Obama 'Madder Than Hell' Over Veterans Affairs Allegations, Denis McDonough Says
Source: Reuters-Huffington Post
WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said President Barack Obama is "madder than hell" about possible deadly healthcare delays at the Department of Veterans Affairs and is determined to investigate and fix any flaws in the system.
"We're going to get to the bottom of those things, fix them and ensure that they don't happen again," McDonough said on CBS's "Face the Nation" in an interview aired on Sunday.
The allegations that delays in treatment at veterans hospitals could have led to otherwise preventable deaths has sparked a growing political scandal, including calls for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
A top department official, Undersecretary of Health Dr. Robert Petzel, resigned on Friday in a move critics said was an effort at damage control. But McDonough sidestepped questions about whether Shinseki had Obama's full confidence.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/18/obama-veterans-affairs_n_5347992.html
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 12: U.S. President Barack Obama. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | Alex Wong via Getty Images
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Demeter
(85,373 posts)
George II
(67,782 posts)Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)since Reagan. Not a single goddamned president/congress has fixed it. At some point you can only conclude it is not important to them.
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)50 BILLION additional dollars has been thrown at the VA since 2008, and care is worse.
philosslayer
(3,076 posts)Our President inherited a complete and total mess. And he's fixing it. Given past neglect and lack of funding, its a wonder this doesn't happen more often. Your contempt is noted.
elleng
(130,865 posts)
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)This was headlines over a year ago.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/jon-stewart-obama-on-va-benefits_n_2970741.html
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Mad?!?! It's just theater for the masses. If Obama was ever mad at anything he would've stopped the police state.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)that allows you to post, unafraid, have to do with the VA?
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)I just think its all a charade now. Feigning anger when he knows there are so many HUGE things he should be mad about but isn't. He should've gone after Bush and Cheney instead of allowing them to return untarnished in what could easily be President Jeb Bush in 2016. Shameful.
treestar
(82,383 posts)And should attend things by your priorities.
Arkana
(24,347 posts)Do you also believe that Obama ties helpless women to train tracks in his spare time?
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)of course you show up.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)only much, much earlier.
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)even though I am Hispanic............
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Whatever Hispanic veteran dude.
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)I have never doubted you are an African American, I have never doubted you believe what you post. All you do when challenged is say I must not be a veteran, I must not be Hispanic or I must be a racist. We disagree on policy, you go out of your way to allude I am a racist, I am not my own ethnic group or I can't be a veteran. How about a little two way respect, I give it to you by not questioning who and what you say you are.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Get over yourself. I have not questioned your ethnicity or your veteran status. I just get tired of your snide stalking.
You were the one that brought up the topic of you being racist by saying you are waiting for someone from the BOG to call you that.
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)You claimed I had white privilege, I told you I wasn't white, you told me you did not believe me. That thread was more than a month old. I am tempted to pay to get into the archives, just to show you that you did.
So yes you have questioned it. It would have been around six weeks ago now.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)But that said, being "accused of having a white privilege" is not being called a racist ... this just shows how clueless you are to what people are saying when they discuss white privilege.
Response to 1StrongBlackMan (Reply #70)
Post removed
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Than you? You sought me out. You accused me of calling you a racist, I did no such thing. You accused me of questioning your veteran status, when I did not.
It is you that is in full jerk mode; not me.
Response to Post removed (Reply #72)
alp227 This message was self-deleted by its author.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Or Native American? Or Asian for that matter (there are a few).
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)I'm more commenting on the so-called newsworthy headline across America that Obama was mad. It has been my observation that many things that should make him mad don't or he doesn't show it. I've watched my country transform into a terrible state in the last 14 years. It bothers me deeply and I see our leader doing nothing to stop it and actually facilitates it which I just can't understand. The crux of it is that we have turned into a police state which I see as a big deal and has affected people I know greatly. I see Obama as maintaining the status quo at best. It's like he is just sitting there filling a chair until the next Bush is handed power.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)In police state countries, you don't get to post on the internet that the country is a police state.
yurbud
(39,405 posts)840high
(17,196 posts)money for drones and more for Veterans would be nice.
Divernan
(15,480 posts)Anyone who has a friend or relative who's been a patient in the VA system has heard horror stories about problems "qualifying" for health care. And that's been true going back to Nam. Just yesterday, I stopped to talk with an old Navy vet collecting donations via the red poppies. His son was in Iraq where he lost one eye and one hand in an IED explosion. At first he was given 100% disability, and then it was taken away. The young man had the ability to fight for several years to get his disability rating back/ and to get health care through the VA. The older vet said that getting access to the system was by far the toughest problem - but that the doctors who treated his son were good.
