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McCain takes credit for a bill he fought against (again)

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In late June, the Senate approved a war supplemental spending bill, which included the Webb/Hagel GI Bill, expanding educational benefits for veterans. It passed 92 to 6, with John McCain failing to show up to vote. (Barack Obama was there, and he voted with the majority.)

The next day, McCain bragged to an audience in Ohio that “we … agreed to an increase in educational benefits for our veterans.”

Ali at TP noted that McCain made a related boast this morning.

Speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) once again tried to steal credit for the 21st Century G.I. Bill, which McCain had vigorously opposed

, even submitting his own proposal to undermine the chances of success for the main bill. Today, McCain told the audience of veterans that he “sought a better bill” and declared the final passage of the GI bill “the result” of his efforts:

“As a political proposition, it would have much easier for me to have just signed on to what I considered flawed legislation. But the people of Arizona , and of all America, expect more from their representatives than that

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, and instead I sought a better bill. I’m proud to say that the result is a law that better serves our military, better serves military families, and better serves the interests of our country.”

OK, let’s unpack this a bit. First, McCain not only opposed the GI Bill expansion, he actively fought against it. Indeed, he bragged that his opposition to the bill was evidence of his character. McCain not only opposed the bill

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, he did so for all the wrong reasons. He even went so far as to say the GI Bill expansion would literally “hurt the military.”

And yet, he’s gone from characterizing himself as a supporter to arguing that he personally made the bill even better.

Second, McCain’s argument flatly contradicts what the VFW knows to be true.

VFW’s deputy director for legislative affairs Eric Hilleman: The Graham-Burr-McCain plan is “very partisan and is seen as a way to convolute the GI bill, or to slow the Webb-Hagel proposal down.”

VFW National Commander George Lisicki: “People are leaving after their first enlistment because they are tired of being shot at, and their families are tired of the frequent deployments… Whether they stay in four years or 20, we owe this newest, greatest generation the gift of education.”

In context, McCain was admittedly in a tough spot. The VFW championed the Webb/Hagel bill and made it one of the group’s top legislative priorities of this Congress, while McCain fought against the VFW every step of the way. McCain couldn’t exactly be honest, and address the organization today with an explanation on why he tried to deny veterans better educational benefits.

So, McCain chose Door #2 — he lied to them, and hoped the veterans in the audience wouldn’t know the difference. The result is a situation in which McCain adds insult to injury — he fought against better benefits for veterans, then he misled veterans about his own efforts.

It’s pretty much the opposite of “support the troops.”

As long as we’re on the subject

, McCain also used his speech to the VFW to:

* attack Obama’s judgment on Iraq, just one day after the NYT highlighted how spectacularly wrong McCain’s judgment on Iraq was after 9/11;

* tout his plan for a “Veterans Care Access Card,” which by all appearances, veterans completely oppose;

* repeat the claim that Obama is effectively committing treason, insisting that Obama wants the U.S. to fail in Iraq because of his personal “ambition.”

Something digby recently said continues to ring true: “I am really starting to hate this unctuous, double-talking creep.”

Comments

  • Nashville_fan

    says:

    John McCain is such a brazen, bold liar, that the media is unequipped to deal with him.

    They just can’t believe what there ears are hearing.

    So they rationalize what he must have meant.

    It’s pretty pathetic really. So much for the “free” press.

    It is very much bought and paid for.

  • barkleyg

    says:

    Digby speaks for me too. I would happen to use a different word than “unctous”( I prefer Asshole), but our sentiments are the same.

  • Capt Kirk

    says:

    The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, would take credit for something he opposed is outrageous.

  • wvng

    says:

    NF said: “John McCain is such a brazen, bold liar, that the media is unequipped to deal with him.”

    If the media, after 8 years of Bush, don’ t know how to deal with a “brazen, bold liar” then they aren’t trying very hard.

