Webb: Bush to Be First President to Veto Veterans Benefits Bill

Senator Jim Webb (D-Va) has proposed a "21st Century G.I. Bill of Rights" to help finance college education for military veterans. It is opposed by the Bush administration and by Sen. John McCain of Arizona,the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Bush has threatened to veto the bill if it is passed.

Sunday on Meet the Press, Jim Webb made his case for the bill, and blasted Bush for the threatened veto. After all, as Webb indicated, Bush is just fine with extended tours, repeated tours, and stop-less to keep the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I, I introduced this G.I. bill my first day in office. The idea was to give to people who'd been serving since 9/11 the same educational benefits, the same right to a first-class future as those who served in World War II. We, we started working hard on this bipartisan, nonpartisan, hopefully; we have now got 58 sponsors in the Senate, 300 sponsors in the House of Representatives, and a, and a good number of the, you know, the thinking Republicans have moved to us.

And now the president says he's going to veto this bill. No president in history has, has vetoed a, a benefits bill for those who've served. So on the one hand, we have this rhetoric, which goes to what I was writing saying, "This is the next greatest generation, these guys are so great." And then we see this president, he's fine with sending these people over and over again where they're spending more time in Iraq than they are at home. He's fine with the notion of stop loss, where we can, we can make people stay in even after enlistments are done. And then we say, "Give them the same benefit that the people in World War II have," and they say it's too expensive. So I think the Republican Party is, you know, is, is on the block here to, to clearly demonstrate that they value military service or suffer the consequences of losing the support of people who've, who've served.

McCain: America Needs Someone Who is "Very, Very, Very Old"

On this week's season finale of Saturday Night Live, John McCain addressed an issue that is frequently brought up: his age.

Good evening. Good evening, my fellow Americans. I ask you, what should we be looking for in our next President? Certainly, someone who is very, very, very old.

He also addressed pork barrel spending.

Most of these projects are at best unnecessary, such as $15 million to the US Postal Service for a commemorative stamp honoring Tom Delay’s appellate lawyers. Whose idea was that? Or this bit of pork: $160 million to the Department of Defense for developing a device that can jam gaydar. Now I don’t know if this is anti-gay or pro-gay or if such a device would even work. But I do know this: jamming gaydar is not a federal responsibility. That’s something best left to state and local governments.

He then addressed pork barrel spending as it relates to his own state.

When I entered the Senate in 1987, Arizona had 47,000 miles of paved roadway. Today, it's less than 900.

I've also opposed federal water projects, even when they benefited my state. That's why thanks to me, 15% of Arizona citizens must get their drinking water from cactus.

It's fun to joke about it but, of course, small government and low taxes is part of the GOP message. But as I've always said, people want things, and yet don't want to have to pay for them. For example, as people rant about gasoline taxes, they also rant about infrastructure issues, such as last year's Minnesota bridge collapse. Sorry to say, that's what gas taxes pay for.

It should also be interesting to note that the federal gas tax has bee around $0.18 since 1993, give or take a tenth of a cent. Most people don't ask this question, but I will: why is it not adjusted for inflation? Prices for infrastructure maintenance / repair go up, but no one wants the gas tax to go up, so they don't use - their common sense.

McCain finished up by stated that he has what it takes: the "oldness" to be president. It should be noted, by anyone who votes for him that anyone who votes for him should carefully note his Vice-Presidential candidate.

Watch the video.

Man Uses Gun as Backscratcher - Need I Say More?

Has anyone ever seen the (arguably) worst movie ever made, Plan Nine from Outer Space? There's a scene where a cop scratches an itch on his face with a gun. This Fort Worth, Texas man must have been watching a late night repeat of the movie when he decided to do this.

Jorge Espinal, 44, had an itch he just couldn't scratch. Seeing as how it was 3 AM and he had been drinking and playing poker for a while, he probably wasn't all that clear-headed. According to Espinal, he left the table, went into another room, and as his back was itching, grabbed the first thing he could find - the revolver.

It went off, and he then went back and told his poker-playing buddies that he was shot. They apparently didn't believe him at first (they didn't hear the gunshot?), but they did when they say the blood pouring down his back.

Espinal was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. He was released with a dose of (hopefully) more common sense.

T-Shirts Comparing Obama to Curious George May Earn a Lawsuit

In Georgia, bar owner Mike Norman has been selling T-shirts at his Mulligan's Bar and Grill in Cobb County showing a picture of Curious Georgie peeling a banana, with the words "Obama '08" underneath.

Norman began selling the T-shirts in late April. He has said that they are not meant to be racist, and that he thinks the Illinois senator and the character "look so much alike." Yeah, right.

Bill Nigut, southeast regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, disagreed.

He can pretend he doesn't understand what the message of that T-shirt is, but he knows full well that's an offensive and demeaning stereotype used to insult African-Americans.

Houghton Mifflin is the publisher of the Curious George books, and they are considering legal action.

Company spokesman Richard Blake said:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt did not nor would we ever authorize or approve this use of the Curious George character, which we find offensive and utterly out of keeping with the values Curious George represents. We are monitoring the situation and weighing all of our options.

Yeah, well, go for it. In 1998 they sued a punk band named Furious George over the use of the Curious George image.

Let's not just sue them, but let's get some damages too, eh?

Racism is alive and well in America.

