Reflections on Obama's presidency

[Sparko]

I think it's hard to blame him for that

I agree, some of the blame (or credit) has to go to Hillary and the DNC. They helped destroy the democrats in the white house and congress too.

[Bill the Cat]

Address the facts and do not curse the source. The respondents were Veteran members of the American Legion.

Also, the actual facts of the increased funding of the Veterans Administration over previous administrations by 85%, which is reflected in the poll of veterans.

Also the Republican record as follows . . .

Source: http://usuncut.com/politics/happy-veterans-day-5-times-republicans-in-congress-screwed-veterans/

1. VETERANS AFFAIRS FUNDING BILL (2015)
The House Appropriations Subcommittee, met with VA Secretary Bob McDonald to remove more than $1.4 billion in veteran services from President Obama’s proposed 2016 budget. Included in those cuts was more than $690 million earmarked for direct VA medical care and $582 million in VA construction projects. As a result of the cuts, it was estimated that 70,000 fewer veterans would be able to receive needed care.


2. WOMEN VETERANS AND FAMILIES HEALTH SERVICES ACT (2014)
This bipartisan bill would have provided fertility treatment and counseling for severely wounded veterans and their spouses. However, the bill was killed before making it out of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee after Republicans proposed an amendment to prevent any involvement with Planned Parenthood.

The author of the bill, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), took to the floor of the Senate and made the following statement:

“Don’t take something that should be above politics, our sacred duty to our veterans, pull it down into the muck of petty politics. It is not fair to veterans and their families who have been hoping and praying for the opportunity to have children.”

3. VETERANS HEALTH AND BENEFITS AND MILITARY RETIREMENT PAY RESTORATION ACT (2014)
This bill, proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders, was a piece of sweeping legislation that would have expanded healthcare and education for veterans. After clearing a procedural vote by a 99-0 margin, the bill was hijacked by Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans who attached an amendment to the bill which would have levied sanctions on Iran.

While arguing over the proposed amendments, other Republicans took to the floor to raise concerns over the cost of the bill, and it was ultimately defeated with 41 of 45 Senate Republicans voting against the bill.

4. VETERANS JOBS CORPS ACT (2012)
Originally submitted by democratic Representative Bruce Braley of Iowa, this bill would have established the Veteran’s Jobs Corps to provide gainful employment to more than 20,000 veterans through public works projects in their own communities at a cost of $1 billion over 5 years.

Ultimately, Senate Republicans blocked the bill because it was unpaid for… while simultaneously proposing a bill to increase military spending with no way to pay for it.

“We Republicans remain resolute in our commitment to deny the Democrats anything that looks like an accomplishment in an election year,” said Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

5. HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS AND HOMELESS VETERANS WITH CHILDREN ACT (2010)
Originally proposed to expand assistance for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children, as well as increasing funding for federal grant programs to address the issues surrounding homelessness amongst veterans, this bipartisan bill made its way through the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee with strong support from members of both parties.

However, the bill was promptly killed as Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, on behalf of Senator Tom Coburn, objected based on the cost of the program.

© Copyright Original Source

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/v...nate/73157340/
Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked plans for a nearly $164 billion Veterans Affairs Department budget for fiscal 2016 over objections to Republicans’ overarching spending plans and a lack of progress on a compromise budget deal.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/10/02/ve...ass-va-budget/
A veterans’ group slammed Senate Democrats Thursday for apparently using dishonest arguments in refusing to pass the Department of Veterans Affairs budget.

Democrats, notably Sen. Richard Blumenthal, are concerned about budget cuts to the nearly $164 billion 2016 VA appropriations bill. The legislation failed 50-44 because it didn’t achieve the 60 votes necessary to pass. Even if it were to pass, the White House said Thursday it would issue a veto.

“It has no chance of getting 60 votes. None. I know that. The Republican leader knows that. So why are we wasting time on votes destined to fail?” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said before the vote, according to The Hill.

But according to Concerned Veterans for America CEO Pete Hegseth, the bill actually increases discretionary spending by 5 percent, even though Democrats have referred the legislation as a cut.

[stfoskey15]

I think Mountain Man posted on this thread before it got deleted that it would take a few decades for historians to figure out the impact of President Obama, and I think there is a lot of truth to that.

[Mountain Man]

Yes, I did say that. It'll be a long time before anybody can take an unbiased look at Obama's presidency. I think he'll be remembered as one of the most feckless, incompetent, and corrupt presidents in US history, but of course I'm biased.

[shunyadragon]

What facts? It's an online opinion poll. It's inherently meaningless.

It was an online poll of Veteran members of the American Legion

The fact that funding for the VA increased 85% during his terms of office.

[Mountain Man]

It was an online poll of Veteran members of the American Legion

The fact that funding for the VA increased 85% during his terms of office.

"Increased funding". Big deal. What did he actually accomplish?

[shunyadragon]

"Increased funding". Big deal. What did he actually accomplish?

For one new VA hospitals and clinics were built around the country and staffing increased, and these are indeed facts of Obama's legacy.

[Mountain Man]

Obama's "legacy" is fixing a mess that he made and only addressed because it became too big of a scandal to ignore, and even then his response wasn't wholly adequate.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/29/opinio...ama/index.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/under-pr...pital-scandal/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...er-wait-times/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...to-va-scandal/
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/0...naction-107029

[Sparko]

For one new VA hospitals and clinics were built around the country and staffing increased, and these are indeed facts of Obama's legacy.

Really? So why have all we heard is how horrible the VA system is for the last 8 years? Vets waiting long periods to get help? And the help they get sucks. And the VA covering it up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetera...candal_of_2014

Two years later and still not fixed:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...ill-unreformed

The Veterans Affairs–scandal headlines speak for themselves. The Daily Beast: “Veteran Burned Himself Alive outside VA Clinic”; azfamily.com: “Dead veterans canceling their own appointments?”; New York Times: “Report Finds Sharp Increase in Veterans Denied V.A. Benefits,” “More than 125,000 U.S. veterans are being denied crucial mental health services,” and “Rubio, Miller ask committee to back VA accountability bills.” Are these headlines from 2014, when the VA scandal broke? The sad answer is no. All these headlines — and so many more — are from the past ten days, a fact that also speaks for itself. Two years ago this week — thanks to courageous whistleblowers in Phoenix and a fed-up House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman — the world was finally exposed to rampant VA dysfunction and corruption. Dozens of veterans had died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA — which was, unfortunately, just the tip of the iceberg. Across the country, VA officials had manipulated lists to hide real health-care wait times. In total, thousands — and possibly far more — met the same fate: waiting, and dying, at the hands of a calcified and soulless bureaucracy. Investigations were launched, and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki eventually resigned.

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...ill-unreformed

[Meh Gerbil]

Me?
I'm just thankful he wasn't shot.
I wouldn't want to sit through another 40 years of the whole 'Camelot' nonsense that sprung up around Kennedy.