From Jen Dimascio’s Politico article today:
President Barack Obama reversed course Wednesday on a highly charged proposal to have private insurance companies, instead of the Veterans Affairs Department, pay for veterans’ service-related injuries.
The proposed policy shift was aimed at recouping $540 million, but it risked souring goodwill of veterans, an enormous political constituency. And veterans groups, learning of the possibility last month, had quickly mobilized to oppose it.
Eleven veterans’ service organizations met the president on Monday, then followed up with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday.
Later, at another meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), they were assured the president had changed his mind, said Jim King, executive director of Amvets.
~~~At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement confirming the reversal, saying the president had listened closely to the veterans’ concerns and ordered the proposal “dropped.”
Now, Gibbs said, the president was eager to “continue a constructive partnership” with the veterans’ groups as they work through other budget issues.
You go veterans! There’s no way Obama could ignore that lobby group, and save face.
At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement confirming the reversal, saying the president had listened closely to the veterans’ concerns and ordered the proposal “dropped.”
Lib-er-al Translation:
We got our hands caught in the cookie jar, so we won’t be implementing this cocamamie idea.
An attempted mugging has been averted.
I recall that Obama was pretty dismissive of any criticism of the plan in his meeting with the American Legion people. The Ds have backed down because of the shitstorm that followed announcement of the proposal, not for any other reason.
This issue will be brought up again in 2010, but not by the Democrats. It’s a gift, really.
What do people think? Was this a ploy of some sort, or are they really that stupid?
Wm T Sherman, they really ARE that stupid. However, if you’re like most people, you’ll realize that what Obummer says is usually the opposite of what he does. I don’t think this issue is dead just yet. He’ll try doing it again while another “bogus bonus” scandel erupts. They’ll slip it into another porkulus bill.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot…
Mr. Beagle I totally agree with you. This Congress cannot be trusted to do the people’s business – they do their own business and could care less about consequences because they know if you can’t get it done one way, you can get it done another.
And the military family groups, veterans groups, etc. will be right on top of them. They can’t police themselves therefore the people will do it for them.
these men are our hero’s, they lay their lives on the line everyday and as hero’s they are deserving of far better treatment than they get from the v.a. as it is. this will get alot of attention behind closed doors and then he will say he was mistaken.
He’s already backed down. My guess is he’s found another way to slip it in somewhere else because he certainly has no love for our military and our vets.
Yet another campaign ad for 2012 writes itself
Ya know, the 2012 campaign against Barack Obama will start in a little more than a year and a half. When it does, he will be held to account and have to defend EVERYTHING
Dispicable.
I would bet that the Pentagon was livid also. It’s not exactly a great recruiting point to tell potential recruits that if they’re injured, disabled and discharged, that the bills will have to go to their HMO to be paid, not be paid by an ‘appreciative’ government.