More presidential vacuity

MANIFESTO

Yesterday's radio give and take between GI George and Ohio state senator John Boccieri pretty much sums up the opposing positions of the two major political parties regarding veterans and the war dead.

GI George does nothing but pay lip service to them:

No words are adequate to console those who have lost a loved one serving our nation. We can only offer our prayers and join in their grief. We grieve for the mother who hears the sound of her child's 21-gun salute. We grieve for the husband or wife who receives a folded flag. We grieve for a young son or daughter who only knows Dad from a photograph.

Needless to say, Feckless Leader has yet to attend one funeral for any service person who has died as a result of his Godforsaken policy, but it goes farther than that. The Bushies have consistently reduced veterans' benefits, and, of course, the preznit himself continues to state he'll veto a new version of the GI Bill. Thus, GI George isn't kidding when he states, "We can only offer our prayers." He's certainly not doing anything to improve veterans' plight.

Boccieri, who flew in Iraq as an Air Force Reserve pilot, called on President Bush and Sen. John McCain to rethink opposition to an expansion of the GI bill.

I'm struck by the primary argument of the opponents of the bill: that providing such a benefit would encourage members of the military to leave after only one enlistment. That's about as clear a statement as can be found that Republicans wish to keep the have nots in that position for as long as possible.

UPDATE — Richard Reeves fulminates about this issue in today's Courant. Digby has also chimed in.