  • NonyNony

    says:

    If the media, after 8 years of Bush, don’ t know how to deal with a “brazen, bold liar” then they aren’t trying very hard.

    Um, if you haven’t noticed, they DON’T know how to handle Bush (or, more to the point, his Press Secretaries) very well when they outright lie. Even when they say things that are utterly ludicrous and easily debunked, they rarely do more than say “some people say…” and “while others…”. It often takes them months (or worse, YEARS) to finally come around and say “these things were lies”. If they ever bother to do it at all.

    There are some good reporters out there, but they get buried by the mass of drones who don’t know how to do their jobs or who think their jobs are to uncritically give out Republican talking points rather than debunk them.

  • jerry sweeney

    says:

    I would say that I await the day when Senator McCain has his “Joseph N. Welch moment” on live television. Unfortunately, I am of a mind that he will descend to the presidency without challenge.

  • st john

    says:

    It seems to me that if the VFW simply stated, officially on the record, that McCain lied to them about this legislation, and got some former POWs to sign on, they would have McCain dead to rights as a liar and not supporting the troops. Is this so hard? How about the American Legion, one of the most conservative veterans groups, joining with the VFW and VVAW and vets of the current military incursions to challenge these lies? I don’t think the CSM could ignore these groups as they do other “liberal” groups. He could not hide behind the POW thing if other POWs call him a liar.

    I am committed to Oneness trhough Justice and Transformation
    peace,
    st john

  • The Answer is Orange

    says:

    The members of VFW should be proud to have a POWerful man like John POW McPOW (R-POW) lie right to their faces. VFWs who also happen to be POWs and don’t like it can just shut up if they don’t want to dishonor their own sacrifice.

    Let him keep it up. Give him a bigger microphone. Someone will form POWs Against McCain and we can watch McPumpkinhead melt down in public.

  • Repugnants

    says:

    Obama needs to start calling McCane out on his constant lies. The MccaneStreamMedia is not going to do it so he has to.

  • Mark

    says:

    How long will it be before some site like AngryCandy comes out with the John McCain Action Figure? Press his tummy, hear him lie! Say something stupid, John!

    Really, there’s no way he can disremember events that happened so close to one another. He just misunderestimates the capability of modern technology to throw your bullshit back in your face down to the smallest detail. What a great president he’d make!!! “Why, no, Mr. Ahmadenijiad; we don’t have any troops in your country at all. Could you hold just a second, I’ve got Good Morning America on the other line: yes, as I was saying, we’re invading that little brown freak’s sandpile even as we speak”.

    I’m John McCain, and I can’t remember if I approved this message or not.

  • zhak

    says:

    Obviously you’re not paying close enough attention to the message here. By supporting a partisan, troop-hating horror of a bill in direct opposition to the Webb GI Bill, McCain made the latter bill look very good indeed. He’s merely taking credit where credit is due.

  • libra

    says:

    So, McCain chose Door #2 — he lied to them, and hoped the veterans in the audience wouldn’t know the difference. — CB

    And did they (know the difference)? Did they stomp their feet and booed or did they clap their flippers and cheered?

    barleykeg, @2,

    I love “unctuous”. It immediately calls up to mind Uriah Heep who was, according to Wikipedia:
    “[…] fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his novel David Copperfield.
    The character is notable for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and general insincerity.”

    I always thought of him (UH) as oily, slimy, syrup-coated on top and poisonous inside. He used to be one of my favourite hate-objects when I was a teenager. “Unctuous” describes Uriah Heep and McCain (with his “my friends” and rictus grin, while voting away your life) perfectly. “Asshole” can be applied to so many other, less offensive characters…

  • barkleyg

    says:

    Libra @15

    I had no idea what “unctous” meant, but knew it wasn’t good if Digby used it. Thanks for explaining the word to me, and you are right, ASSHOLE is too good a word for McSame and his BS politics!

  • Lance

    says:

    wvng said: “If the media, after 8 years of Bush, don’ t know how to deal with a “brazen, bold liar” then they aren’t trying very hard.”

