Posted on 05/23/2014 2:26:51 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Could Eric Shinseki be out at the VA as early as today, perhaps in time for a Friday-afternoon news dump on a long weekend meant to honor those who died in military service? A CNN panel hosted by John King certainly thinks it’s a possibility. King wonders how this “fight in the family” will impact Democratic turnout in the midterms, exemplified from calls by Democrats running in November for his ouster — now including Charlie Crist in Florida:
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Noah Rothman noted the exchange as well:
CNN anchor John King began by noting that both Republicans and Democrats are coming out and calling for Shinseki to resign. King noted that this “fight in the family” could depress Democratic turnout in the midterm elections.
“If you feel you have to run from your White House in a campaign year, you might have to do it –- tactically and strategically –- but it can’t help you,” King said.
Politico’s Maggie Haberman agreed but noted that it was easier for Democrats who need to create distance from President Barack Obama to use the VA scandal to achieve that rather than the Affordable Care Act.
She later added that she would not be surprised if the White House announced Shinseki’s firing late on Friday so that the news is buried over a holiday weekend.
The White House wanted the personnel story this weekend to be the appointment of Julian Castro to run HUD, not a vigil on Shinseki’s incompetence at the VA. The problem for Barack Obama and the White House is that the outrage over the VA scandal is playing out exactly as it did in 2007-8, when Obama and then Shinseki promised to do something about long wait times and bureaucratic bungling and cover-ups. It’s gone bipartisan, and while we scoff at Charlie Crist as a naked opportunist, the very fact that this naked opportunist has seized on the VA scandal should be a huge red flag at the White House. Crist certainly qualifies as a weathervane in this storm.
According to WMUR, the other problem is that Shinseki’s support even among those sticking with the Obama administration line is hardly enthusiastic:
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Will Shinseki go today? The ripe moment was actually on Wednesday, when Obama called a presser to inexplicably give Shinseki a qualified vote of confidence. It’s true, as Haberman says, that a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend would be a propitious opportunity to jettison an embarrassment with as little media scrutiny as possible — but it’s probably too soon after Obama’s embrace of Shinseki 48 hours ago. This albatross will probably hang around Democratic necks for at least another week, if not longer.
Oh yeah, brilliant Crist...fire shinseki now, then wait at least a half year to nominate another VA leader, then wait for the nomination process, then wait a few years for him to know the organization, etc. Real Smart.
But at least if you fire shinseki....”Uh, well this story is done...move along now.”
This Obama appointment has to stay around to destroy as much evidence as possible.
Won’t happen, for the same reason it never happens in this administration.
It would make Obama look bad for picking an incompetent.
So who appointed the Orange Man as the final word in the VA scandal?
I don’t see what the problem is...I mean this Shitsenki guy was a wounded vet, and he probably gets treated at Walter Reed....I’m sure it’s pretty good, too.
So....he really didn’t know about anything wrong...I mean it’s not like he up and toured all the hospitals as a veteran who is concerned, etc. /s
As a federal employee he has Rolls-Royce level medical insurance.
Has David Rodham Gergen cried on the News Hour yet?
... because THAT'S the most important aspect of this entire VA scandal.
I’ve always been accustomed to how a new military commander takes over the reigns. One of the first things he does it to find out where the potential trouble spots are and gets briefed on those, and all the other groups under his command.
I’d say that many if not all make it a point to visit the installations within a short period of taking over.
I haven’t seen or heard anything about this guy, but I’d not be surprised if he NEVER left Washington DC.
How did someone like that become the Army Chief of Staff?
I often wonder the same thing about Colin Powell. People say that race/ethnicity/sex doesn’t make a difference in military top-brass politics and selection, but I know better than that.
Crist??? the calls for his head have gone that high up the chain?????
Oh, wait ... Crist ... no “H” ... nevermind /Latella
Crist, Crist...OOOOHHHH that’s right, isn’t he the Benedict Arnold of the republican party?
He is just such a flamer, I wouldn’t be surprised when he loses in Fla he comes out as an Indpendent or swtiches back to Republican.
As an omni-sexual chameleon there is no way to determine what guise he will assume at any given moment. He will wet his finger and determine where the wind is blowing....
You described actually leaders - when has anyone supported by Obama displayed any leadership traits?
You’re right. Military leaders. I think that’s the reason why in 2008 he was hawking “a civilian organization, as well equipped and as well funded as our military......”
He knew then he could not get our military to behave as he wanted down at the boot-level, and that’s why he’s repurposed the DHS and armed them to the teeth, as well as militarizing nearly every non-combatant agency within his realm of control (BLM, US Forest Service, Post Office, FEMA, IRS, Treasury Department, you name it).
With his complicit minions at the head of these agencies and a bevy of private contractors (with nowhere near the same allegiance our military soldiers have) he HAS his army.
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