Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

At the top of the list of no-brainers in Washington should be Sen. Jim Webb's proposed expansion of education benefits for the men and women who have served in the armed forces since Sept. 11, 2001.

It's awfully hard to make the case that these young people who have sacrificed so much don't deserve a shot at a better future once their wartime service has ended.

Webb, a Virginia Democrat, has been the guiding force behind this legislation, which has been dubbed the new GI bill. The measure is decidedly bipartisan. Webb's principal co-sponsors include Republican Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John Warner of Virginia, and Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey.