SENATE SHOWDOWN THIS MORNING ON THE GI BILL-- IT ALL COMES DOWN TO TED STEVENS

Giving the finger to U.S. vets

The Senate votes on the modernization of the GI Bill-- passed overwhelmingly in the House last week-- this morning at 11:30 am (EST). Mitch McConnell and John McCain, each of whom has a reprehensible record on veterans' issues, have vowed to block the bill from passing. It's a bipartisan solution, backed by every Democrat and plenty of Republicans, to the escalating costs of college education. McCain opposes it because he claims that if young men and women who complete their military service have a viable option-- like a college education-- they won't re-enlist... to fight in the endless wars he has planned.

The bill needs 60 votes to overcome the McConnell-McCain filibuster. Many Republicans want to do the right thing for veterans and support the bill but they have been bullied by McCain into backing his own watered-down and ineffective substitute bill. Characteristically, the first rubber stamp to back down-- and remove his name as a co-sponsor of the bill and vow to help the filibuster against it-- was right wing zombie Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, who, apparently, doesn't want to mar his 100% anti-veterans voting record.

A lot of focus has turned to Alaska Senator Ted Stevens who used the original GI Bill to get through college and law school and lift himself into a position of great wealth. Many in Alaska are asking why their senator is pulling up the ladder after he's risen to the top. Stevens has been fighting against fellow vets Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel as they try to get this bill enacted into law. Roger Martinez, an Afghanistan and Iraq vet and current university student, has made this video calling on Stevens to support the new GI bill.



Mark Begich, who is challenging Stevens' re-election attempt is a vocal advocate for veterans and a big supporter of this bill. He's been putting tremendous pressure of Stevens to vote for it and their are rumors that Stevens may actually tell McCain to take his fake bill and shove it. We'll let you know-- right here-- after the vote today. Another big veterans advocate is Andrew Rice, the populist Democratic state senator running against flip-flopper Inhofe. Andrew has been turning up the heat on Inhofe and thinks he could flip back again. "We will see what Jim Inhofe's values really are today when he votes on the GI Bill. Maybe he'll change course from his anti-troop record, and and actually get in line with Oklahoma values. We'll see."