Another Self Induced Black Eye

Poor President Obama had an awfully rough week....and most of the pain was self induced. I already talked about his unfortunate remarks about Special Olympians and then there was the comment where he likened AIG executives to "terrorists". One of the bigger brouhaha's this week though, started on Monday. Retired General Eric Shinseki, head of the Obama Administration's Veterans Administration, decided that it would be a really swell idea to start charging soldiers wounded in action private insurance for their care! The outrage, even amongst Democrats in the Senate, was swift and loud. The Obama Administration doubled down on the idea in meetings with outraged veterans groups, who reacted as expected. Needless to say the criticism of the proposal continued to pile up. From Canada....

President Obama needs to know that the very last thing that he should advocate is a policy that would pile additional burden on the backs of the men and women whom have served in harm’s way to defend our great nation.

Everyone realizes that difficult choices must be made in perilous times. Pain will be necessary, but why in the hell would the president go after the most noble and worthy citizens in our midst?

Rather than punishing stalwart citizens who have defended America during time of war, Obama should “go after” the hundreds of billions of taxpayers dollars that are wasted on providing public services to invading illegal aliens who have no business even being in America.(ed - the is a passage in the Obama budget that would provide Medicare/Medicaid to illegal immigrants)

...to Hollywood...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
That Can't Be Right - Veterans' Health Insurance
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things w/ Demetri Martin Political Humor

the outrage has been palpable. Just about everyone one the left and the right were asking the same question Jon Stewart asked...."WHAT THE F*&K ARE YOU GUYS THINKING!!??? Veterans having to use their private insurance to pay for their combat related injuries? THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT." I mean when Senator Patty Murray calls the idea boneheaded you know you really shot yourself in the foot.

Finally, after two days of relentless negative press, the Obama Administration pulled an Emily Letilla and said "never mind...." which in the long run is the right decision.

There is a lesson to be learned here. That lesson is that there are some things that the American people are more than happy to pay for a veterans benefits is one of them. Besides being one of the few truly Constitutional expenditures that the government makes, it is something that is owed to our men and women who served....or as candidate Obama called it last year - it is a "sacred trust" that should not be violated. It's a pity that President Obama didn't think about those words before approving such a foolish, foolish plan.