another Obama misstep

[fent]

I've stayed out of the back and forth on how he's doing so far because I haven't found anything be all that surprising, but his latest proposal on veterans' benefits really caught me off guard. i understand he (like all newly elected presidents) thinks he can do basically anything, but how did he and his staff not catch the collosal stupidity of this one?

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is considering making veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries. The plan would be an about-face on what veterans believe is a long-standing pledge to pay for health care costs that result from their military service.

But in a White House meeting Monday, veterans groups apparently failed to persuade President Obama to take the plan off the table.

“Veterans of all generations agree that this proposal is bad for the country and bad for veterans,” said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “If the president and the OMB [Office of Management and Budget] want to cut costs, they can start at AIG, not the VA.”

Under current policy, veterans are responsible for health care costs that are unrelated to their military service. Exceptions in some cases can be made for veterans who do not have private insurance or are 100 percent disabled.

http://www.buffalonews.com/180/story/610029.html

don't think it's a very happy day in the WH press shop...

[BurgundyNGold]

I've stayed out of the back and forth on how he's doing so far because I haven't found anything be all that surprising, but his latest proposal on veterans' benefits really caught me off guard. i understand he (like all newly elected presidents) thinks he can do basically anything, but how did he and his staff not catch the collosal stupidity of this one?



http://www.buffalonews.com/180/story/610029.html

don't think it's a very happy day in the WH press shop...
Actually, closing down the VA would be a great cost saver. Provided, of course, that the Fed pay 100% the private insurance cost for veterans. The care would be better and the Fed would save money.

Somehow, I don't think that's the plan, though.

[firehawk157]

Actually, closing down the VA would be a great cost saver. Provided, of course, that the Fed pay 100% the private insurance cost for veterans. The care would be better and the Fed would save money.

Somehow, I don't think that's the plan, though.
You'd also lose a lot of other VA benefits though (BTW, a lot of widows of combat service vets rely on the VA for these benefits). The VA definitely isn't the place to start if you want to cut the budget.

I have noticed something though, why can't there be anything resembling unbiased reporting on Obama's administration? You either get the "he is about to walk on water" view or the "be on the lookout for four horsemen" view?

[shally]

Actually, closing down the VA would be a great cost saver. Provided, of course, that the Fed pay 100% the private insurance cost for veterans. The care would be better and the Fed would save money.

Somehow, I don't think that's the plan, though.

20 years ago i would have agreed with you about the quality of care at the VA centers.. now i am not so sure. for certain, they have the best OR equipment money can buy-- in triplicate !!

and as Docs get disgusted with private practice, it is not a bad option

[fent]

20 years ago i would have agreed with you about the quality of care at the VA centers.. now i am not so sure. for certain, they have the best OR equipment money can buy-- in triplicate !!

and as Docs get disgusted with private practice, it is not a bad option

the last 2 years i was in DC i worked the VA appropriations subcommittee and we had guys telling us all the time that they couldn't even begin to spend all the money that the democrats were throwing at them since taking the House back.

[RedskinsDave]

Change you can believe in. Carry on.

[Sweepea436]

Lose an arm and a leg in the war, lose the other ones trying to survive with it........ This news is not going over well in my neck of the woods...... lets hope he pulls an Obama and flip-flops on this one too.

[BurgundyNGold]

You'd also lose a lot of other VA benefits though (BTW, a lot of widows of combat service vets rely on the VA for these benefits). The VA definitely isn't the place to start if you want to cut the budget.
Actually, there are very few services provided by the VA that couldn't be picked up by some other branch of government or via contract with the private sector.

Health care? The Fed could put vets and family on the congressional BCBS plan. Home loans? Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or HUD. GI Bill? ED. You could even contract Veteran's Homes and retirement services.

I have noticed something though, why can't there be anything resembling unbiased reporting on Obama's administration? You either get the "he is about to walk on water" view or the "be on the lookout for four horsemen" view?
I think it's because reporting in this country is politically polarized. You can't report boring stuff or in a boring way because it won't sell, lol.

Personally, I think the guy is doing B- work. It would have been higher if he had sent that omnibus spending bill back and told Congress to redraft it w/o the earmarks.

