Yesterday, as part of a war funding bill, by a 75-22 margin the senate passed an expanded GI Bill, which would

...cover the full cost of in-state public tuition, room, board and supplies, while encouraging private institutions to help 21st-century vets with their education bills. In contrast, the current benefit -- the Montgomery GI Bill -- is capped over four years, leading critics to argue that it's insufficient to cover the ever-rising expense of a secondary education.

The bill would also extend full education benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves.

The current benefit allows under $40,000 over four years, not nearly enough to cover even a state school. Yet to almost half of the Republicans in the senate, including John McCain, expanding the benefit to cover four years of college for returning veterans who've served at least three years of active duty, is way too generous and would encourage people to {gasp!} leave the military to go to college. Oh the horror!

...McCain took to the Senate floor to blast the Webb-Hagel bill (S. 22) for discouraging troop retention -- a central fear for an all-volunteer military already stretched thin by two on-going conflicts.

"While I don't think anyone disagrees with the overall intent of S. 22," McCain said, "I believe we can and should do more to promote recruitment and retention of servicemen and women."

Which, as usual, is identical to the Bush position.

Backing that assertion has been the Bush administration, which shot out a letter to McCain's office Tuesday outlining the reasons it opposes the Webb-Hagel bill. Chief among them, the White House says the proposal doesn't allow service members to transfer their benefits to family. Also, the administration contends, it would encourage troops to hang up their boots to pursue educations.

Supporters of the bill, which, it should be noted include co-sponsors and Vietnam veterans Chuck Hagel and Jim Webb, as well as fellow veteran John Warner, say the increased recruitment that would result from the benefit contained within the bill, would make up for any losses.

Supporters of the Webb-Hagel bill also reject the retention criticisms, arguing that any problems with retention related to an enhanced education benefit would be overshadowed by the recruitment the benefit would promote.

"I share concerns about retention in this time of war," said Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee and a veteran of World War II. "We cannot retain those who we can't recruit."

John McCain actually did not return to Washington on Thursday to vote on the bill, but has expressed his opposition and instead has sponsored an alternate measure, one that increases monthly tuition benefits by less than the Webb/Hagel bill does and allows transferability of benefits only after a minimum of several years in service; in other words, the most generous benefits would accrue only to career military.

Interestingly, although hardly surprising, is the extent to which Republicans in the senate fled the Bush/McCain position and joined Democrats to support funding full college benefits for returning soldiers. It's especially notable to look at who was among the 25 Republican senators to do so.

Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Gordon Smith (R-OR)
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)

In other words, 7 of the most endangered Republican incumbents in the senate, who, I'm sure know it's the right vote, but also know they're vulnerable this year and fear being targeted with ads like this one from VoteVets:

A few years ago I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me that in 2008 it would be the Republicans running scared on military issues.

Update [2008-5-23 14:55:24 by Todd Beeton]:Notice that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is not among the Republicans up for re-election this year who voted for the expanded GI Bill. Today, Democratic challenger Rick Noriega wasted no time in hitting Cornyn hard for refusing to vote with our veterans, launching a petition demanding that Cornyn vote to override Bush's promised veto of the bill:

Yesterday, the Senate voted 75-22 in favor of the bipartisan New GI Bill to cover full in-state tuition at public universities for veterans. This is fantastic news for our men and women in uniform, whose service should be honored with the education benefits they were promised.

Unfortunately, you are just one of 22 Senators to oppose the New GI bill that passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, and is supported by most leading veterans organizations. You've also signaled your support for a presidential veto that would block expanded benefits for veterans.

Supporting our troops is about more than photo opportunities and speeches. Our brave men and women give their all on the battlefield and they deserve our full support when they return home. We have an obligation to our veterans to ensure that they receive the same sort of education benefits that their grandparents received after World War II.

We're so close to passing the New GI Bill into law, and you still have a chance to do the right thing. I urge you to override President Bush's veto against the New GI Bill.

Sign the petition HERE.

[editor's note, by Todd Beeton]Fixed the petition link.