They are making shit up!

[Hugabear]

I got this email from a right-wing nutjob. I cannot see how anybody would believe such an outright lie, but these are the same people pushing the "birther" bullshit, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

"Bad press, including major mockery of the plan by comedian Jon Stewart, led to President Obama abandoning his proposal to require veterans carry private health insurance to cover the estimated $540 million annual cost to the federal government of treatment for injuries to military personnel received during their tours on active duty. The President admitted that he was puzzled by the magnitude of the opposition to his proposal.

"Look, it's an all volunteer force," Obama complained. "Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now they whine about bearing the costs of their choice? It doesn't compute.." "I thought these were people who were proud to sacrifice for their country, "Obama continued. "I wasn't asking for blood, just money. With the country facing the worst financial crisis in its history, I'd have thought that the patriotic thing to do would be to try to help reduce the nation's deficit. I guess I underestimated the selfishness of some of my fellow Americans."


Oh, the joys of the internet, where any idiot can just pull shit out of their ass and within a few days, have it spread to millions.

[gmoney]

1. Snopes calls it a "half-truth"

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/veteranshealth.asp

[Birthmark]

2. Well, when reality treats them badly...

...and it usually does, they have to "help" reality along a bit, you know?

[Raine1967]

3. What the hell.

How do you debunk make up crap? Seriously.

[redqueen]

4. That's why the Good Lord made the 'Reply to All' feature.

:P

[Hugabear]

6. good night, I don't want to encourage these people

I usually just delete these emails without even reading them. For some reason, I decided to go ahead and click on this one - don't ask me why.

[redqueen]

9. Might get you off the list for right wing nuttery spam though...

so that might be good right?

[timeforpeace]

5. When you get an email and the sender is "right wing nutjob", just don't open it.

If you mean you know the sender to BE a right wing nutjob, again, don't open it. Life's too short.

[Hugabear]

8. I normally don't

For some reason, I did this time, maybe just out of morbid curiosity.

I really, really, really cannot get the mindset of these people.

[Raine1967]

7. They are conflating A bunch of shit.

I did a quick google, and got this site: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/o/obama-veteran-insurance.htm

Summary of the eRumor:
A forwarded email from an Army wife warning that President Obama wants the military personnel to get their own health insurance to pay for the treatment of injuries in line of duty. She urges readers to contact their elected Senators and Representatives to put a stop to this plan.

The Truth:
On March16, 2009, members of the American Legion met with President Obama where he discussed "a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries." The non-profit veterans service organization, American Legion, issued a statement voicing its concerns on its web site shortly after the meeting. Click here for statement.

Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion said that Obama “ is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it.”

A March 17, 2009 CNN article said the "chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs vowed Tuesday that the plan would never gain the panel's approval. 'VA's sacred duty is to care for veterans injured in honorable service to our nation, and the department should not turn to wounded warriors' private insurance to pay for combat injures,' said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii. 'Under my chairmanship, the Veterans' Affairs Committee will not advance any such legislation.'"

On the afternoon of March 18, 2009 Fox News reported that the Obama administration has changed their mind on this plan.

Later forwarded versions of this eRumor included a quote not by President Obama but by the writing staff of the Jon Stewart show at COMEDY CENTRAL. Stewart made fun of this proposal during his satirical news/current events program and included a fictional quote attributed to the President.




---------------

These people are fucking idiots.

[ErinBerin84]

10. can anyone in their right mind

picture Obama saying that quote?

[gratuitous]

11. Well, facts and reality aren't very kind to the wingnuts

So if they're going to have any kind of coherent opposition, they have to make things up. If you're going to deny them the power of their imaginations to conjure up stuff to hate, there's a possibility, no matter how remote, that they may have to face reality. Let it be on your head, then!