Hillary Tries to Walk-Back Her Asinine Comments About VA Scandal

Katie Pavlich | October 30, 2015 11:30 AM

After attempting to score points with her base against Republicans last week by saying the problems at Veterans Administration hospitals across the country, which have left 300,000 veterans dead waiting for care, aren't "widespread," Team Hillary is attempting to walk back her asinine comments. In case you missed what she said:

During an interview with a local New Hampshire radio show this week, Clinton tried to clarify her comments by claiming Republicans want to dismantle the VA altogether while arguing she wants reform for the system.

Her trip to New Hampshire also comes amid new controversy over her comment that the recent scandal at the Veterans Administration had been overblown. In a one-on-one interview with News 9’s Josh McElveen, she elaborated, saying there are systemic problems at the agency that need to be fixed.

“But I am worried about some people trying to use the fact that we need to make major reforms as a justification for dismantling the VA, and I think my comments were really more directed at that,” Clinton said.

And earlier this week, the Associated Press published a story about Clinton's new "outrage" over health care wait times for veterans.

Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said Monday she is "outraged" by chronic delays for veterans seeking medical care or struggling to have their disability claims processed. But Clinton opposes privatizing the system and intends to lay out a plan next month to make further changes.

Clinton's campaign said Monday she was "outraged by the problems exposed at the Veterans Health Administration, which a government audit found to be 'systemic.' Even now, too many of our veterans are still waiting an unacceptably long time to see a doctor, or to process disability claims and appeals."

The campaign said Clinton will outline plans in November to make further changes at the VA to "make sure it truly works for our veterans." But they said despite the problems, the VA provides "unique and critical services and innovative care" to veterans and "she does not believe that privatization will solve the problems that the VA is facing."

First off, overall even the VA's most ardent critics haven't called for the complete dismantling of the VA as Clinton claims. Second, Clinton still hasn't issued an apology for her comments to families of veterans who died in line waiting for care. Instead, and as usual, she's simply trying to save her own behind.

The problems at the VA aren't a matter of under funding or under staffing, they're a product of entitled, uncaring bureaucratic culture. The VA has 340,000 employees and a budget of more than $160,000 billion annually. In fact, since receiving an increase in funding two years ago, VA wait times have increased by 50 percent and 900,000 veterans currently have pending medical requests. Further, because veterans aren't given the choice of using private doctors outside of the government VA system, there is no accountability and they are forced to wait.

Clinton's initial non-condemnation of the VA is a direct reflection on her flawed progressive ideology and philosophy based on the notion that not only is government healthcare a noble idea, but that it works in the real world. The reality is, it doesn't and the VA is a perfect example.

H/T Jazz Shaw