McCain rolls out his own GI Bill.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and his allies have released their own GI Bill to compete with the proposal laid out by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), which is supported by 56 co-sponsors. McCain’s bill would modestly enhance the existing GI Bill. But according to The Hill, Webb’s spokeswoman said that “McCain’s bill is more focused on career officers, not the entire volunteer military force,” giving the most benefits to those who serve 12 years or more in active duty (rather than those who signed up and have served since 9/11). McCain has stated that he opposes Webb’s more generous bill because of concerns it does not have “incentives for people to remain in the military.”
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no grunts allowed McBush. that is what we paid you for. don’t forget it.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:44 pmMcCain has stated that he opposes Webb’s more generous bill because of concerns it does not have “incentives for people to remain in the military.”
Where else is he going to get fodder for invading Iran? He’d cut off a testicle, before he’d call for a draft. Too bad there aren’t enough rich heiresses to go around for everybody.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 pmWhen will McCain understand that the point of the GI Bill is to encourage people to serve at all, not to make a full-time career out of it.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 pmElitist.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pmMcCain = more of the same. Is we learning yet?
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pmSo McBush’s bill is not as good as Webb’s which has 56 co-sponsors. How smart is doing that? Does anything the McBush campaign does make good sense?
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:54 pmMcbush’s idea of a GI bill would be if the military types paid for their own education and other amenities. He certainly would not want the government to pay for anything. Heaven forbid!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:54 pmHe is still such a loser and a jackass. Just like bush.
Yeah, that makes sense, give an improved GI Bill to troops who already have a college education (i.e., officers) to troops that will not be able to use it to the fullest extent (i.e., those who stay enlisted).
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 pmScrew the grunts, right John Sidney McCain III?
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:55 pmWatch how many co-sponsors he gets.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:56 pm1.
Lindsay buttlick Hunter
McCain: “…it does not have “incentives for people to remain in the military.”
- - Ya know, for that 100 years war stuff. Gotta keep the pipeline goin’, and yes, that’s a double entendre.
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 pmWhile McCain’s bill takes a few steps in the right direction, he offers it at a time when officers are leaving the service at a rate higher than ever before primarily because they don’t want to be stop lossed anymore. His refusal to discuss withdrawl says more about his true feelings than this paltrey offering, and the officers who have already decided to leave at the end of their commitment won’t re-enlist when there’s a chance that another imperial president is just waiting to send them into harm’s way on another ill-thought crusade.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:01 pmTo paraphrase the president,
“Rarely is the question asked, is our McCain learning?”
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:03 pmI’m far from being a McCain supporter, but this is some spinning here. The article clearly says that the bill would increase educational funds from $1100 per month to $1500 per month for ALL active duty military. For those who stay in the military 12 years or more, it would be increased to $2,000 per month. I admit I’ve not been following this issue as closely as perhaps I should have, but what level does the Webb bill raise the educational benefits to?
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:05 pmTry again, McCain. Aspiring officers already receive access to military scholarships (a prime example, ROTC). They also have the option to apply for and, if admitted, attend a number of service academies free of charge, with a monthly stipend. Once they’re commissioned, they can attend many schools and colleges within their service to attain master’s degrees — again, free of charge and with the ability to collect their normal salary. Enlisted members don’t have this range of opportunity. They have to pay in ($1200) in order to get out of somewhat meager GI benefits.
Enlisted service members could use the boost in educational benefits. Post-military, they find it more difficult than officers to secure gainful employment.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:13 pmfrom a news bulletin may 07
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pmWebb proposes paying tuition, room and board and a $1,000 monthly stipend to veterans who have served on active duty for at least two years.
Why don’t we just have a slave Army?
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:18 pmDOA!!! Just like the McLame campaign!!!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:28 pmLowering the requirements to join, such as criminal records is sure to create career officers.
snark
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:30 pmwelcome to McPander’s attempt to outfox the dems trying to outfox him…he knows he will get eaten alive by screwball freeps if he signs onto ANYTHING involving democrats…
some advice dems..next time, start the bill in the house, where we have a comfortable majority, so there is a good reason to vote for the dems bill first
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:44 pmsounds ELITIST to me.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:48 pmMcCain has stated that he opposes Webb’s more generous bill because of concerns it does not have “incentives for people to remain in the military.”
But, Senator, according to your campaign speeches, the re-enlistment levels are just fine. Why do you want to offer more incentives to improve something you claim isn’t broken in the first place?
This is a delicious sound-bite attack ad to use against McCain in the general.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 pmSo is this supposed to be a “trickle down” GI Bill?!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:51 pmMcCain has stated that he opposes Webb’s more generous bill because of concerns it does not have “incentives for people to remain in the military.”
Because McStupid needs all the bodies he can get to invade Iran ………….
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 pm“McCain rolls out his own GI Bill.”
Did they roll his bill out alongside him , Warner , and all the other members of the zombie army he leads ?
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm56 sponsors,,make them fillibuster it….come on guys..
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 amSome of the guys who are interested in “getting out” have been in Iraq and/or Afghanistan now for 3 or 4 tours, have been stop-lossed, and extended until they are sick to death. The Pentagon’s own records show that the more tours of duty served, the higher the rate of deaths, suicides, PTSD, and everything else.
And McInsane thinks they don’t DESERVE to have FULL education benefits because they haven’t been in for 12 years?
Can we please send him back to Hanoi or somewhere he’ll stop yammering and making a total *ss out of himself?
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:44 amGood job, McCain! Because volunteering to risk your life in the service of the country for a measly one or two years isn’t nearly as impressive or deserving as TWELVE!
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 amThere are some fairly good comments here, however want to correct something that McWars said…
…Once they’re commissioned, they can attend many schools and colleges within their service to attain master’s degrees — again, free of charge and with the ability to collect their normal salary. Enlisted members don’t have this range of opportunity. They have to pay in ($1200) in order to get out of somewhat meager GI benefits.
First, the military will pay for college classes free of charge while serving on active duty. This is regardless of whether you are an officer or enlisted. I should know, the Army paid for about 60 of my credits this way before I went ROTC (on a scholarship and GI Bill). It also does this for graduate work for all ranks (finishing my last class for my master’s degree on the Army’s tab right now). I also disagree as far as enlisted not having the same opportunities. Again, that is how I started off. The military is not going to force someone to go to school or use the incredible amount of benefits that it offers. It is incumbent upon the individual to decide to better themselves.
June 1st, 2008 at 9:07 amOn the same token however, I found it very difficult to make it through school even with the scholarship and GI Bill (had a wife and child at the time as well), so I will never complain about them increasing the benefits to those Soldiers who answer the call of duty.