Would you believe it was last May when former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that President Obama had just recently learned of the VA scandal by hearing about it on the news?
Reports that dozens of veterans had died waiting for care at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Medical Center while schedulers used bogus waiting lists to hide long delays inspired the president to announce that he was “mad as hell.” “If these allegations prove to be true,” he announced, “it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful, and I will not tolerate it.”
Almost a year (and one quick drive directly past the Phoenix VA) later, the president found himself in the neighborhood for a fundraiser and finally visited the facility in person to check on progress. Things must have improved dramatically, because the president who was mad as hell announced that all was going well, with the exception of a few “bad apples” — who may or may not still be working there.
Despite some "bad apples" at the VA, Pres said they don't "detract from the fine work individuals have done within this organization."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 13, 2015
https://twitter.com/KingPullOut/status/576482354186862592
Obama said "bad apples" eh? That's surely to end well. @markknoller
— Blame Big Government (@BlameBigGovt) March 13, 2015
.@markknoller "Bad apples" don't kill #Veterans #Military
— Harriet Baldwin ?? (@HarrietBaldwin) March 13, 2015
@markknoller wow, he's really using that harvard law degree
— SuperSwoleAnti-Fa(g) (@PolicyLord) March 13, 2015
@markknoller A bad apple is usually tossed in the trash car or fed to a hog. Which punishment will these Bad Apples get?
— MaryAnnNotGinger (@MAnotGinger) March 13, 2015
@markknoller Wonder if he knows that bad apples secrete ethylene, that turns good apples rotten, requiring the entire bunch to be thrown out
— Wretched Esq (@WretchedEsq) March 13, 2015
We doubt it. His scientific expertise is somewhat limited to reproductive health and climate science.
https://twitter.com/Habibi2424/status/576488136437579776
The president’s diagnosis?
At VA Med Center in Phoenix, Pres Obama says Secy McDonald "is starting to make some progress" fixing VA but "there's more work to do."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 13, 2015
@markknoller @MajorCBS 22 vet suicides a day…. No duh there's more work to do. How about ditching the platitudes, first off?
— Tracy Loveless (@GreenEyedYankee) March 13, 2015
@markknoller @MajorCBS He ALWAYS says there's more work to do. After he says how great things are going.
— Deb (@DebraAnnGW) March 13, 2015
Let’s see if the newly created VA advisory committee meets as often as the president’s now-defunct White House Jobs Council.