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From Politico:
With Memorial Day around the corner, Sen. John McCain and his allies are reaching out to Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb in the hope of finding a compromise on a GI Bill that would eliminate a potential embarrassment for the Arizona Republican’s presidential campaign.Read the whole thing - along with coverage of the Republican attempt to attach their alternative bill to other legislation in the Senate (and no matter how you may feel about it, that bill has a snowball's chance), a House proposal to "tax the rich" to pay for the benefit, and a Senate vow to eliminate that provision.
<...>
It was McCain who instigated a letter to Webb signed by himself and two fellow Republicans on Monday, in an effort to end a standoff between the two Vietnam veterans. Discussions followed Tuesday between Webb and McCain ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and late in the day there was a staff meeting that lasted more than an hour.It is too early to predict what will come of the discussions, but Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman who has served as an intermediary of sorts between the Webb and McCain camps, was hopeful.
“I think it’s an exciting chapter. I’m enjoying every minute of it,” Warner told Politico. “We’re going to get it. I’ll bet your bottom dollar we get it. ... I’ll give you odds we’re going to win.”
Webb has steadily picked up support for his proposal and this week moved within two votes of the 60 needed to overcome procedural obstacles in the Senate.
<...>
Webb is in a strong enough political position that he will be reluctant to make major changes. But it is also in the Virginian’s interest to bring as many senators, including his friend McCain, into the same camp.The letter sent Monday is conciliatory in tone, expressing a “sincere interest in working with you on one of the most important issues that may come before the Senate this year: a revitalized GI Bill program.”
“Each of us supports increasing education benefits for our nation’s veterans, and we believe this must be accomplished as quickly as possible,” reads the letter, signed by McCain, Graham and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The three Republicans go on to say that they have “never disagreed with the overall intent” of the Webb bill but would like more attention to problems of recruitment and retention as well as “in-service education of career servicemen and women.”
I checked McCain's campaign blog for any mention of the GI Bill issue (specifically I was hoping to see the full text of that letter) - but they're currently foot stomping McCain's solution for "climate change".
Update: GI Bill Passes Senate
