misleads military families.
By on Feb 9th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Bush misleads military families.
President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. “Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our nation, and tonight our nation honors them,” he said.
A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative, which government analysts calculate could cost $1 billion to $2 billion annually.
Steve Benen and Nicole Belle have more.
UPDATE: More false promises from Bush’s State of the Union here and here.
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That’s what he always give the military families – empty words.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:34 pmHe speaks for the applause, and then he renegs.
Well DUUUUH!
What did you expect?
You could have pencilled this one in and gone home early.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:35 pmWell, it looks like pretty much everything he said he was going to do in his State of the Union speech was a lie. This is like the fourth article about something he said he would do but didn’t back it up with funding. I will never understand the 30% of people in this country who don’t mind being lied to on a daily basis.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:35 pmHe’s giving them, and all of us, more than empty words, Marie.
The shaft, the short end, the 3rd finger on BOTH hands… whatever you want to call it.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:36 pmIt’s called “Battered Republican Syndrome”, Billo.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:37 pmThat last 30% is so terrified of “thinking for themselves” they’l gladly follow the Chimpinator into whatever black hole he wants to lead them to.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:39 pmWhat did you expect? Something honorable from that hateful POS?
The ultimate sham, tears in his eyes as he conjurs up Christ in front of believers, chest thumping rhetoric in front of the military, lies and signing statements….ad naseaum. The most disgraceful President ever. I hope he knows just how much he is reviled and hated.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:39 pmReality means nothing, only appearances. To bad the troops should have to find this out as well. I have yet to see how bad food, cockroaches and black mold can benefit a wounded soldier’s convalescence.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:41 pmI assume every word Bush utters is a lie anyway, so I am not surprised.
And all my outrage burned out long ago, now I am left with enduring cynicism. I expect these crooks to act in such a way.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:45 pmSad.
Last night on Maher, Matthew Dowd characterized Bush in virtually every negative way he could but got irritated with Maher for saying Bush was “corrupt.”
Maher pointed to Bush’s Big Oil connections which seemed somewhat of a no-paper-trail-stretch to me instead of pointing out Bush’s blatant and obvious corruption of MORALITY.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:46 pmBush misleads military families.
Bush tells bold-faced lies to military families — and the rest of us.
Fixed it for ya, TP. He LIED.
Time to call it the way it is.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:53 pmEven more empty then usual
5 US Soldiers Killed Today
February 9th, 2008 at 1:53 pmSoldiers are nothing but a photo back drop to Bush.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:53 pm3957
http://icasualties.org/oif/
February 9th, 2008 at 1:54 pmFixed it for ya, TP. He LIED.
Time to call it the way it is.
Comment by Zooey — February 9, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
I concur, a lie is still a lie, no matter what you call it.
You can call a pile of crap a rose, but it still stinks like sh!t.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:56 pmsoldiers are now dying at the highest rate since Set 07
And the Shit hits the fan next month
Also Sunni Allies Go on Strike in Iraq’s Diyala Province
US SUNNI ALLIES REFUSE TO KILL FELLOW SUNNI ARABS IN DIYALA
February 9th, 2008 at 1:57 pmSigh… It’s like the hands are falling off from shrugging so much.
Every week there is a new low for this horrible, horrible man and every week I tell myself that it cannot get any worse, that there is no way he can be more slimy, more callous, more evil….
And usually I am proven wrong a week or a few weeks later…
February 9th, 2008 at 1:59 pmHas Bush ever not lied?
February 9th, 2008 at 2:22 pm“Just because I said it doesn’t mean I said it.”
February 9th, 2008 at 2:22 pmHe is a compulsive LIER! It is not the first time that he LIES during State of the Union address… during 2003 State of the Union address he told the american people and the World that Saddam Hussein was procuring aluminium tubes for Nuclear weapon… He is a WAR CRIMINAL AND A COMPULSIVE LIER!
