GOP Rep. Claims He ‘Was Proud To Support’ GI Bill That He Voted Against
GOP Rep. Claims He ‘Was Proud To Support’ GI Bill That He Voted Against
Last week, President Bush signed into law a new GI Bill that doubled educational benefits for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Though Bush had steadfastly opposed the bill, he attempted to steal credit for its passage, and praised Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for helping, despite McCain’s own vocal and ardent opposition to the bill.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) was one of the many conservatives who followed Bush and McCain’s lead. On May 15, Turner joined the majority of House conservatives and voted against the GI Bill.
But now that Bush and McCain have reversed themselves, Turner has followed suit, writing an op-ed in his hometown paper today praising the bill and claiming — three times — that he was “proud to support” it:
It is our responsibility to provide [veterans] with more than just recognition for their service: we must also make certain that they have the skills they need to accomplish their next mission once they return to civilian life. That is why I was proud to support recently passed legislation that expanded the Montgomery GI bill to provide more funding for veterans to receive a college education. […]
With the huge impact the GI bill has had on America and the debt that we all owe our nation’s veterans in mind, I was proud to support recent legislation that dramatically expanded the scope and scale of the educational benefits available to our veterans. […]
I am proud to have supported legislation that will directly provide this benefit for military families and look forward to further working on their behalf in the future.
Turner has a history of being on the wrong side of veterans’ issues, receiving a dismal grade of C from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association in 2006, and has “abysmal 29% and 34% lifetime scores from the Disabled American Veterans and Retired Enlisted Association, respectively.” Like other conservatives, Turner is trying to erase his opposition to the popular measure — and just like Bush, it’s clear Turner “blew it” on the GI Bill.
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So when will the Times-Gazette, or at least it’s readers via the editorials, counter that Turner voted against it?
July 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pmWhat drugs are these people on and how can I get some? How can someone work so hard to stop this bill, then have the colossal temerity to try and jump on board and claim credit? I’ve heard of shameless, but this re-defines the word.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
It’s never too late for Justice!
.
Nothing says being a Republicum better than Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).
.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:42 pmThey really do think we are so stupid that we will believe whatever they say, no matter how much evidence there is to prove them complete and utter liars.
Well, they better brace themselves for November. They are about to experience a rude awakening.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:44 pmMemory hole.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pmthat’s disgusting, that’s dispicable. these flipflopping, lying, hypocrites want to take credit for something they firmly opposed just to make themselves look good. what a bunch of asses.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pmunbelievable Says:
They really do think we are so stupid that we will believe whatever they say, no matter how much evidence there is to prove them complete and utter liars.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
But how many people will actually follow-up and check that he voted against the bill? My guess is… not very many. But where is our 4th estate to bring truth to the matter? My guess is … run by corporate interests.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:50 pmIt used to take a little legwork to prove a republican was lying. Now you don’t even have to go back a week to find the proof. Has bush made liers out of the whole party?
Dear republicans: Quit lying. We aren’t that stupid.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:52 pmThank you.
J. Kerry, drick, rogerse, and everyone else: if you love our soldiers you better votes these bums out!
July 7th, 2008 at 1:52 pmTurner, in lauding the fact he is “proud” displays the traits of most Rethuglicans that bring to mind the old horseman’s term “proud cut.” The term applies to a gelding horse that doesn’t have sense enough to know that he has lost the equipment but not the urge. The same with Turner: he hasn’t the balls to admit that he can only continue to mount the voters with no possitive results.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pmJebus. They must think we’re ALL as retarded as their brain-dead supporters.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pmRepuglycan = fraud… On so many levels.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pmWell when the media doesn’t call them on the lies why would they start being honest ? bushie’s comment that the Dems stop the Bill to help those in foreclosures, total lie, it was a repub that held it up. No one Called them on it !
July 7th, 2008 at 1:54 pmIs Mike Turner just another typical Republican hypocrite who doesn’t realize that people will discover his lies? He deserves to be booted next time he comes up for re-election. Hell hath no fury like a voter lied to!