The situation was horrible 6 years ago when O. took office. And only now does Obama find out about it and only through a Congressional hearing. Well that fits in perfectly with Obama's attitude toward whistle blowers. He's a war prezident when it comes to playing with drones and kill lists - not so much with taking care of the wounded vets.
Your comment, Demeter, is spot on.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)I'm used to the abuse dished out by the BOG, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one with issues.
840high
(17,196 posts)AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)the other day for daring to say that Shinseki should resign. Got shut out of my own thread for calling someone "daft", not a swear word, not an insult, I called someone "daft" for defending Shinseki over dead veterans. Apparently daft is the new dread word for the BOG.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)in Arizona who have absoluteely no problem with the VA, or accessing its services ... Maybe Demeters comments aren't "spot on".
840high
(17,196 posts)Divernan
(15,480 posts)Demeter's reaction was not to whether or not there are, as you incredibly claim, "absolutely no problem" for vets in accessing VA services. The Congressional hearings and Obama's own "leaked" reaction of (suddenly, after 6 years) being "madder than hell" proved that to Obama's satisfaction, there are very serious, life-threatening problems with the VA. Obviously, again, Obama believes that there are horribly serious problems with the VA's availability to medically needy veterans. So Obama clearly disagrees with your position, based on several vets in Arizona, that there are "absolutely no problems" with the VA. Have I repeated that enough for it to sink in for you? Or are you proposing that since a few vets you know in one state are OK with the VA, that the Congress should ignore all the testimony it heard and just drop any inquiry?
Demeter's "spot on" comment had to do with the johnny-come-lately nature of Obama's sudden anger over something which has been the case for each of the 6 years he's been President. And yes, everyone understands he couldn't fix every problem at once. But he damn well could have STARTED to at the very least acknowledge it - why, he could even have appointed a commission like the much vaunted Cat Food Commission he set up to try to gut social security. Now social security was doing just fine, but presented the opportunity for profiteering through privatizing the investments, whereas there were no Big Lobbying interests pushing to reform the VA.
Nope. Demeter's still spot on and you are WAY off base.
Come on Mr. President. Fewer millions spent on drones, and more millions spent on beefing up VA services to wounded vets! Just too damn bad if the Military Industrial Complex makes one percent less profit!
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Or, are you a "Democrat" that is more than happy to pile on this President?
But to be more accurate, the problems with the VA have existed for each of the last 60 years, and the last 12 presidents, at least.
Is it possible that President Obama's anger is the result of his being aware of the system's problems but not the scope of the problems ... IOWs, in any system with 8,000,000 participants, there are bound to be, both, individual and systemic delivery failures, many of which do not come to light until they come to light ... I suspect that his anger is because there appears to have been a willful attempt to cover-up, rather than fix, these problems.
To be plain, I agree there are big problems (beyond this "delay problem"
with the Veteran Health Admininstration (and the American health provider system in general) and those problem need to be addressed immediately.
CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)You've said it all -- this is no "new" problem, it has been going on for years!
Will the VA ever be "fixed'? I rather doubt is will be "fixed" in my lifetime, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to have hope that it will be.
In the meantime, the horse and pony "Love a Vet" show goes on and on ...
Sad as all hell IMO as my cousin is now on his 10th tour of Afghanistan! Will help be there for him when he finally returns home? I hate thinking about it frankly.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)go to the dredge report or politicos ... find the partisan right's outrage of the day ... wait 10 minutes ... Get to comment on it here at DU, as it's the DU outrage of the day.
I'm not saying that the VA is not a hot mess; but to suddenly lay this at the feet of this President calling his outrage a "Johnny-come-lately" faux-outrage is rather transparent ... especially when everyone writing their VA outrage here, were silent on the VA 2 weeks ago.
CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)I, yes I, posted on this about 2 weeks ago.
The final reply to my thread under LBN was to STFU!
How do you like those apples?
STFU? NEVER!
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)Wife retired veteran with VA troubles
Best friend medically retired veteran fighting to keep his disability after losing a hand in Iraq...........
I can go on all day pal.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)For every vet you know, I bet i know more vets that have been screwed by the VA. Want to compare notes?
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,868 posts)Of course this makes you an expert on the matter too. 
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Was an expert ... no more than any one else on this board.
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,868 posts)You have nothing but hearsay.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Why do I merit special attention?
CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)You tell a very sad tale. I believe you.
When I was working for the VA the horrors of Agent Orange were still in the denial mode. It was sickening!
