American Elephants

“If these allegations prove to be true it is dishonorable,
it is disgraceful and I will not tolerate it. Period.”

President Obama’s statements about his outrage over the latest scandal are always emphasized with a “Period.” He is frequently outraged and angered over events that are completely within his control. He was warned even before he was inaugurated that there were huge problems at the Veterans Administration health care system.

It would have been bad politics to expose the lousy care that is delivered (or not) to our military veterans at a time when Democrats were intent on putting American health care under government control. People might notice that the VA provided a devastating example of the federal government’s ability to run a health care organization. It might even prompt enterprising reporters to take a serious look at the Indian Health Care Service and what kind of health care that government run organization provided.

President Obama takes executive action all the time. When he doesn’t like something Congress is refusing to do, well,  he has a phone and he has a pen, and he’ll just go around them. (And get things done?) Well, no, he will have an investigation, and they will look into the allegations, and then they will investigate that, and perhaps appoint a committee, who will report back, and once enough time has passed it will be a “phony scandal.”

He was outraged about Benghazi, and the perpetrators were going to be brought to justice, and there was probably a “period.” there too, and he was outraged about  the IRS targeting conservative non-profit applicants, or at least the news reports. Obama said “It’s inexcusable, and Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it.” A few weeks later, according to Ben Shapiro, Obama would call the IRS scandal “phony.”

So far the talking points deem the Benghazi scandal “phony,” and according to my congressman Adam Smith, “Benghazi is a political witch-hunt.” We are wasting our time reaching for scandal instead of spending our time “on important issues like soaring rates of sexual assault in the military.” Give it a week or two and you will find the Veterans Administration scandal “phony” and a political witch-hunt

President Obama’s constant effort to escape blame for anything whatsoever suggests that this has been a pattern all his life. One of the most characteristic expressions you see in photos—at least before all photographs except those taken by White House photographer Pete Sousa were banned—is a pout. Just like a little kid, lower lip out—It’s not my fault!

The death count in Benghazi was only 4 people, even if one was an Ambassador of the United States of America on government business—for which he had justifiably requested additional security. The death count for veterans on the VA wait list tops 40 and is still climbing, as more are revealed. In Georgia, 5 veterans committed suicide in the VA hospital.

What would happen in the private sector? I would assume that the Secretary in charge would be out the door yesterday. An investigative staff would move in. Veterans waiting for urgent tests would be given vouchers good at the hospital of their choice for the tests and necessary follow-up treatment. Veterans so despairing of their treatment that they commit suicide in the hospital is beyond sorrow. Veterans with urgent symptoms need urgent tests, and urgent treatment. The object is good care for veterans, not good resumes for administrators.

Peter Wehner, who is familiar with White House operations, says:

The last eight months have battered the Obama administration. From the botched rollout of the health-care website to the VA scandal, events are now cementing certain impressions about Mr. Obama. Among the most damaging is this: He is unusually, even epically incompetent.

The emerging narrative of Barack Obama, the one that actually comports to reality that he is a rare political talent but a disaster when it comes to actually governing. The list of his failures is nothing short of staggering, from shovel-ready jobs that weren’t shovel ready to the failures of healthcare.gov to the VA debacle. …