Robert Lopez served 8 years in our military, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a tank commander. He was told he'd get his whole education bill paid for when he got out of the service. Mr. Lopez has fought and sacrificed for our country but like so many others, Mr. Lopez has faced the bleak reality of a government that has turned its back on its veterans.

That is why Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel proposed a new GI Bill, which would bring back WWII-style standards of providing vets with full tuition, room and board. And that is why 51 senators have signed on, including 9 Republicans like John Warner, giving this GI Bill tremendous bi-partisan support.

But it isn't enough. Faced with unprecedented filibusters, the only way to ensure Senate passage of the GI Bill is to get 60 cosponsors. So far, John McCain has refused. The same McCain who insists he supports our troops. The same McCain who is voting lockstep with the Bush administration (who have also resisted this bill). We need to get John McCain to do the right thing. We need him to sign now and signal to other Republican leaders that we should be strongly behind our vets.

The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. Not only was this our nation's moral duty for the unbelievable sacrifices of our World War II veterans, it helped create America's middle class and spurred decades of economic growth for our country.

That's why, today, we're launching this new web video with an accompanying petition, urging Senator McCain to step up and be a leader for veterans, by signing onto the GI Bill.

The burden of ensuring that our veterans get the education they were promised and earned largely sits on his shoulders. If he won't stand up for the troops, he must explain why.

Vote Vets, WesPAC and Brave New Films feel passionately about giving our veterans the support they rightly deserve. Our government owes our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the opportunity to receive full educational benefits. These patriots have fought hard for our government; it's time our government started fighting hard for them.

Sign the petition to McCain here.

Update [2008-4-3 18:25:19 by Todd Beeton]:Watch the video below:

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

Today, Kentucky Marine Andrew Horne showed how you fight back against chickenhawks like Mitch McConnell. Here's today's press release by VoteVets.org:

Last night I suggested that there was still work to be done showing the American people that it is President Bush, not the Democratic Congress, who is at fault for the current gridlock over the Iraq War supplemental bill. This new ad from VoteVets could help.

Per the VoteVets website,

Our ads are airing in states and districts of those Members of Congress who are very close to breaking with the President on Iraq, and joining the troops and American people. They are: Senators Susan Collins, John Sununu, John Warner, and Norm Coleman, and Representatives Mary Bono, Phil English, Randy Kuhl, Jim Walsh,  Heather Wilson, Jo Ann Emerson, Tim Johnson, Mike Rogers, Fred Upton, and Mike Castle. Mentioning them by name at the end, the local spots will call on them to "Protect America, Not George Bush."

Next week, we'll launch another ad with retired Major General Paul Eaton. And, after that, the campaign will wrap up with a powerful ad from former NATO Allied Supreme Commander, General Wesley Clark. Help keep our ads on the air. We're trying to raise $100,000 to get these ads on nationally. Help us spread the word click here to  donate.

I just sent in my $25...

Cross posted from Helluva Heller

After being hit on his Iraq stance by the ad of Americans United for Change, Dean Heller went on Bill Manders radio talk-show last night. That in itself is to be expected. However what is not to be expected is that a conservative talk show host and a sitting Congressman care about some little blogger from Germany. But apparently they do.

Listen to this clip (this is the second part of their talk).

Here's the transcript:

Bill Manders: "What do you know about this guy named Sven Stromann?"

Dean Heller: "Uh... Some guy from Germany."

Bill Manders: "Well, actually he's an exchange student in Nevada."

Dean Heller: "Yea, I think he was at one time..."

Bill Manders: "And he's got a, I guess they've got a website. They're attacking you,   they want to defeat you in 2008.."

Dean Heller: "Yes they do..."

VoteVets, which produced and aired this terrific ad earlier in the cycle, now offers another very powerful ad.

All I can say is wow. This is exactly the type of response that the Democratic Party and all of its surrogates should have offered when the RNC's "be afraid" ad was first unveiled. But better late than never...

Remember VoteVets, the group that produced this powerful ad that has so far run in the Virginia, Pennsylvania and Montana Senate races?

Now they're up on the air with tan almost identical ad running against Jim Talent, Missouri's freshman Republican Senator. It's not a huge ad buy; as best I can tell it's only about $50,000 worth of television time. Yet the message is a powerful one, one that can resonate with voters of all political stripes. So if you want to help keep this ad on the air in Missouri, which may hold the key to the Democrats retaking the Senate this fall, click here to offer your support to VoteVets.

A+

Terrific stuff.

VoteVets is also running ads against Joe Lieberman.  Hopefully they'll go up on TV in Connecticut.