February 9th, 2008 at 2:22 pmI always know what is happening with the Iraq occupation and the American economy through Bush and his administrations words… Whatever they say, I know the oposite is the truth! ‘Saddam has WMD’, no he didn’t have any. ‘Iran is procuring Nuclear Weapons’, no they are not (NIE report!), ‘The ‘insurgents’ are on their last throws’, no they are not. ‘Mission acomplished’, not it is not! ‘FEMA has done a great job in New Orleans’, no they haven’t! ‘The USA does not Torture’, yes they do! ‘If someone is found guilty of outing Valerie Plame in ‘my’ administration I’ll make sure they will be held accountable’, Scooter Libby is not behind barrs, Rove and Chenney are still out of jail! What scares me most is thet recently he said that the US’s economy is sounding and doing well…
February 9th, 2008 at 2:33 pmWhat did you expect? Something honorable from that hateful POS?
The ultimate sham, tears in his eyes as he conjurs up Christ in front of believers, chest thumping rhetoric in front of the military, lies and signing statements….ad naseaum. The most disgraceful President ever. I hope he knows just how much he is reviled and hated.
Comment by chingebush — February 9, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
February 9th, 2008 at 2:38 pmOh I think he can sense it! Just compare his early photos of his fake presidential term (slote election) with today photos… he is caring so much bad karma, that not even with 3 layers of make up can conseal it!
Bush-”The US does not Torture”
Even many soldiers had said to me afterwards…if you weren’t a terrorist when you came in here, by the time you leave, I’m sure you would be because of the way you’ve been treated.
–Bagram detainee Moazzam Begg
February 9th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
By now Bush must have told more lies than all previous presidents combined.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:40 pmComment by Tracy2 — February 9, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
I’m curious.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:58 pmDo you ever get tired of chimpy-humping and desire a real woman or does chimpy-humping 24/7 really do it for you?
So an initative has to immediately, within a week I might add, get into a budget that has deadline for submission?
Comment by Tracy2
So, this whole idea just popped into head a few hours before the SOTUS?
Well, I guess that’s what WH officials essentially said:
“Bush’s proposal was added to the speech late in the process, administration officials said, after the president decided that he wanted to announce a program that would favor military families. That left little time to vet the idea, develop formal cost estimates or gauge how many people might take advantage of such a program. Some administration officials said the proposal surprised them, and they voiced concerns about how to fund it.”
So just because they didn’t go through the trouble of actually deciding when and how to organize and fund this program, that doesn’t mean Bush couldn’t use it to try and boost his image.
But, as you pointed out with your link, at least there are quite a few in Congress who believe in putting their money where their mouth is.
I guess SOMEBODY has to be in charge in DC.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:05 pmSomeone please explain why it would COST $1 to $2 billion to transfer unused money to another family member.
This is money that would otherwise go unclaimed from the government.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:23 pmAnd bush still thinks everyone believes him. Or maybe he just doesn’t give a damn.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:24 pmTransfering money is so difficult just like demanding the notes borrowing from the Social Security and Medicare fund can’t be done. It is way too logical for this administration to understand.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:27 pmThis administration won;t do anything for Aemrica unless they can skim a good percentage off the top. They are worse than the Mafia ever was. Bush is a terrorist.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:53 pmBush needs to be hung.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:53 pmIf there is not money there to transfer to a family member for college, then that means that there is no money there for a service person who wants to go to college either. Nice going Bush. Another lie you have told to our soldiers.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:56 pmBush not only misleads American troops, he murders them. Republicans make their profits by killing Americans, with asbestos, coal pollution, or illegal wars. They don’t care how, they only care “how much?”.
February 9th, 2008 at 5:19 pmBush needs to be hung.
Comment by Vanthomas — February 9, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
he’s hung like a chipmunk.
February 9th, 2008 at 5:20 pmI am betting that fund has also been drained dry, if money left around too long, (over 24 hours ) bush sends it to Iraq.
February 9th, 2008 at 5:25 pmThe Liar in Chief will say anything. You always have to watch what he does. And what he does usually makes you want to puke. Such is the case here.
