The most interesting thing President Obama said today in his remarks about the Veterans Administration health care scandal involved what he hopes will be the lack of partisan rancor in this discussion.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus didn’t hear that part of the president’s remarks … apparently.
“Why did President Obama wait to address this situation only to ask our veterans for more time and to offer nothing but words?” Priebus asked.
Nothing but words? What does the RNC chairman want Barack Obama to do? Fire everyone? Does he want the Justice Department to bring criminal charges without first knowing what the evidence is to charge someone?
For crying out loud, does he want the president to don some surgical scrubs and tend to veterans’ health needs himself?
Give me a break.
The VA scandal is huge. Veterans reportedly have died while waiting for health care that had been delayed well past what is acceptable. VA officials allegedly cooked up wait-time lists that were bogus to cover their backsides.
Let’s stipulate that this is unacceptable at every possible level imaginable.
Republicans are angry, as are Democrats. The president noted, though, that this is requires an American response that goes beyond partisan posturing. Priebus is trying to gain some kind of political advantage here.
The president vowed to turn over every stone to find out what has gone so horribly wrong with our veterans’ health care system. I am quite sure I watched an angry commander in chief offer some pointed remarks today.
Enough of the peanut-gallery remarks, Chairman Priebus.