One of the topics that the presidential campaign brought up was people who hate America. That's who I want to talk about, people who REALLY hate America. The people that I'm about to introduce seem to have such a visceral hatred for this country and its citizens that they must want to see the country destroyed.
When I talk about people hating this country, I'm not talking about people like Jeremiah Wright or Michelle Obama. This country was founded on dissent from the voice of tyranny (hypocritically enough -- but that's not the point today). People like Barack Obama, who may or may not wear a flag pin, don't hate America. Rev. Jeremiah Wright doesn't hate America because he said 'God damn America.' He has said nothing different than what other (white) evangelicals said about the hypocrisy of America's foreign policy. Michelle Obama doesn't hate America because she "expressed pride for the first time in her adult life" due to the unity behind Barack. People speaking up about how this country failed them is true patriotism. "Loving America" has been reduced to jingoistic slogans, empty posturing, and issues surrounding costume jewelry on a man's suit. But before I get too deep into my rant, let's talk about people who REALLY hate America.
The Blue Dog Democrats
Who are these people? These conservative "Democrats" cling fast to conservative ideals, and are basically DINO's (Democrats In Name Only). But they don't hate America for being conservative Democrats. Click on the link, and you will see the story about how they are against the 21st Century G.I. Bill. Are they against it because it doesn't have Democratic support? That can't be it, seeing as how it has the support of both Obama and Clinton. Could it be because it's not "support the troops"-y enough for Republicans? That can't be it, because it has strong Republican support. But what about the troops themselves? They must be against it for some reason. But no, servicemen across all of the branches, and a variety of veterans groups support this bill. So, why did this esteemed group of conservative Democrats stall on something that is obviously so beneficial to the troops?
It's because they want to appear "fiscally responsible" and not support a bill that doesn't go through some "pay-as-you-go" system. By attaching the bill to some form of "emergency spending", the Blue Dogs reason that the 21st Century G.I. bill will "create some new entitlement program." Really, Blue Dogs? In a war that costs billions of dollars PER DAY, you want to show fiscal responsibility at the expense of the servicemen who are VOLUNTARILY making the ultimate sacrifice?
Blue Dogs, do you hate America so much that you would rather hold up a bill that obviously benefits and rewards the troops for their years of committment, than expedite this bill through so that it can get signed? Do you hate America so much that you would leave its men and women who are on the front lines stranded, because the bill runs the risk of becoming an "entitlement program"? Do you hate America that much, Blue Dogs?
John McCain
It may not be apparent that the presumptive Republican nominee for the Presidency of the United States hates America, but he does. Oh yes he does. Why? Because as the de-facto leader of the Republican Party, he is setting example for the Republicans, and the example that he sets is that he has not endorsed the aforementioned 21st Century G.I. Bill. Why would a veteran, a former prisoner of war, and a man that's part of a military legacy stall on this important piece of legislature? It's not for petty reasons such as "fiscal responsibility" that the Blue Dogs are harping on. No, McCain's goals are loftier. He is withholding his support on this bill because it doesn't address or do enough to promote re-enlistment. As a veteran, I can tell you that the Montgomery G.I. Bill that I got had nothing to do with retention. It was a "thank you for your service" for 2 years of my life. The G.I. Bill was never designed to address retention, so why should it change now? McCain, do you hate America so much that you are selling out your fellow veterans because legislation that is designed to update their reward doesn't address retention? Do you hate America so much that you can't even separate recruitment incentives with retention issues? You must hate America, because otherwise, you'd leave the retention issues up to the Department of Defense, and lead the charge in getting this piece of legislation ordered. But let me guess... you're too busy floating around your ridiculous notion of a gas tax holiday to be concerned with trite issues such as the welfare and treatment of veterans.
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