Webb Not Present for GI Bill Signing

Tue, July 01, 2008 - 8:47 AM

When Sen. Jim Webb's GI bill was on the verge of passing the Senate last Thursday, he said he would not be excited until President Bush finished signing the bill in a Rose Garden ceremony.

Well, that moment came and went Monday as Bush signed the GI benefits as part of the supplemental war funding bill but gave the moment no fanfare. Present at the signing, which occurred inside the White House, were administration officials only.

Webb, other legislators or veterans groups were not invited for the occasion.

And rather than talking to any reporters to celebrate the day on his own, Webb, D-Va. went on left-leaning Keith Olbermann's MSNBC show to criticize Bush.

Bush had said at the signing, the "bill shows the American people that even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and their families."

Webb scoffed at the remarks.

"There was a great deal of cooperation among Republicans and Democrats, it just didn't include the administration," Webb said, with a hearty laugh at his own material.

"This president missed a real opportunity to show leadership and true respect for the people who served. He should have had Republicans -- such as [Sen.] Chuck Hagel [R-Neb.] -- who he didn't even mention by the way -- Democrats, members of veterans groups around him," Webb said on Countdown with Keith Olbermann (watch video below).

Webb also got a laugh out of who Bush did mention in the brief remarks about the benefits.

Bush singled out "Senators Webb and Warner, Graham, Burr, and McCain" for their work on the GI bill. But Graham, Burr and McCain backed a competing measure which was aimed at retaining soldiers, giving the tuition credits after longer service and focusing around an administration-backed plan to allow service members to transfer their benefits to their spouses and children. The transferability provision was put in Webb's final bill, but current law already permits Pentagon brass to let certain service members transfer their benefits.

"I'm really proud we were able to get it through and the rest of it is just kind of amazing," Webb said. "But, you know, I don't care."

"I think George W. Bush made a real bad mistake today in terms of trying -- our trying -- to show respect for military service. I think he blew it," Webb said.



Is any of this Bush-Webb scuffling surprising? After all, Webb wouldn't stand in a receiving line for the President after his 2006 Senate election.

After being excluded from the signing ceremony for his own bill, Webb said, "I had expected it."

--Neil Simon