One of those GOP members of Congress who is running for cover is Virginia 2nd District Congresswoman, Thelam Drake. I know Thelma personally and find her to be a wonderful person. Moreover, of the Virginia Beach delegation that I warned about Ed Schrock's "problem" some eight months before he was outed by Mike Rogers, Thelma is the only one that has ever apologized for not listening to me and for treating me harsh. Virginia Attorney General "Taliban Bob" Robert McDonnell (who wants to be Governor) acts if he never knew about Schrock's Mega Phone ads and/or that he just quietly sat on the information. Politically, however, my path and Thelma's diverged some years back and not just because of the Schrock matter. Sadly, she has voted in lock step with the Chimperator far, far too often and her failure to support Jim Webb's bill is a case in point. In terms of gay rights, she's been no friend whatsoever - in part, no doubt since she has bat sh*t crazy Pat Robertson as one of her constituents. Nonetheless, I suspect that her challenger, Glenn Nye, will wrap this vote around Thelma's neck very tightly. It's one thing to say you support the troops, it's another thing to actual vote to support the troops through programs like what Jim Webb is pushing. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot on Thelma's search for cover:*
Just how hot an issue is the GI Bill this election year? Consider this: Hours after the Senate gave a rousing bipartisan endorsement Thursday to Virginia Sen. Jim Webb’s proposal to dramatically expand college aid to veterans, scores of House Republicans who’d voted against it a week earlier scrambled for political cover.
*Veterans’ issues are particularly sensitive for Drake, whose Hampton Roads district is home to nearly 100,000 veterans and who is the only local member of Congress to face a serious challenge this year. She co-sponsored Webb’s bill in the House and spent much of last week trying to explain her initial vote against it. On Monday, Drake told reporters that her vote was influenced by Bush’s veto threat. On Wednesday, she said that her real objection was to domestic spending items that had been added to what was supposed to be a bill funding military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
*
“She’s got to come up with a better explanation,” said Quentin Kidd, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. In a veteran-heavy district, the initial vote “is potentially very troubling for her.” Kidd said that because Webb, a fellow Virginian, is leading the GI bill fight and his plan has the backing of Virginia’s other senator, Republican John Warner, “I think a lot of people in uniform wonder” about Drake’s position.
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