July 7th, 2008 at 1:56 pmoff-topic pathetic cry for help:
My ‘auto-refresh’ or ‘auto-load page updates” is off and WIndows IE7 “Help” ain’t helping me at all. I’m getting stuck several threads behind and what ought to be an obvious control I just can’t seem to find to turn the damn thing back on.
So, pretty please? Can anyone save me a little time ?
July 7th, 2008 at 1:57 pmSomeone should have lit his trousers when he was lying in their faces.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pmAnyone who believes a Republican should be certified insane.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pmWonder if Turner ever served or has anyone in the military now? Boy, we sure don’t want those GI’s to get too much bonus after all if they were smart they would be politicians instead of soldiers .
July 7th, 2008 at 2:00 pmLibertyLover Says: But how many people will actually follow-up and check that he voted against the bill? My guess is… not very many. But where is our 4th estate to bring truth to the matter? My guess is … run by corporate interests.
I think the question is how many people will go online for news and see it in the blogs? It’s been that grassroots movement of free press on the internet that has spread the truth, and launched Obama-mania - especially in young people.
Whe I taught high school, so many of my students here in conservative bible-belt Georgia were liberals and Atheists because of the truth posted in blogs like these. I think the power of the internet has been immense in creating the present climate of change.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:01 pm5th Estate,
Use Firefox; I quit using that crappy IE years ago. My performance is better and I get a lot less spam and viruses.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:03 pmIt’s a desperation move, and his pollsters must have told him voter ignorance is now his only hope of hanging on.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:04 pmupside…
yeah Firefox 3 I hear is really good. I should just do that
July 7th, 2008 at 2:07 pmJayzus, Ohio has this assklown and mean Jean Schmidt. I do hope they can wise up a little in November. This is embarrassing for them to have these two haters of the military representing them.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:10 pmWhen Rethuglicans can’t lie about something, they just make crap up. They are the most dishonest people on this earth.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:10 pmHe IS proud to support recent (GI Bill) legislation…by wearing a flag pin and having a “support the troops” bumper sticker.
“I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends… that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.”
Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:13 pmupside…
and now I have FireFox 3 Yay!
July 7th, 2008 at 2:14 pmLooks like Turner is up for re-election this fall. Come on, Ohioans, go to the polls, vote the bum out, and make me proud.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI have less of a problem wit Turner’s outright lies than I do with Bush’s.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:19 pmThe President of the United States stood in the Rose Garden and blatantly lied to American citizens. McCain didn’t even vote on this.
Bush credited McCain, however, along with himself and several others who opposed it.
WHERE WAS THE MEDIA?
They were there, or we wouldn’t have seen footage of this sham.
But…they never asked the question.
While Rove defies another subpoena & Bush lies to all of us again, our media is busy looking for missing white girls.
What I want to know is why the newspaper allowed him to perpetuate the lie? Are they so uneducated on issues that they didn’t know this guy voted against the bill?
His argument is going to be, in the end he voted for the bill even though he had no choice since it was attached to the war funding. Technically he did vote for it and I’m sure he’s going to use that technicality to continue his lie.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:23 pmTurner’s also a ‘C’ student, so he fits right in with Bush & McMealymouth.
Did anyone ever think our Country would be run by ‘C’ students?
July 7th, 2008 at 2:24 pmHow do they do it? How do they stand there and bold-faced lie,contradicting just what they said two weeks ago, like they never said it?
And where is the local newspaper and tv channel - are they pointing out this brazen lie?
I know they don’t want to criticize McCain (perish the thought) but will they criticize a lesser known politician?
July 7th, 2008 at 2:28 pmWe all need to write to the Times Gazette that published his lies. Shouldn’t they have posted an article saying he voted against the bill.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:33 pmIf Sen. Craig could lie and say he wasn’t gay, there is no end to what Rethuglicans will accept. End the culture of corruption and vote them all out.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:35 pmZimzone Says:
Did anyone ever think our Country would be run by ‘C’ students?
My best bud, Wayne LaPierre (N.R.A.), was a C student. McCain finished 894th in a class of 899,
July 7th, 2008 at 2:36 pmDan Quayle…nevermind.
