Shameful Politics and Dead Soldiers

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   GA Andersonposted 10 years ago

   I freely admit this is an anti-democrat rant - an anti-Obama administration rant, an anti-politics rant.
   
   So beware, the Curmudgeon is fired up over this one.
   
   The details:
   
   The Department of Defense, aka the Pentagon - is refusing to pay funeral costs, death benefits, and other associated death allowances to the families and loved ones of five fallen heroes - because they died AFTER THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN!
   
   At least that's the Pentagon's explanation. But several outraged Congressmen have pointed out that a bill specifically addressing the need to fund our soldiers pay, AND these type of costs was passed, and signed into law Sept. 30 - Prior to the government shutdown.
   
   You can read the details in the story linked below, but... Consider this:
   
   The Secretary of Defense was made aware of this issue and could have authorized the payments with just a signature - but he declined to do so.
   
   The President, or at least his chief of staff must be aware of this story, (if not, would that qualify as incompetence on somebody's part?), and could also authorize the payments with the stroke of a pen.
   
   (note: two charitable organizations have given the necessary financial support to these families to get them through their immediate needs)
   
   Doesn't the fact that no one in the administration, or the military has made any effort to help these stricken families indicate they are being used as political pawns?
   
   Our government can find the money to pay a very large number of park rangers as security for an immigration reform rally on a piece of supposedly closed national parks property - the same property that they tried to deny access to a group of WWII veterans - but they can't find the money to pay transportation costs for a grieving widow to get to Dover, DE. to meet her husband's coffin?
   
   Here's the story link:
   http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10 … allen?lite
   
   GA

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      Credence2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      GA, it is unconscionable. There are many that are being used as political pawns because of this. Regardless, there should always be exceptions and you and I agree that this is one of them.
      
      But for me this is an anti-teaparty, anti-GOP, anti political rant, that is where we may differ. How stupid to think that a group of clowns could hold hold the entire nation hostage over a program that has become law. If they don't like the law, let them use the power as the legislative branch to change it, instead of throwing molotov cocktails.....This is neither the time nor place for one to flex their ideological muscles. There are real people and real lives affected because of all the games.

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      1. 89

         GA Andersonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         No Cred, I disagree with your Tea Party perspective, but that is a separate issue. This has nothing to do with who is responsible for the shutdown - this is all about political gamesmanship at it's most demeaning and ugliest low.
         
         The administration has found the resources, loopholes, or executive privileges to do things that are politically expedient for them. But the appearances of this issue are that they did nothing about it because they felt it would make the Republicans look bad because they are perceived as the cause of the shutdown.
         
         This is all about shameful political actions on the part of the democrats, the Obama administration and it's "I'm-the-smartest-guy-in-the-world" moral-less, "no tactic is to shameful" minions.
         
         I can just see them snickering in the back rooms gloating about how smart they are to let this happen so the Republicans get blamed! And "Oh how happy their bosses will be with them!"
         
         Do you really think a real military person, (unlike the rationalizing Pentagon legal spokesman that just said sorry, No Can Do), would not find a way to get this done?
         
         Do you really think someone high up in the Obama administration wasn't aware of this and that the president couldn't have done something to avert it?
         
         But instead of sincere action, what do we see? Harry Reid giving a shameless "it's the Republican's fault" speech. Complete with a "it's the Republican's fault" sign front and center on an easel.
         
         A sign on an easel!!!!!!! I think he deserves the "Whorehouse Harry" moniker after that performance.
         
         Geez Louise! I am ex-military and I am used to watching political circuses. And I am not usually surprised at things all politicians stoop to.
         
         But this one really toasted my chestnuts. A pox on those democrats that allowed this to happen and/or did nothing to correct it.
         
         A sign on an easel!!!!!!!  I can think of a better place for that sign. And without a lubricant!
         
         GA

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         1. 78

            Credence2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Well, GA, someone has to be the adult, the concept of this shutdown is catastropic for all, only the GOP seems to believe that it is no big deal. Do they think that Obama is going to dismantle his program under the threat of blackmail? It has passed muster in the court and as dumb as the GOP is, attempting to deep six it over forty times and fail, enough already!
            Somehow everybody seems to think that Obama should present himself on bended knee, with hat in hand. Perhaps, the conservatives consider him 'uppidy', well, I tell the President to stand firm.  I wonder where that comes from? These people have been resistant toward anything he has attempted to do since Jan 20, 2009. They staked their reputations on seeing to it that he failed, so my drawers are in bunch over all this foolishness. Boehner and company on the Sunday morning news circuits, providing no real explanation to their draconian position in this matter, turns my stomach. This will be 1995 redux, and the GOP should be aware of that.
            
            GA, the GOP is making themselves look bad, the polls seem to indicate that most of the people know who the villian is in this sordid tale. They are the cause of the shutdown; leave ACA alone and present a clean bill and take issue with it the way they are supposed to.. I trust Obama's instincts over anything a reactionary may say or do.
            
            This is a tragedy, GA, nobody is snickering. In this case, the perception is the reality. No one is gloating, except the GOP with their scortched earth approach.
            
