I saw a link this morning where some of the Obama people were presenting a plan to make the veterans get private insurance. This included disabled and retired vets. What a crock of crap. This is what you get by having those who never served control the lives of those who did.

That would include ACTIVE service people, too. So, enlist to fight for your country, go somewhere and get wounded, and then YOU get to pick up the tab!

Think that will encourage people to enlist? ROTFLMAO~!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. How about NO MORE surplus brass (once fired) from the Gov't? Not only is the cost of ammo skyrocketing, there will no longer be 9mm, .45, .223 and other brass sold as used by the Gov't, meaning it gets melted and recycled instead of sold to the public and ammo manufacturers. This HURTS the Gov't, as they'll make about 10% of what the used and reloadable brass was getting them.

Stupidity at it's finest. Revolution/Civil War in the US again will be the result before it's over, I'm afraid. (and no one wants that)

Mike

"Lawmakers explicitly ruled out the proposal Tuesday in budget recommendations from the Senate and House veterans' affairs committees.

The chairman of the Senate committee, Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said a majority of the committee members rejected the plan as fundamentally unfair.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a senior member of both the Veterans Affairs and Budget committees, warned Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki last week that the idea would be "dead on arrival," and she vowed Tuesday that any budget containing the VA provision "is not going to pass."

"The VA has an obligation to pay for service-related care, and they should not be nickel-and-diming vets in the process," she said in an interview."

Obama figured no self respecting veteran of the Armed Forces would have voted for him so [censored] 'em.

He's shown plenty of contempt for the Vets in the past what would be different now?

I wonder if I should go back and find out which of you raised a stink when Bush planned to cut future VA funding and then ended up with a current $1 billion shortfall on top of that? Heck, even Larry Craig raised a stink.
"The Bush administration and House Republicans have been the main focus of anger among veterans organizations." "Their "policies are inconsistent with a nation at war," said Steve Robertson, legislative director of the American Legion. They violate the basic military value of "an army of one, teamwork, taking care of each other," he said."

Bush figured no self respecting veteran of the Armed Forces would have voted for him so [censored] 'em.

Blame Bill

don't worry people, even if it had passed, the vet's HMO's wouldn't have approved the procedures anyway.

Look here.

"Obama is drawing high praise from veterans service organizations for proposing a Department of Veterans Affairs budget that would exceed by $1.3 billion what even the veterans groups suggested be spent next year.

No previous president has offered a VA spending plan that surpassed in size the “Independent Budget” presented to Congress by major veterans groups. Obama seeks to fulfill several promises made to veterans during his presidential campaign, including a big increase in VA healthcare budgets."

Further, AMVETS had this to say on their website:

"AMVETS is encouraged by President Obama's willingness to explore alternatives, and we look forward to working with the Administration to reach resolution on this issue."

During the meeting, Obama said that he would not institute service-connected billing of third-party insurance companies if it would ultimately hurt veterans in any way."

Well, sure, you can believe some guys that sat in a meeting, then came out and gave their opinion to a reporter. Or you can believe President Obama when he said "that he would not institute service-connected billing of third-party insurance companies if it would ultimately hurt veterans in any way."

Aside from that, if he actually proposes it in his budget in April (highly unlikely), it will never get out of commitee, ergo, it will never happen. The above cut-n-paste clearly points that out. Much ado about nothing.

But running around with your hair on fire trying to keep everyone scared about the new socialist-gun-grabbing-non-US-citizen-Muslim-ultra-liberal President seems to be all the Rs got left anymore.

Hey at least the dumocraps hate the fat cat rich corporate types....they wouldn't allow bonuses to the suits from companies that needed the socialist capital infused into their pathetic starving company.

The dumocraps are lookin' out for the little guy...right?



WASHINGTON (CNN) — Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told CNN Wednesday that he was responsible for language added to the federal stimulus bill to make sure that already-existing contracts for bonuses at companies receiving federal bailout money were honored.

Watch: I added bonus loophole, says Dodd

Dodd acknowledged his role in the change after a Treasury Department official told CNN the administration pushed for the language.

Both Dodd and the official, who asked not to be named, said it was because administration officials were afraid the government would face numerous lawsuits without the new language.