Bush Invokes the Nazis in Attack on Obama

Despite the fact that Bush has said he would not become entangled in the Presidential race, it seems, on Thursday, that he jumped in with both feet. While traveling in Israel, in a speech to the Knesset, Bush said the following, in an obvious attack on Barack Obama:

Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.

We've heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American Senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

It interesting to note that the person who Bush quoted was William Borah - a Republican.

Obama fired back, releasing the following statement:

It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 6Oth anniversary of Israel's independence to launch a false political attack. It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel.

Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power -- including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy -- to pressure countries like Iran and Syria. George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the President's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel.

It should also be noted, as MSNBC's political analysts Pat Buchanan and Harold Ford, Jr. said, that it's always been considered taboo to attack a Presidential candidate from foreign soil.

Additionally, as Ford noted, just yesterday Secretary of Defense Robert Gates argued that United States needed to engage with Iran:

We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage . . . and then sit down and talk with them," Gates said. "If there is going to be a discussion, then they need something, too. We can't go to a discussion and be completely the demander, with them not feeling that they need anything from us.

Negotiation as a first step should always be considered. Naturally if that fails, other actions may be required. But at least talk to people!

Watch the MSNBC video:

Why Bush Quit Golf: The Iraq War

In a video interview with Yahoo! and Politico, George W. Bush revealed the reason behind his quitting golf.

Q Mr. President, you haven't been golfing in recent years. Is that related to Iraq?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it really is. I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the Commander-in-Chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be as -- to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.

Q Mr. President, was there a particular moment or incident that brought you to that decision, or how did you come to that?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life. And I was playing golf -- I think I was in central Texas -- and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, it's just not worth it anymore to do.

Ah, yes, I see it. Golfing sends the wrong signal. Torture during a war, that sends the right signal, despite the fact that the U.S. used to try to be the moral leader of the war, right?

I can think of a lot of other things that Bush could have done to send the right signal. Such as perhaps, resigning. But oh, well.

Clinton Supporter Won't Vote for Obama Because "He's a Muslim"

It seems, no matter what you tell people, they still won't believe it. Despite the fact that many use Rev. Wright as a weapon against Obama - which would tend to indicate that he's not a Muslim - many still believe, no matter what they are told.

Witness Janice on this video:

Janice: "He's a Muslim, and you know, and that has a lot to do with it. I just, you know, I'd just rather have Hillary."

Reporter: "Just for the record, he constantly says he's ..."

Janice: "I know he does, he says he isn't."

Wow, some people are just ... seeing as it's West Virginia, and based on the stories about racism, is it all just a convenient excuse people use rather than saying the real reason is that he's black?

JetBlue Sued for Downgrading Passenger from Coach to Toilet

Gokhan Mutlu of New York was told by the pilot of a JetBlue airliner to "hang out in the bathroom" about 90 minutes into a San Diego to New York flight. Why? Because the flight attendant complained that the "jump seat" she was assigned was uncomfortable, according to a lawsuit filed last Friday in Manhattan's state Supreme Court.

Mutlu was a standby passenger, traveling on a "buddy pass," on Feb. 23rd. He was originally told the flight was full, but a stewardess told him that he could take her assigned seat and that she would sit in the "jump seat." 90 minutes into the flight, however, the pilot told Mutlu that he would have to give the seat to the flight attendant. However, since only JetBlue employees are allowed to use the "jump seat," Mutlu was told to use the toilet.

Further, the pilot told him that "he was the pilot, that this was his plane, under his command that (Mutlu) should be grateful for being on board," the lawsuit said. To make matters worse, the plane hit turbulence. Normally passengers have to return to their seats. You see where I'm going with this?

The lawsuit says JetBlue negligently endangered him by not providing him with a seat with a safety belt or harness, in violation of federal law.

Two questions: do those jump seats have standard belts? And secondly, whatever happened to trying to satisfy a customer?

SNL: Hillary Clinton: "I Have No Ethical Standards"

As Hillary Clinton ignores calls to end her candidacy, some have wondered if the continued fight between Barack Obama and herself is aiding the GOP. All right, more than some, many.

But, despite some past assertions that SNL was backing Clinton, they certainly skewered her on Saturday's show - as well as the question as to why she has still not dropped out - which was hosted by Shia Labeouf.

As portrayed by SNL, Hillary Clinton listed several reasons that we should consider her the better candidate against McCain.

First, I am a sore loser. If and when I am the nominee, I know as do the superdelegates that Senator Obama will work his heart out for my election. If, on the other hand, Senator Obama is chosen, I will probably refuse to campaign for him. Or if I do so, it will be in a resentful, half-hearted way, thus ensuring his defeat, so that I can run again in 2012. You see, unlike my opponent, I'm just not going to lose gracefully.

Second, my supporters are racist. If and when I am the nominee, Senator Obama's African-American supporters will be disappointed perhaps, but they will still rally to me. If however, Senator Obama is the nominee, my supporters will refuse to vote for him, partly because I will secretly tell them not to, but mainly because they are racially biased and would never vote for any African-American candidate. I'm not bragging, that's just the way it is.

Now, for those of you that worry if my opponent is denied the nomination that African-Americans might simply stay home, I remind you I remind you that

a) until Senator Obama shockingly and might I add rudely and selfishly won the Iowa Caucuses, most African-Americans supported me
b) my husband was the first black President
and c) in the days ahead we expect to receive the endorsement of America's pre-eminent African-American leader, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Which brings me to third and final argument: unlike Senator Obama, I have no ethical standards.

This was a hilarious skit. Watch the whole clip: