The focus looks to be on presumed GOP nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona over the Memorial Day weekend. At his home in Sedona, Arizona, McCain had invited several high profile guests for a Memorial Day weekend barbeque. Such guests included former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was invited to the barbeque.
While McCain’s campaign insists that this is just a Memorial Day get together, many believe that this is a chance to look for a VP candidate. But Crist, Romney, and Jindal do not seem to be interested in the VP position. So far, Huckabee has come forth and said he would like to be McCain’s VP.
Huckabee and Romney were the last two opponents in McCain’s way before he became the presumptive GOP nominee. Romney dropped out after the results of the Super Tuesday contests on February 5. Huckabee dropped out after the results of the Super Tuesday II contests on March 4. At the end, McCain became the presumed GOP nominee.
Early this afternoon on Memorial Day, McCain addressed Iraq and the debate over the expansion to the GI Bill. He gave a speech at the New Mexico Veterans’ Memorial located in Albuquerque.
Iraq has been the main platform of McCain’s candidacy. McCain himself has acknowledged that Iraq would be the one issue that will make or break his run for the US presidency.
It would look as if the issue of the GI Bill will be used as possible ammunition against McCain in the general election. So far, Democratic co-frontrunner Senator Barack Obama has used it as ammunition against McCain. The G.I. Bill has caused an internal fight in the US Senate between McCain and Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, who co-sponsored the bill.
The extension of the G.I. Bill is called the “Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act.” Recently, Obama attacked McCain on his opposition to the bill. However, McCain attacked Obama back. McCain said he would not listen to Obama because he did not serve in uniform.
McCain supports an alternative bill that gives incentives for those to stay in the military. This bill focuses on career soldiers.