Supporting the Troops: Bush Administration Opposes House of Representatives Planned 3.5% Raise for Military Personnel

The Army Times reports that the Bush Administration is opposing a 3.5% pay raise that the House Democratic Leadership wants to give to American military personnel. Apparently the Bush Administration thinks that a 3% raise is sufficient. The reason why the House wants to give a bigger raise is to close the existing 3.9% gap between civilian jobs and military service. The House raise would close the gap to about 1.4%.

So let's see: if you are a Democrat and you want to get American troops out of the middle of a civil war you are not supporting the troops, but if you are the Bush Administration and want to limit a pay raise for American troops, you are supporting the troops. Does that make sense to you?

Of course, this is all consistent with the Bush Administration's philosophy that people who earn their money are less worthy than those who get their money from investments. This is shown by the fact that the Bush's tax cuts dramatically reduced the tax rates on investment income, especially when compared to earned income. This administration simply doesn't value people who work for a living, even when they serve in the military.