Thursday, March 19, 2009

Fumbling, bumbling, stumbling...

The President has appeared to have dropped the worst idea of all time. Prelude post here.

The Obama administration has abandoned a controversial plan to make veterans use private insurance to pay for costly treatments of combat-related injuries.
Stung by the angry reaction, the decision came following a meeting in the White House today between officials from 11 veterans advocacy groups and top White House officials.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the intent of the plan had been to "maximize the resources available for veterans." But he said President Barack Obama recognized the veterans’ concerns that it could "under certain circumstances, affect veterans and their families’ ability to access health care."


How exactly does making veteran’s injured in combat pay out-of-pocket for treatment of their injuries, “maximize the resources available for veterans”?

And then, this from Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel:

I think [the President] realized this was the wrong time to ruin what was turning out to be a very good first impression . . . We're very pleased that it turned out this way, and we're very pleased that those of you in the media gave us the chance to make our views clear.

Excuse us? Is there a right time for the worst idea of all time? And all those gracious vets will forever be in gratitude to Obama for restoring the status quo, eh, Rahm?

Gibbs and Emanuel would’ve been better served to just admit they screwed up and then shut the hell up. But, no – instead they suggest that despite their scrapping of the plan, they were really acting in the vet’s best interest (they just don’t know what’s best for them) and that it was just a matter of timing.

Because they had the gall to actually float the worst idea of all time and then after the ass-kicking they received, roll out hubris and arrogance as an exit strategy, the Obama Administration is in no way shape or form off the hook on this one.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely, the vets will not forget something as egregious as this.

How long do you think he will be the media darling? They "turned" on Bill and Hill. They like to be king-makers and topplers.

'Dawg

B-Daddy said...

Wrong time? Like the first time Hugo Chavez held a referendum on term limits for himself? Will it be back?