BAYAMON, Puerto Rico, May 24, 2008
Obama Blasts McCain On Veterans' Benefits
Criticizes GOP Candidate For Opposing College Scholarships For Those Who've Served One Tour
-
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks to veterans groups in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Saturday, May 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
-
Interactive Campaign 2008 Profiles of the candidates, polls, fund-raising, blogs, video and more.
"Now, let me be clear: No one can dispute John McCain's love for this country or his concern for veterans. But here's what I don't understand. I don't understand why John McCain would side with George Bush and oppose our plan to make college more affordable for our veterans," the Democratic presidential candidate said. "George Bush and John McCain may think our plan is too generous. I could not disagree more."
Obama's criticism renews a clash that turned personal after the Senate approved the scholarship bill Thursday.
During the Senate debate, the Illinois senator questioned why McCain - a Navy veteran and former prisoner of war - would oppose the measure.
McCain responded with a sharp statement saying that he wouldn't listen to any lectures on veterans' affairs from Obama, "who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform."
The Arizona senator opposes the scholarship measure, as does the Pentagon, because it applies to people who serve just three years. He fears that would encourage people to leave the military after only one enlistment even as the U.S. fights two wars and is trying to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps.
Quote
Instead, McCain and Republican colleagues proposed a bill to increase benefits in conjunction with a veteran's length of service. Senate Democrats blocked that measure.George Bush and John McCain may think our plan is too generous. I could not disagree more.
Sen. Barack Obama"While Barack Obama engages in the same tired partisan politics that has failed our veterans time and again, John McCain has offered legislation that will expand needed education benefits for veterans while promoting retention in our armed forces," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers responded Saturday to Obama's remarks.
Only three primaries are left in the battle for the Democratic nomination, and Puerto Rico is holding one of them. After his speech, Obama was headed to a town hall-style meeting with voters in Old San Juan. Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton also had a town-hall event in Puerto Rico scheduled for later Saturday. Both candidates are hoping to increase their share of the 55 delegates who will be chosen June 1.
Puerto Ricans can vote in party primaries but not in the fall general election.
© MMVIII, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From Politics
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 74
- next
See all 1474 CommentsKipling poem %u201CDane-Geld%u201D
It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
To call upon a neighbor and to say:%u2014
%u201CWe invaded you last night%u2014we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away.%u201D
And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you%u2019ve only to pay %u2019em the Dane-geld
And then you%u2019ll get rid of the Dane!
Kipling runs briskly through the stages of humiliation undergone by any power that falls for this appeasement, and concludes:
It is wrong to put temptation in the pathof any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say:%u2014
%u201CWe never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!%u201D
It may be fortunate that the United States had to pass this test, and imbibe this lesson, so early in its life as a nation.
%u201CIt is a settled policy of America, that as peace is better than war, war is better than tribute. The United States, while they wish for war with no nation, will buy peace with none.%u201D President James Madison
But one cannot get around what Jefferson heard when he went with John Adams to wait upon Tripoli%u2019s ambassador to London in March 1785. When they inquired by what right the Barbary states preyed upon American shipping, enslaving both crews and passengers, America%u2019s two foremost envoys were informed that %u201Cit was written in the Koran, that all Nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon whoever they could find and to make Slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.%u201D (It is worth noting that the United States played no part in the Crusades, or in the Catholic reconquista of Andalusia.)
Ambassador Abd Al-Rahman did not fail to mention the size of his own commission, if America chose to pay the protection money demanded as an alternative to piracy. So here was an early instance of the %u201Cheads I win, tails you lose%u201D dilemma, in which the United States is faced with corrupt regimes, on the one hand, and Islamic militants, on the other%u2014or indeed a collusion between them.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_2_urbanities-thomas_jefferson.html
can you say political partisan demonic-rats,,, sure you can,,, they put a pretty name on a bill and then structure it to hurt the military and therefore the safety and security of america,,,
but then you knew that already,,,
they have floated bill after bill after bill to hamstring our military since they do not have the balls to vote directly against funding the military,,, or voting an up or down viote to leave iraq,,,
so they do this partisan back door BS,,,
again,,, you knew that already,,,
In a way, I am glad that I did not have the initial benefit of all this research. My quest sent me to some less obvious secondary sources, in particular to Linda Colley%u2019s excellent book Captives, which shows the reaction of the English and American publics to a slave trade of which they were victims rather than perpetrators. How many know that perhaps 1.5 million Europeans and Americans were enslaved in Islamic North Africa between 1530 and 1780? We dimly recall that Miguel de Cervantes was briefly in the galleys. But what of the people of the town of Baltimore in Ireland, all carried off by %u201Ccorsair%u201D raiders in a single night?