February 9th, 2008 at 5:30 pm“So would it have been better that Bush didn’t mention it and let it go thru and say anything about it? Would you feel better if Bush just vetoed it vs. mentioning it in the STOU?”
Why not actually have something in place BEFORE mentioning it? If that meant having to wait under after the SOTU, then so be it. Just don’t throw this promise out there, then expect Congress to actually get something going.
“Yes and it sure as hell wasn’t a Democrat who introduced the bill.”
Who’s name is next to Bartlett’s?
U.S. Representatives Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and Steve Israel (D- NY) introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill, H.R. 5229, to allow military service personnel to transfer unused GI Bill education benefits to their spouses or children.
President Bush expressed his support for such a proposal in his 2008 State of the Union speech by asking Congress to “join me in\x85allowing our troops to transfer their unused education benefits to their spouses or children.” 42 members have joined Bartlett and Israel as original cosponsors of H.R. 5229. There are 21 Republican and 23 Democrat original cosponsors of H.R. 5229. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced identical legislation in the Senate, S. 2575, which has 17 cosponsors.
And notice the 23 Democrats who cosigned the bill, two more than Republicans.
February 9th, 2008 at 6:40 pmYou assume that there are actually things like “social security trust funds†the goverment maintains. There is no such thing. It’s all in the general fund and everyone’s got their hands in it.
Comment by Tracy2
I agree. Which makes the whole social security is broken thing nonsense when we can spend billions on pork and wars and nation building.
February 9th, 2008 at 6:56 pmBush is one cruel sociopath bastard liar… does this lie out do the others? Not really but reinforces his evilness. How dare he get the hopes up, once again to this group, a group already horribly screwed to begin with.
February 9th, 2008 at 7:27 pmDo you suppose Bush gets off on his empty promises to the group he screws the most – the military? Kind of like putting fire crackers in the butts of frogs, watching them explode while he squeals with delight.
February 9th, 2008 at 7:41 pmDoesn’t Bush seem to do well with these SOTU’s. Does a little excitement in lying in the cruelest way give him that boost of energy to get the speech done?
Neocons, in reality, don’t give a flying fig about our troops as human beings.
February 9th, 2008 at 7:44 pmIt’s all in the general fund and everyone’s got their hands in it.
Comment by Tracy2 — February 9, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
a perfect example of republican abuse of power and thievery. thanks for pointing that out.
February 9th, 2008 at 8:51 pmAnd notice the 23 Democrats who cosigned the bill, two more than Republicans.
Comment by RickS — February 9, 2008 @ 6:40 pm
You,as usual, have missed th point that Bush lied to the troops. Lied. Promised them something and them reneged. lied.
February 9th, 2008 at 8:52 pmwhat hasn’t been said about the DisasterInChief? Junkies lie every minute of every hour!!!
February 9th, 2008 at 11:21 pmWTF are you talking about Tracy. Your little Republicans are the reason the lockbox is a joke. Congrats, b!tch!!!!
February 10th, 2008 at 2:51 amWe all know that BUSHCO stands for himself.He doesn`t care what he says or does.We as americans have not done are part to protest and voice our opinions to our senators and congressmen/women.In the waning 11 months of BUSHCO expect the usual lies,corruption,
February 10th, 2008 at 11:00 amcronyism and contradictions,deaths of our soldiers,no money for the less fotunate,no $ for the elderly and their Rx`s and so on and so forth .
How do these REICH WINGERS sleep at nite,or do they never so they can come up more ways to ruin this country as they get fatter ie
Bush Limbaugh?????
Saw a trailer for a new independent movie that’s coming out called Blue State. It’s about a guy that moves to Canada to make a statement after GW won again in ‘04… Seemed kind of contrived at first, but then you realize the man has been blatantly lying to the public his entire term… It starts to sound enticing!
If the GOP retakes capital hill, I’m outta here! All I wanna know, is who’s coming with me! Hahaha!
Anyways, the movie looked pretty good. You can check out the trailer @ http://www.bluestatemovie.com
February 12th, 2008 at 12:24 pm