President Obama accepted VA head Eric Shinseki’s resignation today. In spite of Obama promising years ago to repair the broken VA system, the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent used the situation as an opportunity to criticize Republicans:
GOP strategy: Always claim everything proves government can't work, and then when one thing goes wrong, say, "See, toldja!"
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 30, 2014
Sargent also retweeted this attempt to blame the VA scandal on GOP underfunding:
And the old computers! Don’t forget to blame blame the old computers!
Sargent trivializing the scandal as just “one thing” gone wrong didn’t sit well with many:
@ThePlumLineGS "one thing" ???? Riiggghhht!
— prolificbreeder (@prolificbreeder) May 30, 2014
https://twitter.com/Aaron_RS/status/472404023731957762
https://twitter.com/RedGalBlueState/status/472404525551083520
@ThePlumLineGS However what? The VA has been a failure for decades. Dozens of veterans are now dead. But you feel the need to snipe at GOP?
— Boliver Shagnasty (@stoicpatriot) May 30, 2014
https://twitter.com/JayCaruso/status/472412174598815744
.@ThePlumLineGS as opposed to your narrative: We need more government to fix the current government! I'll take the GOP strategy any day.
— eric (@eriContrarian) May 30, 2014
@ThePlumLineGS You dislike this compared to dems "Hide data that proves our policies keep failing"…?
— Wittorical (@Wittorical) May 30, 2014
The National Journal’s Ron Fournier issued a reminder that among Obama’s campaign promises was a pledge to fix the VA:
Landed. I see Obama fired Shineski. Did he apologize for breaking 6-year-old vow to reform #VA? Did he announce said reforms? #CatchingUp
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 30, 2014
Here’s what Sargent had to say about that:
Leadership bar forever rising MT @ron_fournier Obama fired Shineski. Did he apologize for breaking vow to reform VA? Announce reforms?
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 30, 2014
Expecting a politician to keep a promise is raising the leadership bar? It is if said president is a liberal Democrat.
Amazement was not in short supply:
https://twitter.com/Aaron_RS/status/472408428732633088
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/472409476470165505
https://twitter.com/czechov/status/472410929179918336
https://twitter.com/OrwellForks/status/472412602606575616
https://twitter.com/OrwellForks/status/472413512493699072
https://twitter.com/NathanWurtzel/status/472412948569550849
@ThePlumLineGS @ron_fournier Yes, refusing to act until pressure builds in your own party is real leadership.
— The Streeter (@thestreeter) May 30, 2014
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/472410492674142208
https://twitter.com/Me_In_Jersey/status/472412968295337985
https://twitter.com/Me_In_Jersey/status/472415831092396032
Fournier had a good question for Sargent:
.@ThePlumLineGS Greg, if keeping promises is a bar too high for the people we cover, why the hell are we in #journalism?
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) May 30, 2014
“Journalism”? Pfft.