House OKs plan to improve GI education benefits

Thu, May 15, 2008 (1:22 p.m.) | The Associated Press via Yahoo

The House on Thursday passed a Democratic plan sharply boosting education benefits for Iraq-Afghanistan veterans and awarding people whose unemployment benefits have expired with a 13-week extension.

The 266-166 fell short of the two-thirds needed to overcome a promised veto by President Bush.

The Democratic plan would impose a surtax on individual incomes exceeding $500,000 to pay for the 10-year, $52 billion cost of boosting the GI Bill to provide Iraq veterans with college educations. Couples would pay the tax on income exceeding $1 million.

It comes on the heels of the unexpected defeat of a $163 billion bill covering the costs of funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Republicans withheld support for the funding measure in protest of Democratic tactics. That kills the war funding for now, but it'll be revived next week in the Senate.

This bill (The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act) is the same bill that General Clark and VoteVets have worked to get passed.

See: McCain must lead the charge
By Wesley K. Clark and Jon Soltz | Los Angeles Times | April 10, 2008

General Clark went well beyond the mainstream Democratic Party in preemptively positioning himself, and those who stand with him, to confront a growing threat to peace, and also to our Party. For those who picked up on Clark’s stance early the lag between him sounding an alarm and more people hearing it has been hard to accept, but as hard as it’s been for the netroots to take that danger in, compared to the institutional Democratic Party they have been relatively quick to respond.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Volunteers of all ages ~~

Recently, General Clark has asked for our help to not only change the debate from troops and tactics to strategy and diplomacy, but he has also asked, several times, for us to help several candidates get elected to Congress in 2008.

Hey,.. yep I made it here! :) How could I not? ;)

First, I have to include the UStream.tv video of Clark's speech featured at YKos website, mostly because I actually had little time to actually listen to him attentively while taking pics .

Our nation's troops need your help, right now!

This week, the Senate will consider an amendment offered by military veterans Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) that puts on paper one of the greatest things we can do to support the troops and the military -- guaranteeing them proper time on the homefront, to improve our readiness.

Call your Senator at 202-224-3121 and tell them to support the Webb-Hagel Readiness Amendment.

Their amendment simply says that active duty troops should have as much time home as they had on deployment, and that National Guard and Reserve troops should have three years at home after their one-year deployment. Besides being a just and fair thing to do for those who are making tremendous sacrifices for all of us, it is just good military policy.

The war in Iraq is breaking our fine Army and Marine Corps. You've heard the stories about deployments being extended again and again, and troops coming home only to turn around and head right back. It has led to our troops being depleted and exhausted. Not only that, but it has seriously damaged our ability to defend this nation. Many units are simply not combat ready, and God forbid an attack by a rogue nation necessitates opening up a new war front, our forces would be unable to respond. Further, extended and frequent deployments of our National Guard has left us much more vulnerable at home.

As Major General Batiste, a former commanding general in Iraq said, "In addition to our country's lack of strategic focus and failure to mobilize the country, our military is at a breaking point. The Webb-Hagel Amendment is a step in the right direction to force our leadership to come to grips with the gross mismatch between capability and requirements."

Tomorrow, we're going to be on Capitol Hill, to speak out in strong support of this bill. But we need you to back up our efforts.

Call your Senator's office at 202-224-3121 and tell them to support the Webb-Hagel Readiness Amendment. If you served in OIF or OEF, be sure to note that to the staffer you speak with. Remember, be polite with the person answering the phone, but firm in saying you support the troops, General Clark's WesPAC, VoteVets.org, and Senators Webb and Hagel.

Let's make this happen, and really support the troops!

Sincerely,

Peter Granato

Iraq War Veteran

Veterans Outreach Coordinator, VoteVets.org

Interview with General Wesley Clark

With Josh Berthume | 7/04/2007

The Texas Blue is a leading voice in Democratic politics in Texas, dedicated to advancing progressive ideas. Since launching on January 1, the Texas Blue has covered and commented on many aspects of statewide and national politics. In June, the Texas Blue published a multi-part series featuring stories from veterans about their experiences at war and at home, recognized medical experts on the impact of war, and family members of wounded combat veterans.

Lawmakers and veterans alike spoke about the issues facing veterans today on the Texas Blue's weekly podcast "Who's Blue," including House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Congressman Bob Filner; House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Congressman Chet Edwards and VoteVets.Org Co-Founder Jon Soltz.

This week, General Wesley Clark joins Josh Berthume on Who's Blue to discuss those issues, his political activism through WesPAC and VoteVets.org, and what he views as a dangerous foreign policy precedent being set by the Bush administration in regards to Iran and the Middle East.

Listen to the interview here!

Today, during a Foreign Affairs Hearing on the Iraq Escalation, Major General Batiste offered an astoundingly realistic and frightening rassessment of Iraq, US Foreign Policy, and the near-broken state of our Military. His 13 minute assessment can be watched here . I tried to embed the video but had no luck.

It’s been over 40 years since LBJ refused to choose between Guns and Butter, and we all came out losers because of it. Had he chosen only Guns, fewer Americans would have paid an economic price, and had he settled on Butter alone, its likely America would not have sacrificed at all. But LBJ couldn’t make that choice; instead he told America you can have this war and eat butter too.

A perfectly clear, sunny, 68 degree L.A. winter day presented itself for the General at UCLA Law School this afternoon. I arrived about 20 minutes early and was politely ushered by event organizer Elsie Walton to the taped off Media section in the first three rows. I chatted with people as they came in, familiar and un. A young writer for the L.A.Times plopped down to my right— Francisco Vara-Orta, with long, straight black hair, notebook and pen poised for action. (Google alerters; keep an eye out for his article, coming soon.)

The UCLA Media Relations representative, Claudia Luther, graciously asked if we needed anything--- I almost imagined for a brief moment I was the ‘legitimate press’. Should I ask for lunch? :P Being this was a lecture on legitimacy, I decided to blend in. To fantasize about a day when the line between bloggers and MSM would blur enough so that we could crossover into each others’ territories seamlessly.

I skipped out early on work to go with my sister and her two little ones to the Sestak rally and endorsement in Clifton Heights this afternoon. I spoke to Maria and Rich and drsusan there. I’m sure someone will have a nice thorough account of the event. This is my abbreviated account.

A good crowd showed up….a lot of veterans, one with a Veterans For Peace hat that I quite liked. My sister’s kids are 5 and 6 years old and they had made brownies from Wes’ Aunt Rosalie’s recipe to give to Wes. They had brought him brownies when they first met him in PA for a Kerry event during that campaign too. They are so cute because they really were excited to see “the General” as Lilia, the 5 year old, was calling him.