Senate OKs GI Bill, Sparking Obama-McCain Joust

Senate Republicans broke with President Bush and John McCain to help pass a GI bill that gives education benefits to veterans, setting off a sharp war of words between McCain and Barack Obama, the Huffington Post reports. “I can’t believe he believes it is too generous,” said Obama. McCain fired back: "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 worries that the bill will encourage enlistees to leave the armed services after three years, the AP notes. He says Obama has "zero understanding" of the issue. Obama charged that "there are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing, but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.” (More GI Bill stories.)