http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_2_urbanities-thomas_jefferson.html
You just repeated your same rhetoric that belongs to bush and mccain. Now instead of repeating their bs, think a little Webb''s bill has bi-partisan support, do you know what that means? 50 democrat nad republican co-sponsors in the Senate and 300 democrat and republican co-sponsors in the House. They will over-ride a veto by numb nuts bush and this bill will be passed into law and our Soldiers will benefit from this law and our Military will be stronger than ever because these Troops will finally be getting what they have earned and certainly deserve.Democrats DO NOT HATE THE MILITARY. It seems to me mccain does and bush right along with him. and apparently so do you.
webbs bill by design hurts the military,,, because the demonic-rats hate the military,,, always have,,, always will,,,
the militsry is always treated better under the gop,,, always,,,
the governments primary purpose is to provide for the common defense,,, demonic-rats would leave us defenseless,,,
but you knew that already,,,
mccains bill does not even come close to what Senator Webb''s bi-partisan bill does. So please clarify how helping our Troops get an education so they can make a decent life for themselves and their families is going to hurt them? Like mccain you make no sense at all and do not really support our Troops, you are all talk and nothing else but hot air.
Maybe the enlistmnt ads that the military runs should emphasis that you won''t get squat until you re-enlist. If you''re maimed during your initial tour college is not for you.
Posted by realpatriot1 at 05:21 AM : May 27, 2008
My thoughts exactly - Thanks ! ....... I''m betting that Repugs like Mudrose would side-step these arguments and act like they never seen it. Cheers!
the demonic-rat bill is designed to hurt the military cuz demonic-rats hate the military,,, alwasy have,,, always will,,, they forget the number one purpose of the government is to provide for the common defense,,,
mccain has his own bill,,,
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/9cb5d2aa-f237-464e-9cdf-a5ad32771b9f.htm
the Iraqi war is legal, demonic-rat hero oscar, emmy, nobel prize winning al bore says so,,,
it actually never ended since it only stopped by the signing of a ceasefire,,, just like the korean war,,,
the resumption of hostilities was only a matter of time since iraq broke the ceasefire agreement,,,
blame saddam for iraq,,, Even clintoon and the dems wanted the resumption of hostilities back in 1998,,,
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq''s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
Moreover, no international law can prevent the United States from taking actions to protect its vital interests, when it is manifestly clear that there is a choice to be made between law and survival. I believe, however, that such a choice is not presented in the case of Iraq. Indeed, should we decide to proceed, that action can be justified within the framework of international law rather than outside it. In fact, though a new UN resolution may be helpful in building international consensus, the existing resolutions from 1991 are sufficient from a legal standpoint. - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/gore/gore092302sp.html
tell it to your fascist nazi terrorislamic buddies that do not grant nor enforce equal rights for non-muslims and are raping and killing them every day,,,
FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM MAKIN WORLD SAFE FROM SCHOOLGIRLS!
indonesia
3 Christian schoolgirls beheaded
http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=3&story_id=54898
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/international/asia/30indonesia.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20051029140826&irec=3
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/indonesiaunrestposo
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/129956.php
http://news.indahnesia.com/item/200510294/_three_christian_schoolgirls_beheaded_in_c._sulawesi.php
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/schoolgirls-beheaded-in-grisly-indonesian-attack/2005/10/29/1130400398091.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,173913,00.html
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,6119,2-10-1462_1825638,00.html
http://www.ogrish.com/archives/three_indonesian_girls_beheaded_images_Oct_30_2005.html
http://mychristianblood.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/10/31/three-christian-girls-have-been-beheaded-and-another-badly-i.html
Maybe the enlistmnt ads that the military runs should emphasis that you won''t get squat until you re-enlist. If you''re maimed during your initial tour college is not for you.
Are we to take it that you believe that military service and the ability to properly take care of those who have agreed to serve should be tied to how much it costs?
If that is the case, why then should we allow the C-inC to send our soldiers into war on the basis of lies, and have them compensated less than those who might have served longer, but never saw battle?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 74
- next
See all 1474 Comments