Today has been a day of clear contrasts in the Presidential Race and the Texas Senate Race.

I just have a problem with the McCain flip-flop and spin on his support of the GI Bill. Especially when he knows better. The first part of my diary talks about this issue.

Rick Noriega leaves the campaign trail for the better part of two weeks for active duty and his opponent is hypocritically whinning about about politics as usual. The second part of my diary deals with this.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not paid by the Noriega campaign and have no official affiliation with them.  Nor do I with the Obama campaign either.

I've raised almost $1200 for Noriega and other candidates better for vets than what we have now with my Act Blue Page. I want to get to $1500 as soon as possible. Read my diary as I connect the dots and the contrasts. ACT Blue Page here

<strong>1.</strong>
McSame only supports the troops when it is just the right time. He showed his lack of judgement before on this issue considering his past as a war hero. There was more than partisan Democratic support behind the GI Bill that passed last month

I certainly find myself disturbed today that the Republicans including McSame are supporting the 21st Century Bill of Rights because it's tied to more funding for the war. These members of Congress dedide its time to support the GI Bill now. They claim its better now because of the provision that will transfer benefits to children and spouses.

Read McSame's statment.  <blockquote>

With the addition of the transferability provisions sought by Senators Graham, Burr, myself and others to give service members the right to transfer earned G.I. Bill benefits to spouses and children, we will have achieved in offering vastly improved educational benefit while also offering incentives for continued service by the most capable, experienced NCO’s and officers. Our courageous NCO’s and officers called for this option, and I believe that its inclusion in this bill will help maintain retention levels in all the Services where it needs to be for the well being of the All Volunteer Force and our Nation.”

</blockquote>

<a href="Full'>http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/06/mccain-now-supp.html">Full article</a>

Mind you that before we had all the veterans organizations and a bipartisan coalition supporting this bill. Now we get to listen to McSame posture himself as supporting the troops.

<strong>2. </strong>I can't write a Rick Noriega diary or blog without finding a way to get in a jab the incumbent "Big John" Cornyn. I haven't seen any statements from Cornyn on the GI Bill today  but I imagine he's going along with McSame.

Cornyn did say today about Obama (<b>From Fox News, yeah I know!!!</b><blockquote>Rather than sending a message that he’s about change or a new type of politics in America, it really looks and sounds like he’s about the same old ... type of politics in America,” Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn </blockquote>

<a href="Cornyn'>http://www.elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/19/republicans-hammer-obama-for-sidestepping-public-funds/">Cornyn on Obama today</a>

Contrast this to a comment by Rick Noriega,<a href="full'>http://www.theexaminer.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=2232">full diary by Rick</a> who says<blockquote> What occurred to me when I was in the field was the sharp contrast in what we were doing, my band of infantry brothers, preparing for combat, and what John Cornyn was doing in Washington, DC at the same time.</blockquote>

He goes on to say <blockquote>When I drove onto post on June 1st, gas was $3.78 a gallon. When I left training two weeks later it was $4.00 a gallon. In the meantime, Cornyn voted against tax incentives for renewable energy investment, leaving Texans high and dry at the pump and undermining efforts for America to achieve energy independence</blockquote>

Rick serves our Country while Cornyn serves his big oil buddies. That's what I get from that.

<strong>So let me ask you? Who is about the same old - type of politics? Rick Noriega and Barack Obama? or John McCain and John Cornyn?</strong>