Obama tried to score phony political points yesterday by using Jim Webb's cheap tactics Veterans bill as a weapon against John McCain. Yes, John McCain, the Veteran who endured over 5 years of torture for our great nation's principles. McCain took his gloves off and HAMMERED the naive, inexperienced, never-served-in-the-military Obama. This is brutal folks. And anyone who thinks Obama is 'above the fray' in terms of stooping to low levels to score political points -- think again. Using the Senate floor to lob bombs against your opponent is dirty pool. Especially when it's a War Hero like McCain. That's not dirty pool, that's stupid pool. And that's why Obama deserved this pimp slapping. http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonat...in_on_Senate_floor_McCain_hits_back_hard.html Obama criticizes absent McCain on Senate floor, McCain hits back hard Jim Webb's GI Bill passed the Senate today with a bipartisan majority, 75-22. Clinton and Obama were both there, but McCain is in California today on the fundraising trail. Obama used the opportunity to once again tie his rival to the president. "I respect Sen. John McCain's service to our country," Obama said on the Senate floor this morning. "He is one of those heroes of which I speak. But I can't understand why he would line up behind the president in opposition to this GI Bill. I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the president more on this issue." The McCain campaign responded by issuing a sharply worded and lengthy statement in the senator's name. McCain notes his support for an alternative to the Webb measure, but points out his own military service and points out Obama's lack thereof. "It is typical, but no less offensive that Sen. Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of," McCain said in the statement. "Let me say first in response to Sen. Obama, running for president is different than serving as president. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend. Unlike Sen. Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim." Full statement after the jump "It is typical, but no less offensive that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of. Let me say first in response to Senator Obama, running for President is different than serving as President. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend. Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim. "When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house in New London, Connecticut, and a Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. My father immediately left for the submarine base where he was stationed. I rarely saw him again for four years. My grandfather, who commanded the fast carrier task force under Admiral Halsey, came home from the war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. I grew up in the Navy; served for twenty-two years as a naval officer; and, like Senator Webb, personally experienced the terrible costs war imposes on the veteran. The friendships I formed in war remain among the closest relationships in my life. The Navy is still the world I know best and love most. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home to the country they loved so well. "But I am running for the office of Commander-in-Chief. That is the highest privilege in this country, and it imposes the greatest responsibilities. It would be easier politically for me to have joined Senator Webb in offering his legislation. More importantly, I feel just as he does, that we owe veterans the respect and generosity of a great nation because no matter how generously we show our gratitude it will never compensate them fully for all the sacrifices they have borne on our behalf. "Senators Graham, Burr and I have offered legislation that would provide veterans with a substantial increase in educational benefits. The bill we have sponsored would increase monthly education benefits to $1500; eliminate the $1200 enrollment fee; and offer a $1000 annually for books and supplies. Importantly, we would allow veterans to transfer those benefits to their spouses or dependent children or use a part of them to pay down existing student loans. We also increase benefits to the Guard and Reserve, and even more generously to those who serve in the Selected Reserve. "I know that my friend and fellow veteran, Senator Jim Webb, an honorable man who takes his responsibility to veterans very seriously, has offered legislation with very generous benefits. I respect and admire his position, and I would never suggest that he has anything other than the best of intentions to honor the service of deserving veterans. Both Senator Webb and I are united in our deep appreciation for the men and women who risk their lives so that the rest of us may be secure in our freedom. And I take a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans. And I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did. "The most important difference between our two approaches is that Senator Webb offers veterans who served one enlistment the same benefits as those offered veterans who have re-enlisted several times. Our bill has a sliding scale that offers generous benefits to all veterans, but increases those benefits according to the veteran's length of service. I think it is important to do that because, otherwise, we will encourage more people to leave the military after they have completed one enlistment. At a time when the United States military is fighting in two wars, and as we finally are beginning the long overdue and very urgent necessity of increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps, one study estimates that Senator Webb's bill will reduce retention rates by 16%. "Most worrying to me, is that by hurting retention we will reduce the numbers of men and women who we train to become the backbone of all the services, the noncommissioned officer. In my life, I have learned more from noncommissioned officers I have known and served with than anyone else outside my family. And in combat, no one is more important to their soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen, and to the officers who command them, than the sergeant and petty officer. They are very hard to replace. Encouraging people not to choose to become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly. As I said, the office of President, which I am seeking, is a great honor, indeed, but it imposes serious responsibilities. How faithfully the President discharges those responsibilities will determine whether he or she deserves the honor. I can only tell you I intend to deserve the honor if I am fo rtunate to receive it, even if it means I must take politically unpopular positions at times and disagree with people for whom I have the highest respect and affection. "Perhaps, if Senator Obama would take the time and trouble to understand this issue he would learn to debate an honest disagreement respectfully. But, as he always does, he prefers impugning the motives of his opponent, and exploiting a thoughtful difference of opinion to advance his own ambitions. If that is how he would behave as President, the country would regret his election." =============================== BRUTAL
Wow Obama really hit a never there. Looks like McCain doesnt like it when someone shows him that he's selling out those who are serving. Maybe if McCain really did care about veterns he'd let them get the more generous benefits - a $1000 here or there for student loans is nothing in return for serving your country. Maybe it was a lot in John McCains day - but times have changed.
