Showing Support for the Troops (but Not the War)

According to Wilshire & Washington (Variety's political blog), a number of A-list celebrities plan to join Senator Jim Webb at the UCLA Faculty Center on Sunday in support of the Webb-Hagel G.I. Bill. The proposed bill would provide futher education-related benefits to those who've served in the U.S. military.

The Campaign for a New G.I. Bill sheds some light on why the government should authorize a 21st Century bill:

-We charge our troops $1200 just to be eligible for education benefits.
-Education benefits don’t even cover half the cost of most colleges.
-Most enlisted men and women do not have a college degree.

President Bush and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain feel the proposed bill could hurt troop retention numbers. However, the bill has some legs due to its bipartisan support -- Webb is currently a Democrat and Hagel a Republican.