2012 ELECTION

[HairOfTheDog]

hairydog

You're a bit late with your anger.

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/political-v...ilies.html

Neah, a proposal was drated in January 2009 to save the government $540 million per year by billing veteran's private insurance companies for combat-related injuries and health problems. Non-combat related health costs for veterans had already been billed to the vet's private insurance company.

Obama floated this proposal in March 2009. As soon as his proposal was published widely, veteran's organizations and private veterans met with Obama and expressed their outrage (as did some in the general public). It would make it harder for injured vets to get employment if the employer-offered private insurance carriers would have to foot the bill for combat-related health issues. The veterans essentially found it offensive that the government would suggest that their combat-related medical treatment should not be covered by the government for whom they were figthing (essentially their employer at the time).

Within 48 hours of the meeting, Obama dropped the proposal.

Obama did the right thing by dropping the proposal, imo. He and his advisors should have considered the message and the political ramifications much more thoroughly before floating the proposal publicly, but at least it was dropped quickly.

I haven't heard of any candidates for 2012 suggesting to cut Veteran's Benefits thus far (nor transferring the cost of the benefits to the private sector like Obama proposed).

I'm not angry because there is nothing to be angry about. An ill-advised proposal drafted nearly 3 years ago was killed before being launched and no one is likely to make that mistake again. If they do, I'll be pissed off then.