[Ibleedburgundy]

You'd also lose a lot of other VA benefits though (BTW, a lot of widows of combat service vets rely on the VA for these benefits). The VA definitely isn't the place to start if you want to cut the budget.

I have noticed something though, why can't there be anything resembling unbiased reporting on Obama's administration? You either get the "he is about to walk on water" view or the "be on the lookout for four horsemen" view?

File this one under horseman. Obama is not cutting the VA by any stretch. And Shinseki is not going to stand by while they lose benefits.


The proposed budget President Obama recently submitted to Congress calls for the Department of Veterans Affairs to extend health care eligibility to an additional half-million veterans over the next five years.

VA’s budget would rise by $15 billion, to $113 billion, for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. And VA would increase by $25 billion over baseline during the next five years.

The gradual expansion in health care enrollment that this would support will add, by 2013, more than 500,000 veterans who have been excluded from VA medical care benefits since 2003. Quality and timely care for lower-income and service-disabled veterans who rely on VA care would also be assured, allowing disabled military retirees for the first time to keep their full VA disability compensation along with their retirement pay.



http://www.projo.com/news/veteransjournal/VETERANS_COLUMN_16_03-16-09_0KDMESD_v13.35ce7a0.html

[fent]

File this one under horseman. Obama is not cutting the VA by any stretch. And Shinseki is not going to stand by while they lose benefits.



http://www.projo.com/news/veteransjournal/VETERANS_COLUMN_16_03-16-09_0KDMESD_v13.35ce7a0.html

the head of the largest veterans' organization sure doesn't seem to see it as four horsemen.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion_strongly_opposed_to_president_ s_plan_to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment

nor does democratic Senator Patty Murray.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/veterans.health.insurance/index.html

[akhhorus]

the head of the largest veterans' organization sure doesn't seem to see it as four horsemen.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion_strongly_opposed_to_president_ s_plan_to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment

nor does democratic Senator Patty Murray.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/veterans.health.insurance/index.html

Yeah, Akaka came out against it. It's fried chicken. This smells like theater more than policy.

[shally]

the last 2 years i was in DC i worked the VA appropriations subcommittee and we had guys telling us all the time that they couldn't even begin to spend all the money that the democrats were throwing at them since taking the House back.


that was the way it worked even when i trained there in 74-78.. every year they would order duplicate OR equipment just to keep from losing their yearly budget...

[shally]

Yeah, Akaka came out against it. It's fried chicken. This smells like theater more than policy.

who on earth benefits from that kind of threat ??

[akhhorus]

who on earth benefits from that kind of threat ??

No one. If its theater, its Obama throwing a bone he knows won't actually go anywhere to the insurance companies so that health care reform meets less resistance.

[shally]

No one. If its theater, its Obama throwing a bone he knows won't actually go anywhere to the insurance companies so that health care reform meets less resistance.

the insurance companies are going to get reamed this time.. that will be the theater

[skinguy]

Change you can believe in. Carry on.
CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN
By Neal Boortz @ February 18, 2009 8:53 AM

The Dow at a 10-year low.
A tax cheat running the IRS
Another tax cheat as the Chief of Staff
A trillion-dollar plus federal deficit
Over one-half of voters relieved of any federal tax liability
Government mandated limits on executive compensation
Three failed attempts and still no Commerce Secretary
Tom Daschle rides his free limo into the sunset - after paying taxes he evaded.
The White House performance czar turns out to be a tax cheat also
Lobbyists hired to work for the Obama Administration
The census gets politicized
Double government spending in one year
The word "freedom" fades into obscurity
Increasing home loan mortgage rates across the board
Millions of Americans made dependent on government
Moving unionization-by-intimidation forward
Welfare checks become "tax cuts."
Illegal aliens free to work on taxpayer-funded "stimulus" projects
Welfare reform reversed, states ordered to increase welfare roles
Move to silence critical talk radio shows
Selling Senate seats
Obama books in religious sections of book stores
More government workers, not private sector jobs
A government bureaucracy to intrude on doctor/patient relationships
Stage set for medical services rationing
Annual welfare checks for middle income families

> http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2009/02/change-you-can-believe-in.html

[skinguy]

Change you can believe in. Carry on.
CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN
By Neal Boortz @ March 12, 2009 8:27 AM