            It may well turn out that this situation will draw the ire of the public, but it will not be just focused on Obama.
            
            I am ex-military as well and do not like what is going on, while you see 'smug' with the Dems, I see a stubborness and lack of any desire to cooperate from the reactionaries and that makes us 'purple people' ill and angry.

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            1. 78

               Mighty Momposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Well said.

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                  Credence2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  MM, praise from a master is most gratifying.....

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            2. 89

               GA Andersonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Greetings Cred,
               I have had a day to get over my anger, and am once again regaining my purple tinge - but for a time, after hearing this story I was a glaring Fire Engine Red.
               
               The fuel for my anger was that I do not believe such an explosive decision was made from a lowly bureaucrat's desk.
               
               I am too cynical of the CYA mentality of most bureaucrats to believe that this issue was not "passed up the chain" for some type of evaluation or confirmation from a superior. ie. make it their decision not mine.
               
               Hence my, perhaps completely wrong, deduction that as described earlier;
               "... democrats, the Obama administration and it's "I'm-the-smartest-guy-in-the-world" moral-less, "no tactic is to shameful" minions.
               
               ... made a political decision. A shameful and ugly picture of political arrogance.
               
               But, I could be wrong. It happened once before back in '78, when I thought I was mistaken - but I was wrong.
               
               ps. I am not dismissing you "who's fault is it" comments - on this we disagree, but I think it is another topic.
               
               GA

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               1. 78

                  Credence2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Understood, GA, there are a lot of 'bad choices and decisions' being made now because of a standoff that I believe is totally unnecessary and quite irresponsible. As Mighty Mom said, your example of how harm is done is just one of many throughout society. Equal opportunity tragedies.  The focus should be on the shutdown, ending that should be the cure....

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      2. 67

         tsadjatkoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         "Tea Party Rant" ? You call them clowns? That's not as bad as your Mad Hatter and the Democrat Tea Party and their Fairy Tale healthcare plan.
         
         

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      Old Poolmanposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      To often in situations a building is named for some stupid ruling such as this one.  Rarely, if ever, do they name the person responsible for these decisions.  I wonder if they were not going to remain anonymous if they would be as anxious to make these type rulings.
      I read where it is now costing more labor hours to keep citizens out of our closed parks and monuments than it takes to leave them open.  I wonder what building is responsible for this utterly stupid action?

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2. 78

   Mighty Momposted 10 years ago

   Your cause celebre of the shutdown is five dead soldiers. For someone else it is the cancer patients unable to get into clinical trials. For the next guy it's Head Start programs where poor young kids can go so their otherwise "welfare queen" mothers can go to work.
   We can slice and dice the outrage of the government shutdown any direction we want.
   It's appalling and horrible and there is REAL FALLOUT.
   These are simply the media's "poster children" for how real families are impacted.
   Your example is horrifying, GA. NO ONE can argue with that.
   
   But... do not lay this shutdown at the feet of anyone other than the party that masterminded it MONTHS ago. It's all theatrics and posturing for Ted Cruz to run in 2016.
   
   Barack Obama does not negotiate with terrorists and his party is holding the line with him.
   
   http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/us/a- … .html?_r=0

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   1. 89

      GA Andersonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      MM, I agree with the first portion of your comment. It is true that to others there are equally trying examples.
      
      But I still believe that given the facts(?) as related - specifically that a bill, (supposedly), covering this, was passed and signed, indicates that the decision to not pay was a political one. At least that's how I perceive it.
      
      As to the later parts of your comment, as I told Cred, I disagree with you, but that is a separate topic - not the one I am discussing here.
      
      GA

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3. 60

   tirelesstravelerposted 10 years ago

   Don't hear the daily death count of our soldiers on the nightly news like we did during the Bush administration. Sad because more soldiers have died in the last 5 years than the whole 7 of Bush's leadership. That explains clearly why nobody wants to sign for the funerals.  They are an embarrassment to the administration who declared the war won.
   As for the Republicans, why doesn't anyone publish all the bills the House has sent to the Senate and they refuse to vote on them.  The whole government is funded by bills from the House and the Senate sits on their tails and listens to Harry say,"We won't budge on Obamacare". When hubbers from CA can't get into our primo state run system how is anyone supposed to get into the Federal system?  This system isn't ready for primetime. Joining with the House, the Senate and president would have a way out of looking like fools.  Enacting the AFHCA is the best thing Democrats could have done.
   If you listened to the president's speech today he blamed and blamed and called names.  He talked about how the House wouldn't pass a budget, but never mentioned the Senate hasn't had one since 2008,

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      Rebecca Furtadoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I am sorry this story just made me want our kids out of Afganistan. 19 is too young to die for something that our country does not even care about anymore. It just makes me sick.

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4. 78

   Mighty Momposted 10 years ago

   Orders of magnitude more shameful than OP, in my opinion.
   These are men and women who fought for our country and actually managed to make it back.
   Why we would allow a backlog of almost a million claims in the first place is mindboggling.
   But THIS?????
   
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ … src=nl_fed

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