But... Obama "demanded action" on VA back in 2013. And in 2012. And in 2007.

[Little-Acorn]

In Nov. 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama said, "After seven years of an Administration that has stretched our military to the breaking point, ignored deplorable conditions at some VA hospitals, and neglected the planning and preparation necessary to care for our returning heroes, America's veterans deserve a President who will fight for them not just when it's easy or convenient, but every hour of every day for the next four years."
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=91891
___________________________

In July, 2012, President Obama said in a speech before the VFW, "Let’s keep taking care of our extraordinary military families. We’ve made military families and veterans a top priority not just at DOD, not just at the VA, but across the government,” Obama said. “We will not rest. That’s my vow to you. I’ve got your back. I’ve got your six.” - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/23/remarks-president-113th-national-convention-veterans-foreign-wars
___________________________

In Feb. 2013, The Washington Examiner reported that the VA's Inspector General had found that accuracy reports on employees' mistakes, had been manipulated to make them look better than reality:

"Accuracy reports have been manipulated by the Department of Veterans Affairs to make it appear employees make fewer mistakes on claims for disability payments than they actually do, The Washington Examiner has found.

"Audits of individual case files by the agency's inspector general consistently show error rates on disability claims much higher than those claimed in official reports. The IG also found the agency's accuracy gauge is easily manipulated by VA officials seeking to improve their apparent performance. The pressure to process benefits claims cases as quickly as possible creates an incentive to 'cook the books,' according to veterans advocates and the VA's own internal investigators.

"'VA is notorious for flat-out cooking the books,' said Paul Sullivan, a former VA official who is now a board member of the group Veterans for Common Sense. 'The error rate is under-reported and it's intentional. VA is trying to hide VA's blunders and mistakes.'"
_____________________________

When Shinseki took office, he vowed that every disability claim would be processed within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy. But the backlogs only got worse.

It took about four months for VA to process a claim for disability compensation claim when Shinseki was sworn in. By 2012, the average wait time was about nine months. In February 2013 ... about 70 percent of the 900,000 claims for initial benefits were considered backlogged, meaning they were older than 125 days.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/cascade-of-scandals-has-eric-shinseki-fighting-for-his-job/article/2548448
_____________________________

And yet today, President Obama's staff is telling us that the first he heard about these problems, is when he read newspaper and media reports last week.

Is there any reason to believe that problems in the VA will be fixed, any more then they have been from 2007 through today?

Or will he simply keep making speeches telling us what a good job he is doing for our veterans?

[aboutime]

Yeah. He DEMANDED all right. Much like he, and his administration DEMANDED that VETERANS are HOME GROWN TERRORISTS too!

[gabosaurus]

As Bill O'Reilly pointed out on Fox News, problems with the VA were just as bad during the Bush administration. No one did anything about it then, either.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/oreilly-rove-get-heated-over-va-mismanagement-under-bush-admin/

[CSM]

As Bill O'Reilly pointed out on Fox News, problems with the VA were just as bad during the Bush administration. No one did anything about it then, either.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/oreilly-rove-get-heated-over-va-mismanagement-under-bush-admin/

May be true but then didn't Obama PROMISE to change things? I mean he has been protrayed as the one guy who would "fix" everything but especially those things Bush either broke or ignored. Then again (I am reminded of my kids when they were very young) what we hear very often from libs and Dems (especially when confronted with the facts) is "... but Bush did it too!" as if that exonerates Obama.

[jimnyc]

Does this asshole really think people will buy what he shovels? Do people REALLY believe tripe like this? He bashed GWB for this exact thing, but wants people to believe this is the first he heard of it? And no, I don't care if GWB fucked up too, which it sounds like he did, or if it was McChimpy. The point is to FIX IT, not ignore it, and sure as shit don't lie about it and play games. Some would rather reminisce about the days of old then to just face reality and current times. That's literally part of the reason that much doesn't get fixed or at least put in the right direction, as often people are too caught up in comparing to the past and trying to get out of blame, instead of just fixing things.

[jimnyc]

May be true but then didn't Obama PROMISE to change things? I mean he has been protrayed as the one guy who would "fix" everything but especially those things Bush either broke or ignored. Then again (I am reminded of my kids when they were very young) what we hear very often from libs and Dems (especially when confronted with the facts) is "... but Bush did it too!" as if that exonerates Obama.

"The most transparent administration ever".

And this administration was/is perhaps the worst ever in coming clean or being transparent/open to other parties or the people.

And yes, there were/are often times that Obama does something wrong that GWB did or did similarly. And yes, some bad things were held over and therefore became Obama's problem. But not for 6+ years. Not EVERY problem. At the end of the day, the majority of the mentions of GWB are simply to redirect the problem and avoid answering to the current screw up. For example (and this has easily happened hundreds of times) - notice Gabby's reply, not a single mention of current times, no negativity towards Obama, no mention of what should or could be done. Just pure avoidance and deflection from the CURRENT problem.

