Diary titled changed by author on advice from thoughtful poster Quicksilver 2723 from the divisive (Screwing the Troops: Obama makes it a Bi-Partisan Effort)to something a little less dickish.
For 8 years George W. Bush and Republicans betrayed the men and women of the US Military with VA budget cuts, underfunding for vital armor and armored vehicles and by failing to provide a cohesive plan or strategy to execute the occupation of Iraq. There was the denial of the Insurgency and the marginalizing of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury by Bush pentagoners and civilian staff.
With the election on Novermber 4 of Barack Obama many military members felt that some of the most egregious issues facing our military could and would be solved. The Democratic Party under the leadership of President Obama faced an incredible opportunity to win the hearts and minds of one of the most loyal republican constituencies by merely doing the right thing.
And indeed much right has been done, PTSD recognized and more $$$ allotted to help screen and treat it. Funding for TBI screening, treatment and research as ben promised.
Unfortunately the opportunity to court this constituency along with the moral high ground is about to be thrown away.
The White House plan(not yet adopted) to privatize veterans health insurance is a mistake of monumental proportions.
From the Kansas City Star;
The Obama administration is considering a plan to make veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries.
The proposal would be an about-face on what veterans think is a longstanding pledge to pay for health-care costs that result from their military service.
In a White House meeting Monday, veterans groups apparently failed to persuade President Barack Obama to take the plan off the table.
Merely floating such an idea has already started a snowball rolling that will damage Obama's credibility with military families and give the zealots at Fox News and the RNC a rallying point. This is an incredible political blunder.
"It’s a betrayal," said Joe Violante, legislative director of Disabled American Veterans, which signed the letter to Obama. "My insurance company didn’t send me to Vietnam. My government did. The same holds true for men and women now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s the government’s responsibility."
It is up to veterans and civilians alike who supported Obama to drag his administration back from this cliff and secure the benefits that were guaranteed to servicemen and women who fight for our liberties and for our security.
Contact President Obama at;
Tell the President "NO" on Privatizing Veteran's Health Insurance
Here is the link the full story in the Kansas City Star;
Kansas City Star Article