There is a comment submission form right on the page.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:37 pmSorry, here’s the link:
July 7th, 2008 at 2:37 pmLink
July 7th, 2008 at 2:39 pmShayne,
July 7th, 2008 at 2:45 pmI gave them a piece of my mind. Don’t have many pieces left.
Turner is up for re-election in 2009. Jane Mitakides has alot of good material to use, the veterans give him a C, themiddleclass.org gives him an F for three of his years and last but not least. The Dayton Daily News raised serious ethical questions about the million dollar no-bid contract given to a company owned by Mark Turner’s wife from the Dayton Development Coalition, which lobbies federal officials to fund local projects.
The United Steelworkers are going to help Jane mobilize over the four county wide district.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:49 pmWindoze users should definitely use Firefox.
Mac users, carry on my wayword sons.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:53 pmFreedom Rebel,
July 7th, 2008 at 3:01 pmIsn’t every Rep up for re-election this November?
Zimzone Says:
——————————————————————————–
Did anyone ever think our Country would be run by ‘C’ students?
Yeah, and the “c” students are somehow good at convincing enough of the voters that the “A” students are “latte-sipping-Elitists” and out of touch w/ the masses. WTF?
July 7th, 2008 at 3:02 pmIn another editorial in the paper, Turner advocates more drilling for oil—quoting Genesis, saying man has dominion over the earth. He makes the false claim that American oil will be cheaper than Arabian oil. He gives the lie that environmentalists are preventing more refineries from being built.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:16 pmYes Bush and Co. are pathological liars - it’s the neocon thing, you can only lie if you want to promote the neocon agenda. I have yet to hear any senators or house leaders speak out about these lies. Is this the new policy in DC? -It’s an election year so if you want to claim you helped out when you didn’t…sure, OK, wouldn’t want to upset the status quo.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pmGood thing the Conservatives don’t fully realize that people have instant access to the truth nowadays. They hear about those “tubes” but don’t really take it seriously. They are still adjusting to “talkies” in the thee-aters.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pmApparently Keith I gave them too big a piece of my mind as I was barely able to post the link.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:23 pmTurner was roughly 30 during the Ist Gulf War, and only 41 when the War for Oil started. But I imagine being a hotshot Republican Chickenhawk Attorney is his way of serving!
July 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pmThanks for the link, Shayne.
I *expect* Repukes to lie.
But I’m damned tired of the press simply repeating their lies verbatim.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:27 pmUm … everyone should click the “opinion” link at the top of the Times-Gazette page and look at the other crap they have on there.
It includes an item about how Texas defeated the non-existent NAFTA Superhighway.
That paper is ran by a bunch of loons. No wonder they printed Turner’s lies.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:29 pmFYI - Comments to the article are disappearing on their site. And not ones that are vitriolic, either. Just ones pointing out the hypocrisy.
Sad.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pmAnd now, they’re all gone.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm#49 - MarkD Says:
—————————————————–
“Um … everyone should click the “opinion” link at the top of the Times-Gazette page and look at the other crap they have on there.
It includes an item about how Texas defeated the non-existent NAFTA Superhighway.
That paper is ran by a bunch of loons. No wonder they printed Turner’s lies.”
July 7th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Rep Paul is blowing more smoke. Texas is NOT giving up on new corridors for the Trans Texas/Trans National highway. They are simply “considering other options by creating a committee to discus expanding the current infrastructure to support the expected traffic load”.
Rep. Paul is desperately trying to deflect any possible negative news, and spin any other news to be partial to his “successes”. Rep. Paul is praying for re-election, and lying and exagerating about his “accomplishments”, no matter how baseless they are is the only plank left to the sinking GOP platform.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pmSent this email to a list of people I found email address for for the newspaper website:
I’m curious about a few things.
1. Prior to printing an opinion piece, does any do any checking to verify the accuracy of the claims made in the piece? Rep. Mike Turner claimed in an opinion piece three times that he supported the GI bill. No where did he mention, or did your paper indicate that Mr. Turner actually opposed the bill and in fact, voted against it’s passage.
