John McCain: Open Mouth, Insert Foot

By Si Dunn

According to the Associated Press, Arizona Republican John McCain believes Democrat Barack Obama has no right to criticize McCain's position on military scholarships because the Illinois senator did not serve in uniform.

"And I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did," McCain said in a statement issued May 22.

McCain lashed out at Obama's personal history despite Obama's repeated praise of McCain's military service, the Associated Press reported.

An Opposing View
Barack Obama has every right to criticize John McCain on this issue. Our nation is shortchanging recently returned veterans at almost every turn, while giving away and throwing away countless billions of borrowed dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same time, President Bush and John McCain are claiming that current legislative proposals for a new GI Bill would be too expensive for America.

Speaking of “too expensive,” returning veterans are coming home expecting to be able to go to college with their promised benefits, only to find that their vouchers barely will cover a fraction of the costs they will face.

Thousands upon thousands of men and women enlisted on the promise--the guarantee--of a college education after service. So where is it? Currently tied up and hamstrung by misplaced political priorities and unbelievably massive financial waste.

No, Barack Obama did not fly a jet and spend years in North Vietnamese captivity. And yes, John McCain fought honorably in two conflicts—Vietnam and his battle for personal survival in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. But Sen. McCain seems to be forgetting exactly why he was fighting. Didn’t it have something to do--at least vaguely--with preserving democracy and protecting the rights of people--including Senators from opposing parties--to speak freely?

Personal Experience
The GI Bill gave me just enough money to go to college after I served out my enlistment in the Navy and came home from the Tonkin Gulf. Yes, I had to work some part-time jobs, and yes, I sometimes had little more than a few Cokes and a loaf of bread to live on while waiting for the next check. But the money, when carefully managed, was at least enough to pay tuition, to buy books, and to eat. Part-time jobs covered rent, clothing and inevitable extras. Without the GI Bill, I could never have earned a degree and worked at good-paying jobs.

Bottom line: Those few thousand dollars of assistance I received from the Vietnam-era GI Bill have been returned to the U.S. Treasury many times over as tax payments during my 40-plus years of employment.

Not giving today’s veterans enough money to have an equal chance at college is not just unfair. It is politically and socially immoral.

John McCain should be deeply ashamed of his opposition to more funding for American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He, of all people, should be acutely aware of how much they have sacrificed-—and are still sacrificing--for our country.

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The Next Clinton Administration

By Si Dunn

Yes, the next presidential election is still many months away. But I am already thinking that a Clinton-Obama ticket will bury Romney-Huckabee deep under a landslide of votes for drastic change and new directions.

Predictions are cheap and easy, so I am predicting Hillary Clinton will be the first female President of the United States, and Barack Obama will be America’s first black Vice President. Might as well get two precedents out of the way for the price of one.

Suggestions also are cheap and easy, so I am making some suggestions for who I would like to see in the next Clinton Administration. You, of course, you are free to post your own predictions and suggestions and to vehemently disagree with any and all of my views. That is one of the great features of our democracy.

Bill Richardson, I think, should serve another stint as Energy Secretary. This position will be more critical than ever to America’s national and international security and to the battle against global warming. The job will require strong international credentials, as well as many domestic leadership skills. Gov. Richardson has a very rich and varied resume that could help him serve America well in a time of increasingly complex challenges.

Madeline Albright should be brought back as the Clinton-Obama Administration’s Secretary of State. She knows and is respected by many of the key international players, and she has the right combination of skills and knowledge to help rebuild America’s tattered international reputation and leadership abroad.

John Edwards could be a very effective Secretary of Health and Human Services, if he wouldn’t view the post as a great demotion after competing so long and hard for the presidency. His comprehensive health plan focusing on revenue sources and cost containment could become a key part of the national debate over how to provide affordable medical coverage to all Americans.

Joe Biden believes strongly in working to improve America’s economic competitiveness. He could make many contributions as Labor Secretary, a post that also will have to deal heavily with illegal immigration and guest worker issues, as well as outsourcing, strengthening unions and domestic job creation, to name just a few.

Christopher Dodd has campaigned forcefully against constitutional encroachments and abuses of executive power. As Attorney General, he could work to help restore constitutional balance and bring a new focus on decency, honesty and fair play in the Executive Branch. He is fluent in Spanish, so he also could help the Clinton-Obama Administration tackle some increasingly thorny immigration issues.

Dennis Kucinich has made peace and international cooperation the centerpiece of his campaign. He should be appointed United Nations Ambassador, so he really can give peace a chance in a very troubled world.

Mike Gravel has been an outspoken advocate for better veterans’ care and for full disability payments for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He should head the Veterans Administration and try to help bring new resources and efficiencies to that long-troubled agency.

As previously noted, we are still many months away from casting votes for President and Vice President of the United States. But, with many critical issues becoming more pressing by the day, it is not too early to start casting grassroots votes for the other key players we would like to see in the next Administration.

Don’t just sit there stewing, disagreeing and being mad. Make your own choices known, now.

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