    Hell, I thought the Media figured out how to deal with a brazen, bold liar after 8 years of Bill Clinton. Boy George II is just a pathetic excuse in comparison. 😉

    I’m sure that John Warner really appreciates just how much McCunt’s hard work improved Warner’s effort.

  • joey

    says:

    Oh bullshit Lance. Clinton lies were about a sexual encounter. Bush lied us into a war, lied about spying on us and stole an election..hardly pale by comparison. Lied about politicizing the DoJ and about republican prosecutions.

    McCain’s hard work my ass…he didn’t even take the time to show up and vote, just playing the Bush card for the audience. You should be choking right now if you swallowed your own bullshit about that Phony-McCain who even voted against pay increases and body armor for the troops.

    McCain would rather start a war than lose an election. He’s trying to do it right now with his lobbyist policy adviser being a foreign agent paid to lobby McCain.

    Hard work…lol…he hasn’t shown up to vote in the Senate since he began campaigning. Too old to keep up with his day job. McCain didn’t “improve” anything in that bill, just tried his best to make it more restrictive. This while sucking down $58k/yr in disability payments from the government tit in spite of being a millionaire and owning 10 houses. What bullshit…even for a troll.

  • joey

    says:

    btw…Lance is no troll but he could play one if the price were right and McCain the recipient of the ugliness.

  • barkleyg

    says:

    Joey: “McCain would rather start a war than lose an election”

    I agree 100%. McSame has learned NOTHING about war. He was tortured as a POW- now he believes torture is OK. He rah-rahed us into Iraq with King George, and thinks Iran should be next, unless of course Russia keeps bullying his lobbyist buddy’s employer, Georgia.

    With McSame, there can never be toooo many wars, as long as we have enough “enemies” to fight against. McSame is a real sick puppy being led around by a bunch of rabid sycophants!

    McSame is what is wrong with America, and why we are not the guiding light of the world that we used to be, and instead one of the 3 most feared nations in the world. Great job King George!

  • libra

    says:

    So… I was passing the TV room (Laundry Day Monday) and my husband was watching the news. Not sure which station; I think ABC. I hear “John McCain” and “VFW” mentioned in a single sentence, so I stop and listen. The clip they showcase… is of John Sidney blasting away at Obama for his lack of judgment an patriotism. Never mind the bit about taking credit where none is due (and pointing it out); even Obama’s rebuttal to that charge isn’t mentioned.

    If a tree falls in a forest… And there’s no one there to observe it… It’ll rot.

  • Veritas

    says:

    First of all, I don’t know if your site accepts a dissenting voice, but I am one. I can not believe the hate that the left is spewing on John McCain. I bet less than half the people that are making the comments I am seeing here have ever served in the military and therefore do not understand the sacrifice he has made personally for his country. Obama has not done anything of significance in his life. He has no real experience in government or business. He is a self absorbed empty suit. He not only pro abortion, but is pro infanticide. I already know from the comments I read here that my post will only be flamed and I will be attacked personally by people that don’t know me and that I am a neocon or whatever the latest left wing attack spinis, but it does not matter. I have read your posts and for the most part it shows that a lot of you do not do your own research, you just jump on whatever the talking points are for the dems today.

  • zenpig

    says:

    Linking to a post within this website in attempting to prove that McCain challenged the bill for “all the wrong” reasons is pretty smooth……or not. McCain, and it is a matter of record for anyone wanting to actually understand the public debate on this issue, was and is all for more incentives in the form of educational benefits. He publically then which is being distorted constantly by many now want those incentives to increase with amount of time served instead of being one lump, one size fits all, bonus for everyone no matter what the amount of time served. If you care to look up the amedment to the bill McCain attempted to push through this would be known but I have a feeling that knowledge of truth(critical thought) is really the point here. He disaproved of the bill in the form it became because it did not reward those who chose to spend more than the minimum time of service