Of course somebody has to be responsible for what the program will cost. Oh wait...Obama will just raise taxes to pay for whatever he wants. Cradle to grave, eh comrade? To suggest that McCain does not care about veterans because he opposes one piece of legislation is pretty stupid...and pretty damned low.
but its easy to send in to war that no one has to pay for? edit: the opposition by mccain may be legit, but its not even about money.
Another interesting thing that should be bolded is that he vividly remembers when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. dude is old
Exactly. We'll be paying for this war for years to come and now conservatives want to get fiscally responsible. Since it's been brought up, how on earth are we going to pay for a war in Iraq when shrub believes we can't leave until it's won?
or Obama by ending the war could save $100 billion a year - that would pay for a lot of things, like taking care of veterns. Maybe McCain "Cares" more, but Obama would do MORE for them.
McCain has the gravitas to say those words. Obama does not. How can we expect Obama to negotiate with foreign leaders when he lacks the depth and experience to command their respect? He loses the '3:00am phone call' test to Hillary freaking Clinton! How sad is that? And McCain is correct -- it's politically convenient and hopelessly naive to think that we can just leave Iraq, save all this money, and everything will be hunky-dorey when we leave. It won't be. And it will cost a heck of a lot more to fix the mess when we leave prematurely. McCain is Presidential. Obama simply is not.
i thought this was about the GI Bill, seriously. look the line about him signing up for the uniform was nice, its mccain's trump, to bad he's playing it in May
It's low? So then what do you call labeling a person who supports additional benefits for veterans to be a Marxist-Leninist - I'd call it low insofar it is either made out of a low and mistaken appreciation of the basic tenets of Marxist-Leninism or low in the sense that it is being made in a disingenuous fashion in order to cause prejudicial associatins to be made. But, I personally reserve judgment.
McCain looks like he has had one of his famous temper tantrums. Well McCain can say that he served in the military , but he is married to a woman worth $100 million. His grandfather and father were both admirals. I bet you most veterans won't agree with Bush or McCain and think the bill is too generous. Let's face it to McCain and his off-spring it doesn't matter either way given the phenomenal wealth in the family. There is a reason the bill has what looks to be a bi-partisan veto proof majority. I suspect this is a debate that Obama will be willing to keep having with McCain. Don't expect veterans to see it McCain's way.
I think it's a compelling argument. If only Kerry spoke with the same conviction wrt the Iraq spending bill. Or maybe he did, but the flip flopper label stuck so no one cared.
McCain is just upset that he can't logically support raising GI benefits without hampering future funding for an unpopular war. He is ensnared and crippled by his ill-conceived plan to continue the failed policies of the Bush administration. DESPARATION
The words make McCain look like a hypocrite. When people questioned Cheney, and others in their decisions regarding going to Iraq, McCain always claimed that military service wasn't needed to make those kinds of decisions. Now that McCain is getting called out for supporting the less generous bill, he tries to use lack of military service as some sort of reason why Obama can't be in favor of the more supportive bill to our GI's and ask why McCain wouldn't support it. McCain looks desparate, and the idea of an apology being owed to him, is laughable, and there is no way in hell that Obama will give him one. Obama was respectful, and didn't attack McCain personally at all. He just pointed out that McCain was in favor of a bill that offers less to the GI's. Ref - I understand the idea of having to pay for the bill, but is support for our troops who've served our nation where you want to trim the fat from?
This is not a good day for McCain. He cannot afford to act offended when debating Obama. That persona will get punctured and lampooned after a while and he will have a tough time being taken seriously. Temperament is not yet an issue in the campaign and McCain better be careful or it will be, to his detriment. He has to shake off stuff like this and stick to factual reasons for voting against this very popular bill. When you are a presidential nominee and vote against something that passed the Senate 75-22, you have to be prepared to give clear reasons for being on the wrong side of a landslide. I don't give a flip about his military service when it comes to voting on specific legislation. People, McCain CAN do better and WILL do better than this. It's early and I don't think he and his campaign have figured exactly out how to engage Obama.
