The bill is a result of close collaboration between my administration and members of both parties on Capitol Hill. I appreciate the hard work of my cabinet, especially the leaders of Defense and State and Veterans’ Affairs and Office of National Drug Control Policy, as well as OMB. … I want to thank members who worked hard for the G.I. Bill expansion, especially Senators Webb and Warner, Graham, Byrd, and McCain.
On Monday, when President Bush finally signed Sen. Webb’s GI bill into law, the President claimed that Senatore McCain and members of Bush’s administration were key in getting the bill passed when in actuality, both fought to prevent its success. Senator McCain, according to Bush, was a key defender of the bill. However the truth is that Senator McCain opposed the bill at every turn. Of course, even Senator McCain has given himself credit for the bill’s passage. Bush is also lying about the Secretary of Defense’s support of the bill. Robert Gates wrote a letter to the Senate indicating the fact that he opposed the bill.
Now, it’s obvious why President Bush and his allies would want to throw the truth down the memory hole and credit the very people who opposed the bill with its success. If the ruse works, Bush, McCain, and Gates are then immunized from accusations of not ’supporting the troops’ despite the fact that they didn’t want veterans to get any benefits from Senator Webb’s GI bill.
Posted by Quix 