When I worked for them, they viewed the patients by what war they were in as to when and what priority they would have for receiving care. At that time, the Vietnam vets were at the bottom of that list; WWI (few survivors at that time) were at the top of said list. I'm told said "list" no longer exists (thank god ... if this is indeed true).
Of course now we know the horrors of Agent Orange but how many have died because of OUR DENIAL that this problem exists? It makes me cringe just thinking about it and I'll refrain from repeating what was said about the Vietnam era vets at that time ... 
treestar
(82,383 posts)Well I guess they were busy with Benghazi and the IRS. Took them longer to find this because it's not as dramatic. And they will still be looking for something.
And they are the ones using government shut downs and refusing to fund things.
Boomerproud
(7,952 posts)Heads have got to start rolling. Obama has got to start leading before the Pubbies can smack him around some more. That's why the "tyrant" meme from the RW is so laughable. Sometimes he doesn't act like he cares about anything anymore-especially his so-called "agenda".
Matthew Rose
(66 posts)1000words
(7,051 posts)Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)The only thing that might stop him from selling this to Big Insurance is that it's a rather small fish compared to the whales they've gotten so far. But they might take it if he promises, say, Medicare as well.
rgbecker
(4,826 posts)The guy was the only one confident enough to stand up to Rumsfeld. I think he needs a chance to right this situation. There probably is not one Government enterprise that could not be improved. The proof will be in the resolution not in the finding of the problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Shinseki
Just saying.
Hekate
(90,645 posts)It's like every other aspect of government and military that Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld touched. Heckuva job, Bushie! They set out to prove that government doesn't work by ensuring that it couldn't work, and almost succeeded.
former9thward
(31,984 posts)Shinseki did not inherit anything from him. He has been in office since 2009. This problem is his and not someone's years ago.
Hekate
(90,645 posts)As for the amount of damage inflicted by the Bush/Cheney regime on the US government, the Civil Service, FEMA, etcetera etcetera -- during the political campaign season leading up to Bush's departure from office, I cautioned against DUers believing that any one human being would be able to clean up the amount of damage inflicted, not in 4 years, not in 8 years, and perhaps not in what remains of my lifetime.
I was dead serious then, and I am not gratified at all to be proven right. The GOP members of Congress swore to do everything in their power to oppose President Obama, and they have done so.
It's why I celebrate every advance by Obama's administration, however small.
Congress has to approve the budget for the VA, including its hospitals. I notice they always seem to find money for the Pentagon's pet projects -- but where does the VA hospital system's needs fall in the scheme of things?
General Shinseki did NOT create this clusterfk. GOPers calling for his head on a pike have called for just about every member of this administration's head on a pike, just to be nastily obstructive. They've gotten some, too, and for what real-life objective reasons? Nada. Do we grant them yet another victory by tossing Shinseki to them? I'm more inclined to believe him than them. The GOPers in Congress have NO credibility left, as far as I am concerned.
24601
(3,959 posts)Joe Biden is not the Vice/Deputy Commander in Chief.
VPs have direct control only over their Capitol Staff. "Their" Executive Branch staff hold Presidential Commissions and are officially hired & fired by the President.
They have two duties:
1. Preside over the Senate/serve as President of the Senate.
2. Check the special obituary from the Washington Post front page lead (top-right story) every morning to see if their duties have changed.
What I would ask about today's VA scandal: When was the last time the President had a 1 on 1 meeting with the DVA Secretary, how long did it last and what was on the agenda?
Hekate
(90,645 posts)...in the George W. Bush administration, which is why I always reference him in that manner, ie Bush/Cheney. Don't be disingenuous.
24601
(3,959 posts)is a function of how much the President allows. What's disingenuous is to pretend otherwise.
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)before this past week
n/t
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)Shrub is a failure in many areas but VA funding rose 28 BILLION dollars during the time Shrub was in office and major ground combat did not begin until 2003. During PBO's time in office VA funding has risen 40 BILLION dollars.
So from 2002-now VA funding has risen by nearly 70 BILLION dollars. And since MORE Veterans (WWII, Korea and Vietnam veterans )have died in those years, versus new vets being created by Iraq and Afghanistan the VA has significantly more money but fewer patients overall and I am still supposed to believe this is the fault of a guy that has not been in office for over five years now? C'mon..... How can you say that shit with a straight face and say Shinseki is blameless...........UNREAL
tclambert
(11,085 posts)like "What about after the invasion? We don't have near enough troops for occupation duty." Rumsfeld and the Bush administration marginalized Shinseki after that by announcing his successor as Army Chief of Staff early.
former9thward
(31,984 posts)But the this administration has to take responsibility for what is happening now. Why has not the General spoke up previously about this issue? It took a whistle blower to bring this to light. The budget for the VA was $88 billion in 2009 and is $153 billion in 2014. So it is not true that they have had cuts.