Dodd, a Democrat, told CNN's Dana Bash and Wolf Blitzer that Obama administration officials pushed for the language to an amendment designed to limit bonuses and "golden parachutes" at those companies.

"The administration had expressed reservations," Dodd said. "They asked for modifications. The alternative was losing the amendment entirely."

On Tuesday, Dodd denied to CNN that he had anything to do with adding the language, which has been used by officials at bailed-out insurance giant AIG to justify paying millions of dollars in bonuses to executives after receiving federal money.

Do you REALLY think Obama HIMSELF proposed it AM?

Wait... don't answer that.

Have you ever heard of the White House OMB?

It stands for the Office of Management and Budget. It consists of a staff of wonks who's job it is to come up with different budgetary proposals. UNDOUBTEDLY, as a measure to save the VA some money... they came up with this as one possible measure. The OTHER proposal that isn't getting a lot of coverage in the right-wing idiotsphere is to use Medicare as a way to help cover costs.

The veterans groups met with Obama and Rahm Emmanuel TODAY to discuss the issue. Before gettin' too spastic... how's about you at least find out what the results of that meeting were?

Something many have missed is that this is about funding, not veteran care. So in essence, the ones making the most noise about this are complaining that the administration is discussing ways to continue the same care to veterans while saving taxpayer dollars.

The argument against this sort of action--if it were come to pass--is that if private insurers were charged for combat related injuries, the insurance company would raise their rates or veterans would be denied employment because it would raise the employers rates.

Now doesn't that sound anti-American to take advantage of wounded vets? Yet those companies are not villified for putting profit ahead of war veterans. Instead, the president is villified for imagining that US insurance companies would willingly provide service to our wounded vets without exploitation.

But I guess to some, private industry profit is more important than our combat wounded vets.

It's unfair and outrageous to you because you can't imagine requiring for-profit insurance companies to honor our war vets by not raising rates.

So you admit that private insurance profit is more important to you than providing comparable care to wounded vets. You're a real piece of work.

Believe it or not AM... I AGREE completely with that sentiment.

With all of the new vets coming into the system from Iraq and Afghanistan though... and the incessant caterwauling from Republicans over Obama ALREADY spending WAY too much in their minds... what do you think would happen if Obama increased the VA budget by enough to keep up with the new burden? He's gettin' it from BOTH sides... and THAT'S what has prompted him to even consider this type of proposal, IMO.

So explain why those who didn't serve in the military should be ruled by those that did? Just because somebody went to college and wants to serve the country in a different way doesn't mean that they don't love this country and are not qualified to become leaders.

You had your chance to elect John Kerry 4 years ago if you really wanted a vet.

You do realize that VA has been charging third party insurance companies for years, right?

The VA will continue to fulfill their obligation of providing care for the veterans, that isn't the issue. The issue seems to be whether you believe private companies should feel a sense of duty to help finance that care in return for the freedom to operate a business at the expense of the veteran's health. Freedom isn't free, ya know.

Care will still be there. Partial payment simply may come from private insurance companies if the veteran has it. How is that a breach of trust?

The veteran will still get his/her care like nothing changed, just as the government has provided for years.

Unless you truly believe we can't require a private insurance company not to raise rates on the veteran or employer. If profit trumps, well...

But I'm an idiot that can read. Your highlighted text is opinion and speculation by Rehbein. No formal proposal has been made, no law enacted, so everything you're sniveling about is pure speculation and unsubstantiated conjecture on your part. Put your hair out and relax. Try to be rational for a change.

They already do, you said so yourself. I'm guaranteed 100% healthcare by VA (FEDERAL Government's responsibility), but if I had private insurance, they'd be charged when I got the flu.

But explain to us why they shouldn't even be doing that. Explain why you're so reluctant to ask a private insurance company to sacrifice a little profit for the country's veterans.

So it's not the American way to ask corporations to support the veterans that give them the right to exist? That's borderline facism. Doesn't surprise me coming from you.

But look here. While you had your head buried <...Edited by goharley...>, the president that you hate with a sophistic white hot passion corroborated what several of us told you in the very beginning. And now you look absolutely <...Heavily edited by goharley...>.

And once again, you've been championed by an idiot.

+1