2. What is your company’s policy on moderating comments left by visitors? I noticed there was a large collection of comments pointing out the hypocrisy of Rep. Turner’s opinion piece, only to see them slowly disappearing from your page (I have screen shots). I would like to know why that happened? Was it because they pointed out Rep. Turner’s bald faced lying? Did that go against company policy to follow the blind GOP support that is evident from your list of opinion pieces?
I don’t really expect an answer, but I look forward to receiving one.
-Ryan, an Ohio resident
July 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pmSpeaking of Ron Paul - Did you guys hear that his campaign manager died of pneumonis (age 49) no insurance, and $400,000 in debt. Libertarians.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:04 pmbobcat,
July 7th, 2008 at 4:05 pmHow come I cannot find the comments to the editorial? What do you click on?
You any relation to the publisher and editor, Rory Ryan? He’s really plugging Rob Portman for McCain’s VP choice.
pneumonia.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:05 pmMarie,
July 7th, 2008 at 4:13 pmI guess Libertarians are opposed to single-payer healthcare. 49 year-olds shouldn’t die of pneumonia—unless you have really smoked a lot.
Update: If you clik shayne’s “Link” it t akes you to the article and at the top of the page is the paper’s “masthead” which includes their Phone # I called and asked for the editor, Got Roy on the line and asked him why his paper would publish such a piece without the disclaimer that the author voted against this bill that he is trying to take credit for. He said that they did check adn the author did vote for the bill. I said, “true, but only after he voted against it and he only voted for it because it was attached to a larger spending bill. But he infact railed against along with McCain and the President. I also said that I was curious as to why they took down the comments. He said, “he took them down because they appeared to be part of an organized campaign and that some of the posters were calling the author a liar and saying derrogatory things about the paper.”
He further commented that if posters were merely commenting on how that author had voted against it before he voted for it, he would have kept them up. I told him that I had seen comments along those lines but he removed all of them.
I asked him if he thought it was the job of the press to hold our elected officials accountable. He said of course and if it turns out that this author needs correcting he will do so.
I told him I look forward to his follow up on this article. He thanked me for my call.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:28 pm#41 Keith Says:
Freedom Rebel,
Isn’t every Rep up for re-election this November?
Unfortnately no, Mike Turner took office in 2003. Last time in 2007 the person running against him was arrested for domestic violence. So he really didn’t have anyone running against him because they couldn’t find a last minute replacement.
Have a good day Keith :)
July 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pmI hope, by now, that everyone has realized that Republicans are pathological liars.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:39 pmNice job, RRisRW.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:41 pmTheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong Says:
Good on you for calling them.
July 7th, 2008 at 6:13 pmHe voted NO on:
first GI Bill;
SCHIP
Renewable Energy
mandatory rest periods between Iraq deployments;
non-discrimination in sexual orientation
http://www.votesmart.org/ voting_category.php?can_id=45519
July 7th, 2008 at 6:39 pmThanks Marie and Libertylover! Just trying to make a difference.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:01 pmI wrote a “letter” and was shortly “missing in action” . . . guess ‘truth” is not a Family Value . . . apparently covering printing propaganda is . . . .
July 7th, 2008 at 11:13 pmI am proud to support Republican politicians…
…by voting against them.
July 8th, 2008 at 8:16 amWAAAApublican’s belief in patriotism and supporting the troops can thus be summed up: wear a lapel pin.
July 8th, 2008 at 8:32 ami called turner’s office to inquire about his misstatement. according to turner’s staff, the may 15 vote was not the final vote, the final vote was june 19 (roll call #432; http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll432.xml) and turner did in fact vote “aye.”
i appreciate the work done by think progress but in this case the report of turner’s sleaze is simply wrong.
and make no mistake — republicans ain’t no friends of mine. i just believe the record should be corrected.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:56 pmHe was “AGAINST IT” before he was “FOR IT” ! Just another “HYPOCRITE” at work !
July 30th, 2008 at 9:50 am