WASHINGTON — For Sen. Jim Webb, it’s a question of fairness: Why don’t veterans of today’s armed services get the same benefits the GI Bill provided “the greatest generation” after World War II?

Actually Senator, the answer is pretty simple, Vets have always been handed the slick end of the stick, and you know that, perhaps PCness keeps you from saying it, I would hope NOT but that statement is nothing but the cold hard fact of the matter, if the government feels it needs a budget cut, Vets are the 1st to feel it.

But the Virginia Democrat’s effort to remedy the perceived slight, which has gained support in Congress, runs afoul of how officials at the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs want to manage the all-volunteer military. Besides being too expensive and more administratively complex than the current GI Bill, they say it would make it more difficult to retain experienced troops beyond their first hitch.

Too expensive?? Too expensive to take care of our Vets and offer them better benefits after they have put their lives on the line in service to this nation?? The DoD and V.A. need to rethink that position and define the word ‘expensive’.

In my opinion expensive is Iraq, and what we are doing there, we are spending BILLIONS of U.S. tax dollars on a gamble that we’re not even certain is going to pay off, but we won’t spend the money to give top shelf benefits to the troops that are working their tails off in an attempt to make this gamble in Iraq and elsewhere work?

And another thing, if the DoD wants to retain experienced troops beyond that 1st hitch, they need to take into consideration exactly what those troops are going through, what their families are sacrificing, the ‘big picture’ if you will, and the DoD needs to address the issue of WHY troops are now on their 3rd, 4th and in some cases, their 5th combat rotation to Iraq, personally I think that ANY troops that has given that much of themselves, to and for this nation, deserve nothing but the very finest educational opportunities available.

“I see the educational benefits in this bill as crucial to a service member’s readjustment to civilian life and as a cost of war that should receive the same priority that funding the war has received the last five years,” Webb said.

The benefit would cover tuition and fees for the most expensive public university in any state where the veteran resides and pay an allowance for books and housing.

I have often said, I don’t support the ‘political party’, I look at the individual and make my decisions based on what I see from that individual and their actions, and in this case I have to say, I support the efforts and statements of Sen. Webb, and of those in office that are supporting him and his effort to obtain more and better benefits for our Veterans.

I read a lot of so-called Conservative and Republican Blogs that are always tooting their own horns about how much they support the troops, several sites come to mind, but they will go unmentioned because I won’t give linkage to hypocrites, and those same sites will call BS on this story simply because Sen. Webb is a Democrat, and that is why I believe certain individuals are the hypocrites I accuse them of being when it comes to REAL troops support.

If you truly support the troops, PROVE IT, support this effort to help increase educational benefits for our Vets, don’t just sit there and say “Oh yeah, I support the troops“, help get this thing moving, call or write your congressman or senator, tell them to support Sen. Webb in this effort, if you can support the war then you can surely support the futures of guys and gals that are doing the work. They deserve it!

Full Story Here:
Boosting GI Bill benefits could hit military roadblock

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama seemed to suggest in an interview aired Friday that his former pastor has acknowledged that his controversial remarks were inappropriate and hurtful, although there are no public accounts of the minister having done so.

Obama discussed his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright on ABC’s “The View,” which was taped Thursday and aired Friday.

“Had the reverend not retired and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying there at the church,” Obama said.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the senator’s remarks did not imply that Wright has expressed misgivings about his statements.

Full Story Here:
Obama Suggests Ex-Pastor Is Contrite

What I see here is Barack Hussein Obama making an attempt to cover his ass as he finds out that many Americans, from both sides of the aisle, just aren’t buying into the ‘contrite‘ thing concerning his racist preacher, and somehow, I seem to detect the strong fragrance of bullshit from the Obama camp as it permeates the blogosphere.

BAGHDAD (AP) - A U.S. helicopter fired a Hellfire missile during fighting in a Shiite militia stronghold of Baghdad Friday, killing at least four people as deadly clashes broke out in Iraq’s oil-rich south for the fourth day.

American jets also dropped bombs overnight in Basra in the first use of U.S. air power in the southern oil port since the Iraqi government launched a crackdown against Shiite militias there earlier this week.

Defying a curfew in Baghdad, extremists also lobbed more rockets or mortars against the U.S.-protected Green Zone.

