Right wingers of draft age must be protected so that in their later years they will be available to serve as Republican leaders for their testosterone wars when they can call Democrats who had served unpatriotic. Like Dick Cheney during Vietnam, they have other more important things to do than be in the armed forces, having been designated by the Almighty for future leadership.

send Ben Shapiro to Fallujah!

The old GI Bill wasn't that good either. I remember when after I got out of the service and started a family I went back to college. I worked two jobs and attended school 4 days a week. I had to go to my congressman because it took so long for the government to start paying me my GI bill. By time they finally got around to it I had to drop out and work even harder just to keep my family together. Then they came after me for not completing my education. Government programs suck. I ended up working until past the deadline to use my GI bill before I was able to afford to go back to school. Then I was on my own. Any dealing with the VA have always been a nightmare. This was after 12 years in the Army, three in the Navy and three combat tours. Imagine how much run around they can give someone who just does one hitch and gets out.

Some of the Guard who have returned home and wanted to return to their interupted education have been informed that the Tuition Assistance Program that pays 75% of tuition is out of money and they'll have to wait a semester.

Lowell, I had to take a break from college for a job-related problem and returned my last VA check. They issued a Federal warrant over the check because they have no way of voiding a government check. After a year it got straightened out and they issued me a check for one day because I withdrew on the 1st of the month. The VA is a mess and has never had the money to really clean the system up.

lowell's story is a sad commentary on what the troops (whenever the hell they rotate home and out) will have to face to receive the benefits they most definitely have earned.

makes me sick just thinkin' about it.

I predict a huge outbreak of bum knees, anal cysts, etc amongst the war bloggers when the draft arrives.

Is Tucker Carlson too old to serve? He looks 15 to me. I'd love to see him in a camo bow tie.

I got the "indeed" Jo. :)

My father would roll over in his grave to hear how sorry the GI Bill programs and VA have turned out. A career enlisted man, in the 1950's he purchased a home, financed his college education, had his WWII wounds faithfully attended to, and thought the programs were the best thing since sliced bread.

I always thought it was the least the government could do.

I well remember as an anti-war Vietnam veteran speaking at colleges, and having the local Young American Fascists (YAF) heckle me for being an unpatriotic traitor. I would say to them, "Hey, since you're such a patriotic supporter of the war, why don't you drop out of school and enlist as a volunteer? They'll be happy to send you to an infantry company in the central highlands right after boot camp. You'll be able to kill all the Charlies you want." Strangely enough, the heckling would stop after that.

I think the only right winger I ever heard of who actually served in combat was Randy "Duke" Cunningham (a true Religious Right nutcase if you ever met him) - all the rest are like the YAFfies I knew - prime draft duckers.

And to Lowell - your experience with the VA and the GI Bill just burns me up to hear. The only way we ever got things straightened out for guys at San Francisco State was we went and organized a sit-in at the VA office in the Federal Building, and got TV to cover the event. Things got straightened out after that, and stayed straightened out while I finished my degree (which I could never have done on what they handed out without a well-comployed wife and no kids). I never ever heard anyone from the WW2 or Korean generations ever have trouble with their GI Bill, but why would anyone be surprised that everything having anything to do with Vietnam was totally FUBAR?
TC

I met "Duke" Cunningham when he was a department head in, I think it was VF-154, flying Phantoms. A guy who was a truly awesome pilot and a legend in his own mind. Someday I'll have to tell you all the story I heard about his almost-last day in the Navy. Then he became an "ace". He seemed like a nice guy when I met him, never figured he'd become a fundie wack-o, last time I saw him was in the "Ready Room" at the Cubi 'O' Club.

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5. Bunnypants in Bagdad
   
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7. Filthy Lucre Watch
   
8. Playing the numbers
   
9. My letter to Countdown
   
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