24601
(3,959 posts)as Army Chief of Staff.
If his leadership at DVA has been this poor, it's reasonable to wonder if there was more to the story of no 2nd term, but OIF differences was a way to let him go without making him lose face.
Even so, then Senator Obama spoke of major DVA problems during the 2008 campaign. So, as a disabled veteran, I'd really like to know how many one-on-one meetings the President and DVA Secretary had before last week.
The Secretary is accountable to the President, but the President is supposed to be accountable to us. So what has President Obama done about this since January 20, 2009? Where has it been on his priorities? If last week was the first real meeting, all we are hearing is BS. And if there had been such meetings over the last 5 1/2 years, who doesn't believe Jay Carney wouldn't be detailing all of them?
CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)As others have pointed out, Rumsfeld had no authority over the VA. however, Ret. Gen. Peake was Shinseki's predecessor FYI.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)I can squeeze in some part time work for the local VA, if it means getting more Veterans into the system more quickly. I'll keep my eyes on the postings. I encourage all other primary care doctors to do the same.
kworkman
(19 posts)I wouldn't worry about Dr. Petzel leaving the VA. He already has employment with the Wounded Warriors Project.
secondwind
(16,903 posts)
TBF
(32,050 posts)but he's a Vietnam era vet as well with well-documented injuries. Maybe it varies by hospital/area.
After growing up with a disabled Vet for a father I can't think of a more important promise a country can make to it's people - if you go in there and defend us all we will take care of you. If we can't even keep that promise we should hang it up.
Glorfindel
(9,726 posts)Because every minute devoted to caring for me would be one minute taken away from a veteran who needs it more. I went once, several years ago, to a VA hospital for an evaluation. I was not prepared to see all the maimed and disabled veterans there. I haven't been back, nor will I, as long as I can afford to pay for my own health care. I'm not wise enough to know what the solution to the problem is, but VA healthcare needs to be fixed.
24601
(3,959 posts)in 20 years. The first was for their exams to meet their evaluation requirements of my condition. The 2nd was for an H1N1 flu shot.
I'm beginning to believe the problem as it is may be un-fixable within the current DVA structure.
Perhaps it's time to disband the VA medical system and just issue a card to eligible vets that is good for any & all health care with direct billing to the department. Same conditions as the current system regarding co-pays, deductible, limits, prescriptions, etc.
Response to Glorfindel (Reply #24)
CountAllVotes This message was self-deleted by its author.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)CountAllVotes
(20,868 posts)My husband is sitting here saying in the background, "If Obama is so damn mad than why the hell doesn't he DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?".
Seems like a rational request IMO.
As my late father, a WWII U.S. Marine Corps vet used to say, "Don't get mad, GET EVEN!"
NealK
(1,865 posts)ALBliberal
(2,339 posts)In the senate? My guess is this is meant to discredit him.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)I don't think it's aimed at Sanders though.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)And we all know whom this is directed at ...
I'd bet that had a couple of the most angry posters had known of Sanders' Committee assignment, they would have refrained from commenting so angrily.
Ready ... Shoot ... Aim! 
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)God forbid people get angry at an administration who said this and then appears to have done little.
"When 400,000 veterans are stuck on a waiting list for claims, we need a new sense of urgency," said Sen Obama in 2007...............
I await the BOG to come in here and call me a racist for being angry that once again we vets are getting the shaft.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Sanders ... who, actually, Chairs the committee charged with oversight.
Funny that!
Keep writing ... I'm pretty certain you will get to the point where your racism will give cause to call you a racist.
AnalystInParadise
(1,832 posts)Why else would you use the term "your racism"??? .....typical
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)To await someone from the BOG to call you a racist. Why would you even bring that up when no one that I am aware of has done it in the first place?
seabeckind
(1,957 posts)I guess Obama doesn't have anybody on his staff who pays attention to the media...
Rachel Maddow brought up systemic problems at the VA over a year ago:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rachel-maddow/51283141#51283141
This particular issue is just a different piece of an overall problem in the way our gov't is administered.
As I've said before, maybe he'd be better off hanging out with people who actually live on Main street and didn't go to Harvard business school.
alp227
(32,018 posts)Interesting how the LIBERAL media has paid attention to this issue before it blew up this year.
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)WELL over a year ago. This is not new news.
villager
(26,001 posts)...pervasive spying, etc.