Yesterday Barack Obama signed into law another $410 billion in spending. That's $410 billion of your tax dollars to fund projects like a boarding school for at-risk natives in western Alaska and tattoo removal programs for gang-bangers. This, my friends, is exactly what Barack Obama said that he stood against when he was asking the people of this country to give him this job. Oh how he hated pork, wasteful spending! Oh yeah! The Chosen One was going to veto any bills with pork in them. There was going to be change, by God, and it was going to be change you could believe in. That was then, this is now. Now he signs a budget bill with more than 8,000 pet projects into law. As he does so he stands in front of the American people - looks into his ever-present teleprompters - and says "OK ... I mean it this time. This is really the end, guys!"

Puhleeezzze.

PrezBO calls this budget bill "imperfect" Golly! Ya think? But he's ready with the excuse. This pork-filled bill is oh so necessary in order for our government to continue to function. NOW I remember! During the campaign Obama said he was going to kill pork UNLESS the pork was necessary for our government to continue to function. I'm getting it now!

You know what's happening here? People are starting to get the real picture. Hard as it is to believe, they are starting to catch on. Even some of the media is starting to get it. This guy was all talk during the campaign. Empty promises ... just like the rest of them. When it comes down to it, he was much better at being a presidential candidate that he is as a president.

> http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2009/03/change-you-can-believe-in-1.html

[BurgundyNGold]

CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN
By Neal Boortz @ March 12, 2009 8:27 AM

Yesterday Barack Obama signed into law another $410 billion in spending. That's $410 billion of your tax dollars to fund projects like a boarding school for at-risk natives in western Alaska and tattoo removal programs for gang-bangers. This, my friends, is exactly what Barack Obama said that he stood against when he was asking the people of this country to give him this job. Oh how he hated pork, wasteful spending! Oh yeah! The Chosen One was going to veto any bills with pork in them. There was going to be change, by God, and it was going to be change you could believe in. That was then, this is now. Now he signs a budget bill with more than 8,000 pet projects into law. As he does so he stands in front of the American people - looks into his ever-present teleprompters - and says "OK ... I mean it this time. This is really the end, guys!"

Puhleeezzze.

PrezBO calls this budget bill "imperfect" Golly! Ya think? But he's ready with the excuse. This pork-filled bill is oh so necessary in order for our government to continue to function. NOW I remember! During the campaign Obama said he was going to kill pork UNLESS the pork was necessary for our government to continue to function. I'm getting it now!

You know what's happening here? People are starting to get the real picture. Hard as it is to believe, they are starting to catch on. Even some of the media is starting to get it. This guy was all talk during the campaign. Empty promises ... just like the rest of them. When it comes down to it, he was much better at being a presidential candidate that he is as a president.

> http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2009/03/change-you-can-believe-in-1.html
It's one thing to port unsolicited Neil Boortz stuff up here, just don't be a douche by posting the same article 3 times. That doesn't do anyone any good.

[AliBabba]

CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN
By Neal Boortz @ March 12, 2009 8:27 AM

Yesterday Barack Obama signed into law another $410 billion in spending. That's $410 billion of your tax dollars to fund projects like a boarding school for at-risk natives in western Alaska and tattoo removal programs for gang-bangers. This, my friends, is exactly what Barack Obama said that he stood against when he was asking the people of this country to give him this job. Oh how he hated pork, wasteful spending! Oh yeah! The Chosen One was going to veto any bills with pork in them. There was going to be change, by God, and it was going to be change you could believe in. That was then, this is now. Now he signs a budget bill with more than 8,000 pet projects into law. As he does so he stands in front of the American people - looks into his ever-present teleprompters - and says "OK ... I mean it this time. This is really the end, guys!"

Puhleeezzze.

PrezBO calls this budget bill "imperfect" Golly! Ya think? But he's ready with the excuse. This pork-filled bill is oh so necessary in order for our government to continue to function. NOW I remember! During the campaign Obama said he was going to kill pork UNLESS the pork was necessary for our government to continue to function. I'm getting it now!

You know what's happening here? People are starting to get the real picture. Hard as it is to believe, they are starting to catch on. Even some of the media is starting to get it. This guy was all talk during the campaign. Empty promises ... just like the rest of them. When it comes down to it, he was much better at being a presidential candidate that he is as a president.