At least two rounds struck the nearby offices of Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, killing two guards and wounding four, his daughter Lubna said.

If it’s war al-Sadr and his bunch of Little Shiiteheads want, then let it be war they get, let’s see if The Bush and his puppet al-Maliki have the balls to do it right this time, because removing al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army from the face of this earth shouldn’t be that much of an effort if we seriously get with the program and do this thing as it should be done and must be done.

Ground forces called for the airstrike in Sadr City after coming under small-arms fire while clearing a main supply route at 4:10 a.m., U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Steve Stover said.

And THAT is exactly what we should have been doing all along, when you’re the mightiest military nation on earth you use what is available and you use it to win, to hell with PCness and standoffs, KILL the enemy and save OUR troops.

He ( Lt. Col. Steve Stover) said four gunmen were killed, but Iraqi police and hospital officials said five civilians died and four others were wounded in the attack.

And by the time al-Jazeera and the assorted Muslim moonbats of the world gets done with telling this story their way, we will have bombed 3 mosques, an old folks retirement village and 2 children’s hospitals, killing a multitude of innocent Iraqi civilians.

The strikes came as tensions rose among followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr angry over a crackdown that has threatened to unravel a militia cease-fire and spark a new cycle of violence after months of relative calm in Iraq.

Here’s a simple and easy to understand solution, KILL al-Sadr and as many of his followers as you possibly can, that tends to send a message, it says, ‘we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore’.

And it also serves another purpose, it tells ALL the radical Muslims, of all nationalities and all branches of Islam, we’re serious in our War on Terror and if you mess with us again, scores of your people WILL DIE, and that my friends, is the only message, the only action and the only logic that these people understand.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has insisted the fight is targeting criminal gangs in Basra, not al-Sadr’s movement, and he has promised “no retreat.”

It’s statements like this that tend to make me wonder, isn’t al-Sadr’s bunch the “criminal gangs” that are causing all this brouhaha?? I guess al-Maliki is taking his queue from The Bush and going for PCness by using political doublespeak.

Personally, I don’t think al-Maliki has the BALLS to do this thing, I don’t believe he will go to war against his Shiitehead brothers, and al-Sadr IS his religious brother, and I also wonder how long before The Bush reins in our troops as well, it’s just not PC to go around killing your enemies, you might make them angry, and we all know, it’s just not right for us to have enemies that hate us.

What I wouldn’t give to see a real military type leader in the White House, and a entire Corps in the field comprised of nothing but Gen. George S. Patton clones, this Debacle in Iraq would be over in a week or so.

Many folks complain that we must find a way out of Iraq, I am one of them, but I don’t just cry about it, I offer viable solutions to the problem, and the most viable solution that I can present is this, KILL the insurgents, wipe them out and leave their carcasses in the street as a reminder to any that follow, WIN this thing and do it in such a massive and brutal fashion that other radical nations will take pause before they disturb our nation again, and even though I don’t believe that Iraq and Saddam were involved in the attacks of 9-11, we ARE in Iraq, be that action right or wrong, it makes no difference, we’re there, now get it over with and stop playing games.

Full Story Here:
US Airstrike Kills at Least 4 in Baghdad

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BAGHDAD - The State Department on Thursday told all workers at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad not to leave reinforced structures following the deaths of two Americans in attacks on the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area besieged by militants this week.

The Baghdad military command imposed a curfew on the capital from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Sunday in bid to stem the violence.

One American was killed Thursday by incoming insurgent fire on the Green Zone. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo identified the person as a government employee but said she could give no further details until relatives were notified.

An American financial analyst was killed Sunday in the first volley to strike the zone.

The U.S. military has blamed Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen for the attacks, which come as amid heightened tensions between followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the Shiite-led government.

Full Story Here:
U.S. workers in Baghdad restricted

But other than these few minor little incidents everything is pretty much okie-dokie in Baghdad, I have it on good authority, this is just more BS from the MSM, the rocket attacks on the Green Zone and the ensuing death(s) are merely MSM attempts at sensationalism, you know how the MSM loves to make the war effort out to be something it’s not, one of the # 1 Bush Bots said so.

It must be the truth, I mean, 28% of the nation can’t be wrong, can they?

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