Gabby - save it unless on topic, I honestly wasn't meaning to pick on you, but you're the only one here to make the comparison to. This is something I've seen with tons of liberals on tons of sites and in real life. I didn't mean to come off as attacking you, so if you feel that way, I apologize.

[gabosaurus]

Gabby - save it unless on topic, I honestly wasn't meaning to pick on you, but you're the only one here to make the comparison to. This is something I've seen with tons of liberals on tons of sites and in real life. I didn't mean to come off as attacking you, so if you feel that way, I apologize.

I believe that I am on topic. The topic is this -- politicians avoid hot button topics. They avoid it by promising "swift and firm action" and then hope it will go away. Obama does it. Bush did it. Clinton did it.
Obama inherited several barrels of hot waste from Bush. Who inherited it from Clinton. And on down the line.
The problems with the VA are on par with those of the national debt, illegal immigration and the conflict in the Middle East. Anyone can sit here and say "Obama should do something about this!" But if you don't have a solution, you stand pat and pass it along to the next guy.

[Little-Acorn]

Gabby - save it unless on topic, I honestly wasn't meaning to pick on you, but you're the only one here to make the comparison to. This is something I've seen with tons of liberals on tons of sites and in real life. I didn't mean to come off as attacking you, so if you feel that way, I apologize.

Please don't feed the trolls. Nothing good EVER comes of it.

[Little-Acorn]

I believe that I am on topic. The topic is this -- politicians avoid hot button topics.

See?

[jimnyc]

I believe that I am on topic. The topic is this -- politicians avoid hot button topics. They avoid it by promising "swift and firm action" and then hope it will go away. Obama does it. Bush did it. Clinton did it.
Obama inherited several barrels of hot waste from Bush. Who inherited it from Clinton. And on down the line.
The problems with the VA are on par with those of the national debt, illegal immigration and the conflict in the Middle East. Anyone can sit here and say "Obama should do something about this!" But if you don't have a solution, you stand pat and pass it along to the next guy.

You misread, I wasn't accusing you of being off topic. I made that last sentence so that you wouldn't think I was attacking you. I asked so that you wouldn't reply as if I did and that hopefully we would remain on topic.

Yes, things get inherited. Things get passed on. Some things stay the same. Point is, as you blame them for passing the buck along, you as well are not bringing things to the current table. Things will never get solved if the blame game is all that happens. People need to toss that blame game out the window and demand whoever is in charge at the moment fix the issues. The current administration LOVES to pass the buck back in time instead of pulling their shirt sleeves up and fixing the issue. You are an accomplice every time you follow suit. And YES, it's the same when republicans do it too. It may seem like things are dumped on Obama regarding failures and that we continually ask that things aren't always blamed on Bush - because Obama has now been in office for over 6 years!! At some point the blaming has to cease and the fixing begin.

[gabosaurus]

At some point the blaming has to cease and the fixing begin.

This is the American government we are talking about. I don't think the "fixing" ever begins. First of all, I don't believe you are going to get a legislative consensus to agree what constitutes "fixing." Also, if you fix one thing, you usually unfix something else.
Government is usually akin to sports officiating. Half the people are usually unhappy over the call.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

May be true but then didn't Obama PROMISE to change things? I mean he has been protrayed as the one guy who would "fix" everything but especially those things Bush either broke or ignored. Then again (I am reminded of my kids when they were very young) what we hear very often from libs and Dems (especially when confronted with the facts) is "... but Bush did it too!" as if that exonerates Obama.

Obama has his scapegoat . The fool that already announced last year his retiring in SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR!
The media already gave him a pass .
The problem is he is in charge it's his administration and he is doubly at fault. He had the responsibility as the President but also the damn responsibility as the damn CiC of the military too!

So how many damn "I didnt know" and "I am madder that anybody" does it take for America to wake up?
The greatest leader, the great genius and magnificent he didn't know master!!!
So he gets by with time and again proclaiming either his ignorance or ineptness.
Either of which refutes his leadership praise and genius praise his asshat bots and media sing so loudly.
About 7 big scandals and each time the bastard claims he found out just like we did!

Maybe he'd know if his sorry ass wasn't either vacationing, shooting hoops, golfing , throwing expensive parties , fund raising and campaigning every damn week!
God, what a freaking sick world we live in that defends this worthless , lying bastard!!!! -Tyr

[Little-Acorn]

Are we going to believe Obama's fourth consecutive promise to "do something about it"?

And his fifth, when he makes that one?

We get the government we deserve.

[aboutime]

OBAMA IS A PROVEN, DOCUMENTED, VERIFIABLE, PROFESSIONAL LIAR!

That about covers everything anyone can say about him. Honestly.