> http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2009/03/change-you-can-believe-in-1.html
are you really just a bot? I hope so....

[akhhorus]

are you really just a bot? I hope so....

No, skinsguy is kelly.

[AliBabba]

No, skinsguy is kelly.
i've seen it/her/him referred as such but since i've only ever seen Boortz blog entries surrounded with emoticons I have doubts

[akhhorus]

i've seen it/her/him referred as such but since i've only ever seen Boortz blog entries surrounded with emoticons I have doubts

Thats exactly what Kelly did.

[akhhorus]

That was quick:

Link (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/18/obama_drops_controversial_thir.html?hpid=topnews)


President Obama today abandoned a proposal to bill veterans' private insurance companies for treatment of combat-related injuries after the measure prompted an outcry from veterans service organizations and members of Congress.

[Sweepea436]

That was quick:

Link (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/18/obama_drops_controversial_thir.html?hpid=topnews)

Sweet. Thanks for the update. Glad he took time away from his bracket and promotion tour to shoot that down! :-):readme:

[BurgundyNGold]

That was quick:

Link (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/18/obama_drops_controversial_thir.html?hpid=topnews)
Way to bring the "change", lol.

If Obama reverses course like Barry Sanders every time someone with an interest in a program cries about it, in 4 years look for a government that looks a lot like the current one and spends far more than it currently does.

[akhhorus]

Way to bring the "change", lol.

If Obama reverses course like Barry Sanders every time someone with an interest in a program cries about it, in 4 years look for a government that looks a lot like the current one and spends far more than it currently does.

Jmo, but I doubt they ever intended to do this. They backed off way before the outrage built over it.

[BurgundyNGold]

Jmo, but I doubt they ever intended to do this. They backed off way before the outrage built over it.
Then WTF bring it up? Why piss away political capital and 100 day honeymoon good will on a red herring agenda item?

[akhhorus]

Then WTF bring it up? Why piss away political capital and 100 day honeymoon good will on a red herring agenda item?

Throwing a bone to the insurers over health care reform. No one will remember this story when they start talking health care reform. They didn't even wait for some polling on this to do anything, they immediately backed off. Smells like theater.

[BurgundyNGold]

Throwing a bone to the insurers over health care reform. No one will remember this story when they start talking health care reform. They didn't even wait for some polling on this to do anything, they immediately backed off. Smells like theater.
Smells like wasted energy.

[akhhorus]

Smells like wasted energy.

Probably. But this wasn't a week long story, it was barely 24 hours(if then).

[BurgundyNGold]

Probably. But this wasn't a week long story, it was barely 24 hours(if then).
We'll have to see why they're doing it after the fact. Maybe it was sleight of hand. Is there anything else going on that we shouldn't be looking at, lol?

[akhhorus]

We'll have to see why they're doing it after the fact. Maybe it was sleight of hand. Is there anything else going on that we shouldn't be looking at, lol?

Obama maybe bringing back the OPRA? (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/live_from_congress_the_skull)

[BurgundyNGold]

Obama maybe bringing back the OPRA? (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/live_from_congress_the_skull)
:doh:

:lol1:

[akhhorus]

:doh:

:lol1:

Or maybe Obama's in the pocket of Big Skull ***CENSORED BY DJ***ing?

[BurgundyNGold]

Or maybe Obama's in the pocket of Big Skull ***CENSORED BY DJ***ing?
Undoubtedly, lol.

[fent]

Throwing a bone to the insurers over health care reform.

you've mentioned this twice now...how in the world is this throwing a bone to the insurance companies? they knew just as well as we did that this was never going to happen.

[akhhorus]

you've mentioned this twice now...how in the world is this throwing a bone to the insurance companies? they knew just as well as we did that this was never going to happen.

An industry can dream lol. I can see Rahmbo going to some of their lobbyists and saying: "Is it likely to pass? Probably not. But after we get health care reform, we can revisit it on a smaller scale either at the VA or somewhere else."

[skinguy]

it's all part of the VAST RIGHT-WING . . . oh , wait a sec ,
that was with bill ~ ~ :thinker:

nevermind . . :)