Obama Talks VA Scandal: Vets Are ‘One of the Causes of My Presidency’

[mystery-ak]

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obama-talks-va-scandal-vets-are-one-of-the-causes-of-my-presidency/

Obama Talks VA Scandal: Vets Are ‘One of the Causes of My Presidency’
by Noah Rothman | 11:40 am, May 21st, 2014

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama spoke with members of the press after meeting with his staff on how they plan to address the scandal involving the hiding of wait times veterans faced at VA hospitals. The president expressed his anger over that situation, but he urged the public to wait for a full investigation before taking steps to address the problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“When I hear allegations of misconduct,” Obama said, “I will not stand for it. Not as commander-in-chief, but also not as an American.”

“If these allegations prove to be true, it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful, and I will not tolerate it. Period,” he added.

Obama said that he has commissioned multiple investigations into the allegations that multiple hospitals intentionally hid the true waiting times for care, reportedly resulting in deaths for some veterans. “I know that people are angry and want swift reckoning. I sympathize with that,” Obama said. “But we have to let our investigators do their job and get to the bottom of what happened.”

Obama added that his administration has worked “very hard” on addressing the problems associated with the VA since they took office in 2009.

Obama closed by noting the progress his administration has made in improving veterans’ access to care, reducing veteran homelessness, and preparing them for transitions back into the private sector.

Obama added that the problem associated with the VA is and issue he has been working on since his first campaign for U.S. Senate in 2004. “Taking care of veterans and their families has been one of the causes of my presidency,” Obama said.

When asked why the VA’s problems were “allowed to get to this stage,” leading to reported deaths of veterans who waited for care, Obama said that the investigation needs to be completed first. He added that the government should focus on “realistically” reducing wait times.

He added that the VA takes 85 million appointments over the course of a year. “That means we have to have a system that is built in order to be able to take those folks in a smooth fashion, they know what to expect, and it’s reliable.”

When Obama was asked about the fate of VA Sec. Eric Shinseki, Obama praised his performance and noted that he is also a wounded veteran. “I want to see what the results of these reports are, and there is going to be accountability,” Obama said.

Pressed on whether anyone would resign from his administration over this scandal, Obama said he does not “yet know how systematic this is.”

“If somebody’s engaged in mismanagement or misconduct,” Obama said, “Not only do I not want them getting bonus, I want them punished.”

[Oceander]

Vets Are ‘One of the Causes of My Presidency’

the WaPo oughta give that 10 Pinocchios out of 5 - if they had any decency left, that is.

[truth_seeker]

Get some Canadian software contractor to build a big computer system, to improve the VA health care problem.

Fast & Furious, Benghazi, IRD Tea Party targeting, and now the VA.

Obama NEVER knows what is going on, and his government is never at fault.

Republicans have a real convincing story to tell in November, to gain majorities in both branches of Congress, to block (further) destruction of America in Obama's final 2 years.

[jmyrlefuller]

Get some Canadian software contractor to build a big computer system, to improve the VA health care problem.

Fast & Furious, Benghazi, IRD Tea Party targeting, and now the VA.

Obama NEVER knows what is going on, and his government is never at fault.

Republicans have a real convincing story to tell in November, to gain majorities in both branches of Congress, to block (further) destruction of America in Obama's final 2 years.

Blocking will not be enough. It needs to be reversed.

Then again, on the other hand, the modern American people never know what is going on, either. They get the government they deserve, while we are trapped in it.

[Relic]

Get some Canadian software contractor to build a big computer system, to improve the VA health care problem.

Fast & Furious, Benghazi, IRD Tea Party targeting, and now the VA.

Obama NEVER knows what is going on, and his government is never at fault.

Republicans have a real convincing story to tell in November, to gain majorities in both branches of Congress, to block (further) destruction of America in Obama's final 2 years.

But will they tell it?

[evadR]

"But will they tell it?"

I have seen nothing yet that makes me feel that they will.
The McConnells, Grahams and McCains are running the show.
They vilify everything that I consider important.

[Relic]

"But will they tell it?"

I have seen nothing yet that makes me feel that they will.
The McConnells, Grahams and McCains are running the show.
They vilify everything that I consider important.

As I understand it, we have to reject our values and vote for people who have self interest as their guiding principle. Then, if we do this, we'll win, and we can somehow recover our values by putting in power those who reject our values.

[truth_seeker]

Blocking will not be enough. It needs to be reversed.

They cannot reverse it while Obama is still Potus with veto power. IOW they would need 2/3 veto-proof majorities in both houses--unlikely.

Do you know this?

[DCPatriot]

They cannot reverse it while Obama is still Potus with veto power. IOW they would need 2/3 veto-proof majorities in both houses--unlikely.

Do you know this?

It's why on another thread, I typed "We need 60 Senators come January"....and not merely 51.

IMO, the House majority of GOP will happen by itself....but it's the dastardly Senate that's the brass ring.

As LBJ once said...."The House is to the Senate as is Chicken sh*t to Chicken salad."

[mountaineer]

Obama closed by noting the progress his administration has made in improving veterans’ access to care, reducing veteran homelessness, and preparing them for transitions back into the private sector.

Not exactly. Like everything else, he made a few announcements and Moochelle showed up for some photo ops - and nothing actually was accomplished. It's all perception with this idiot. We talked about it, didn't we, and that's good enough.

[GourmetDan]

As I understand it, we have to reject our values and vote for people who have self interest as their guiding principle. Then, if we do this, we'll win, and we can somehow recover our values by putting in power those who reject our values.

That's the rationale that's been trotted out for the past 40 years or so...

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

[mountaineer]

Obama is just so upset over the VA scandal, he's visiting the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown today, before heading to Chicago for a fundraiser.  Oh, I mean two fundraisers.

10:00 am || Receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
10:45 am || Meets with travel and tourism executives; Roosevelt Room
1:05 pm || Departs White House
2:30 pm || Arrives Rome, New York
3:25 pm || Tours the National Baseball Hall of Fame; Cooperstown, New York
3:55 pm || Delivers remarks; Cooperstown
4:55 pm || Departs New York
5:50 pm CT || Arrives Chicago
7:00 pm CT || Attends fundraiser for Senate Democrats; private residence, Chicago
8:25 pm CT || Attends second fundraiser for Senate Democrats; private residence, Chicago

[NavyCanDo]

Candidate Obama promised Veterans the Moon – but did nothing for them. Candidate Obama vowed that his administration would fix backlogs within the Department of Veterans Affairs and improve the care of every soldier returning from battle

CBS reports the Bush administration notified the incoming Obama administration that there were serious problems at the VA.  A 2008 memo obtained by CBS says the Obama-Biden transition team was briefed that some VA facilities might be concealing the true amount of time veterans had to wait for care. Yet he did nothing. And now claiming that he only learned of the scandal through the news like everyone else. The man is a damn liar.

[massadvj]

The entire focus of this administration from day one has been to punish those who did not vote for him, and reward those who did.  Every policy that has been enacted -- whether it be TARP, Medicare cuts, IRS audits of the Tea Party, unemployment benefit extensions, amnesty by administrative fiat, the expansion of food stamps, and now this -- has that one single strategic imperative at its heart.  And yet, not one member of the MSM will connect the dots in what has become an administration more suited to a banana republic than to the US of A.

Do you want to know why OPapaDoc screwed veterans?  Here is why:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/154904/veterans-give-romney-big-lead-obama.aspx

And yet he claims he owes his election to them.  And the MSM laps it up.

[Bigun]

Vets Are ‘One of the Causes of My Presidency’

Yes sir! As in an "I'm going to get those bastards if it's the last thing I ever do" cause!