Wham!

Barack got a little too cute for McCain's taste today in trying to make an issue over their respective positions on the new GI bill proposed by Senator Jim Webb. After making his standard "I respect his service" qualifiers, Barack said:

"But I can't understand why he would line up behind the president in opposition to this GI Bill. I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the president more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing, but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them."

McCain hit Barack upside the head with a brick in response, saying he:

"...will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did. It is typical, but no less offensive that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of," McCain said.

Clearly locked and loaded on this issue, McCain went on, hoping to put Barack in enough pain that he'll be reluctant to expose himself to a similar beating in the future:

"Let me say first in response to Senator Obama, running for President is different than serving as President. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend. Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim."

The "running vs serving" theme is a nice one, a not so subtle reminder that Barack's experience holding a job of import is 3 years in the U.S. Senate, less two years taken off to run for president.