Sorry Senator…

…but the Honorable Lady from the Upper Left beat you to it.

During a campaign stop in Des Moines on Tuesday, Army veteran John Strong suggested to Sen. Barack Obama that the U.S. government should withdraw time limits on educational benefits given to soldiers under the GI Bill. Currently, many GI benefits that help veterans pay for college expire in 10 to 14 years after the person has left the service.

Obama responded that Strong, an unemployed senior citizen, had an outstanding idea. "We might introduce legislation next week," the presidential candidate from Illinois told Strong. "Maybe we'll name it after you."

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The only glitch is that this legislation has already been named and introduced in the U.S. Senate on May 1st. The "Cantwell/Larsen Montgomery GI Bill for Life Act of 2007" was introduced in May by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. S. 1261, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, would repeal the 10-year and 14-year deadlines.

All y'all upper lefties can be real proud of sending two of the best friends American veterans have to the US Senate. (And some fine friends to the House, too.)