McCain never said: "worry that a more generous and expansive GI Bill would create an incentive for troops to get out of the military and go to college."

If you look at the original ABC News account it says Pentagon officials worry about that. McCain wants higher pay for the military using re-enlistment bonuses and recruitment incentives. I know I got out because I couldn't raise a family on military pay.

Yes indeed. Looks who's elitist now.

And... what a red herring McCain came up with. If the daily threat of getting blown up isn't going to make men and women NOT want to re-up, what makes him think that getting an education is going to send droves of military people OUT of the military.

Those who vote for McCain will get what they deserve. Endless war, lack of educational assistance for military people and quite possibly their sons and daughters in a draft.

I will laugh my head off if all that comes true under a President McCain. I will laugh at those who made it so.

Think about it: if the next Congress and President institute any form of conscription to fill the ranks for the ongoing Iraq War (or the eventual Iran war), with the economy being strained, federal dollars on the wane, how could the guv'mint afford to pay for the college education of all those poor people who got swept up in the draft? Only if they re'up'd would it become a worthy investment.

The military gets back its costs of training in 2-3 years of service, depending on specialty/duty, which is why service contracts are set as they are (check with the bean counters at the Pentagon - you'll see). Benefits costs are calculated into this number - DoD amortization tables must be seen to be believed. With the only way you can get home being either a body bag or a wheelchair (and with 21st century med-tech making the latter more likely), the cost of post-enlistment benefits paid out to Iraqi vets is growing (and will soon become astronomical). Somebody countin' beans at the five-sided cement altar has reckoned that providing secondary education (tuition costs, living expense) for wounded (medical benefits), psychologically troubled (psych benefits), veterans (pay bonus) of the Iraq War (pay bonus) is just not worth it. Much better to force re-enlistment, send them back to the combat zone, and squeeze more value out of them. This increases the odds of injury or death, thus increasing the likelihood of a positive return on the DoD's investment.

Ah, corporatization! Ah, capitalism!

McCain has a 20%out of 100%. Hillary, for example has an 80% voting record, voting record for funding the Veterans Administration. This is a matter of public record. His own education was subsidized by the government at Annapolis where he did not enter by merit but by the political contacts of his Admiral's father and grandfather.It's typical Republican, I got mine paid for by the government, screw you. McCain the insane is a war criminal for bombing Vietnamese civilians, a traitor for violating the UCMJ, Uniform Code of Military Justice and was too much of a COWARD to protect his own family, and now wants to protect the world, from the abuse and insults of the Bush gang in 2000.

McCain wants to bomb Iran, wants to keep the Iraq war going indefinitly, he wants to keep the tax cuts (for the rich), he is against the GI Bill modification for the new veterans, etc, etc. Is this what the American people want after this disastrous 8 years? If it is, than this country doesn't deserve to survive as a FREE COUNTRY any longer. It is tragic what this criminal administration brought to us. Nothing, absolutly nothing is working that Bush touched. EVER!!!

Not even his trademark NCLB. Now, McCain is hellbent to continue this disaster. Sickening, just sickening.

There's an old joke that USMC doesn't stand for US Marine Corps but actually "U Suckers Missed Christmas." Bush and McCain are just extending that concept to a new level: when you sign up for military service, you sign up for life.

That's right! You're a patriot! You've taken up the noble profession of defending America and this country is now at permanent war with terrorists. So you'll have a long, full career with no time for silliness like education, other careers, marriage and kids or any other outside obligations.

George Bush told American soldiers in Afghanistan that he, well, envied</> them and their "romantic" lives of imminent violence and death, separation from family, hardship, crappy pay and indefinitely extendible tours of duty. If only he could join them, he mused. Dubya and his pet goat McCain are cutting out the distractions for these wonderful soldiers so the GOP can warap the US flag around itself and keep these wars (er, profit centers) going for Halliburton, Blackwater, etc. It's a win-win-win situation all around.

And Americans are so much safer!

John McCain doesn't need to be judged by his actions. How dare you people suggest such a thing! He's John Fucking McCain.

He only needs to SAY he supports the troops. His base (the mainstream media) will keep it from the American public that his actions suggest the opposite.

McCain not being able to bring himself to even read the bill helping our enlisted personnel get an education is hardly surprising. I have not seen a single Republican politician able to help someone less fortunate than him or herself in my lifetime.

Whether it is Katrina, Darfur, AIDS patients, or the homeless, Republicans have done their level best to ignore them for my lifetime. I don't see them changing their tactics anytime soon.

For more of my thoughts on the subject, click my name below. It will send you to my blog, The Political Edly.

I served in the Navy from '82-87. I joined during the Reagan Revolution.

When the GI Bill was pitched to me, it was thus; minimum $50/mo. contribution, and the gov would match it 2 for 1 if you used it for college. Or if you opted out of it, you would just get the money back. No interest.

Shortly after I joined, they actually did away with it for about two years (And froze military pay in that same period).

When the GI Bill was re-introduced, (circa '86) it was a shadow of its former self. Now the minimum was $100/mo. They would only match it dollar for dollar, and it was a "use it or loose it" scenario. IE: If you didn't use it for college, it was a donation to Uncle Sam. I know not where it stands now.

I know from experience that the military is like any other business; when there's nothing to do, they just let people go, or don't let them re-enlist. Now the military is in a time of crisis. Fighting multiple wars and desperate for recruits. They are letting in anyone in who can spell their name and pull a trigger. One day, (And I have mixed feelings about saying this), there will be peace, and they will have to down-size the military once again. And these poor kids who joined, for hope of a better future, or just as a way to feed their families, will need other skills to make it back into the civilian world.

I was in the military during the Cold War, just one long stand-off, and I knew that there was little chance of any real harm coming to me, (although I did survive kadahfi's "line of death", we all got Naval expeditionary medals and Unit commendations). These combat recruits are much braver than I, They join with the very real possibility that they won't live through their enlistments