Democrat Turns The Tables and Blasts House Republican for Voting Against VA Funding

[babylonsister]

It's about time someone pointed this out.

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/29/loud-critic-va-tables-turned-voting-record-vets-sucks.html


Democrat Turns The Tables and Blasts House Republican for Voting Against VA Funding
By: Sarah Jones
Thursday, May, 29th, 2014, 7:27 pm


Former Speaker of the Colorado House and Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 6th Congressional District Andrew Romanoff knows how to run for office. He turned the tables on Republicans, and is using the VA scandal against a vulnerable Republican incumbent.

Romanoff’s office sent out a clipping from a local paper which pointed out that Romanaff’s Republican opponent incumbent Congressman Mike Coffman, “one of the loudest critics of the VA” who called for Secretary of the VA Gen. Eric Shinseki to be fired, voted as recently as January against a bill that included $100 million to reduce the growing backlog of veterans waiting for care.

It gets worse. He also voted against two bills that included funding for the Aurora, Colorado VA hospital. Per the Aurora Sentinel:

Aurora U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican, as recently as January voted against a spending bill that would have set aside as much as $100 million for overtime and additional training for claims processors to reduce the growing backlog of veterans waiting for care. Coffman joined 66 other Republicans in the House, including Colorado congressmen Doug Lamborn, Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton, in voting against that appropriations bill. VA officials and the Obama Administration are embroiled in a nationwide controversy over shoddy medical care for veterans.

…

Locally, Coffman has been critical of the VA’s handling of a replacement hospital being built in Aurora, which is the focus of a controversy about being over budget. Hundreds of millions in funding for the maligned Aurora VA hospital have also been packaged in larger spending bills that have faced opposition by Coffman and other GOP lawmakers. Two large bills that provided nearly $200 million in funding for the hospital in Aurora were opposed by Coffman in the years leading up to this most recent spate of criticism for mismanagement. A funding bill in 2009 for $119 million and a funding bill in 2011 for $42 million set aside for the VA hospital in Aurora were both opposed by Coffman. The 2011 appropriations bill would have been drafted by Republicans in control of Congress.

snip//

Romanoff understands that voting against veterans over and over again, as Republicans have, is the issue. Republicans are taking cheap shots from glass houses, but at least one Democrat isn’t running scared from fighting Republicans over their craven, desperate framing of the problem. The real issue is taking care of our veterans, not scoring cheap political points.

[whathehell]

1. Halleluija...It's about time!!

[grahamhgreen]

27. +1 responses should discuss the war

[Thinkingabout]

2. WTH, the GOP thinks we have unlimited resources to start new wars everywhere,

Send our military in to be killed or injured and don't think VA facilities should be properly funded to handle their needs. If they think Shinseki should resign then every Congressional member who voted against funding for veterans should be the first to resign. They have caused the scandal.

[warrior1]

3. this should be the kiss of death for all of the republicans

[global1]

4. See - This Is What I Don't Understand....

the bulk of the problems with the VA were a direct result of BushCo and their warmongering. The Repubs have not funded the VA and don't have a problem sending people to war - but don't take care of them when they come back - injured and maimed - both physically and psychologically. A priority system was put into place as far back as 1996 in order to triage Vets in the system.

All this is - fact - yet the Dems - outside of Romanoff - remain silent about these facts and instead get sucked into calling for the head of Shinseki and putting the blame on the President.

Why don't the Dems call it like it is? Why do they always remain silent and cower to the Repubs? I just don't get it.

[Ikonoklast]

10. Political cowardice.

Playing defense instead of fighting back with the truth.

I'm old enough to remember when Democrats loved a good scrap...Labor Democrats who knew what it was like growing up in a household whose members had to fight for every social and economic gain.

[A Simple Game]

34. "Why don't the Dems call it like it is?" Their silence, for the most part,

tells me they actually agree with the Republicans or perhaps just don't care.

The Democrats often seem to put bills up for vote knowing full well that the Republicans will shoot it down. But if asked they can tell their constituents that they tried.

Remember, the Democrats, just like the Republicans can't give us what we want. If they gave us what we wanted they know many would not bother to vote and there goes their job security. By returning incumbents with a 95% reelection rate we guarantee we will not get anything we need or want. Never doubt that the vast majority will do whatever is necessary to gain and to keep their jobs even to the point of spending millions of their own money to do so. A few care but I can see in the vast majority someone that is just saying what they need to say just to keep their job. They love the status and power.

Also remember your Democratic Senator or Representative has more in common with his or her Republican counterpart than they do with us, much more in common both economically and socially.

But what do I know, I may just be in a cynical mood this morning.

[global1]

35. I Don't Understand You Rationale For The Following Statement You Made In Your Post.....

"If they gave us what we wanted they know many would not bother to vote and there goes their job security."

Not sure what you mean by this?

I've always tried to vpte for the candidate that comes through for the people and gives us what we want. That is a candidate that works for us and that's the type of person that I want in office.

Why would people 'not bother to vote' if this person did what the people were looking for. Say for example - jobs, immigration, infrastructure upgrades, etc.

Would I vote for his/her opponent - that is not working for the people? Please explain.

[A Simple Game]

37. If I have everything that is important to me, why bother going to the polls?

I could stay home and watch American Idol instead. Why do I go to work? It's not because I have everything I want, I work because I have needs and wants. Many people are lazy and would not bother if they had nothing to gain from the effort.

How many Republicans would stop bothering to vote if abortions were illegal? How many Democrats would stop bothering to vote if we had single payer health care and Social Security were in a lock box?

Often multiple bill for the same thing are put up for vote so everyone can be on record for voting both for and against it. Often Republicans and Democrats seem to be playing for the same team when playing this game.

Who would you vote for if neither candidate were voting for the people?, I assume you are talking about the two major parties when you mention his/her opponent. There are often other liberal and yes, also conservative, choices that would actually do a better job represent the people.

In my case one of my Senators (Gillibrand) is ok mostly because of her work with sexual assault in the military, the other (Schumer) is a waste of a vote unless you are an Israeli or a banker. My Representative (Owens) is so-so but is retiring so I get a whole new option this time. All three are in the Democratic party. I will not waste my vote on Schumer again; I'm getting too old to waste anything so valuable.

[global1]

38. And I Thought I Was Cynical.....

If the Dems pushed through single payer health care and S.S. were in a lock box because of them - I would reward them with my vote and want them to continue to stay in office so they can continue to do good things for me.

When people sit home and watch American Idol is when they have given up and fallen prey to the fact that all these pols are jerks and can't do anything for me. That's when they don't bother to vote.

I'm sorry I don't agree with you.

I hear what you are saying about Schumer - but if I had to vote for him so that the Dems can retain the Senate and perhaps get more of a majority in the Senate - then I would vote for him. I would not consider that a waste of my vote.

The thing that scares me most about this 2014 election coming up - is the talk that the Dems will lose the Senate and continue on as the minority in the House. If that happens - the next 2 years until 2016 - will be disastrous.

[A Simple Game]

39. Human nature is what it is, many wouldn't bother to vote.

So how many Schumers would you vote for? How many before there is no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans? I think we are very close already.

Votes are valuable, you shouldn't waste one.

[Savannahmann]

5. Why should they increase funding?

The reports from the VA were that the Veterans were being treated in days, not weeks, and getting the procedures they needed in a timely fashion. People were getting bonus checks for their outstanding work in scheduling treatments and procedures.

If you reported that to me, and then told me you needed a huge amount of money to continue operating, I'd be inclined to reject your appeal too. And I'm a member of the ACLU.

Just asking for more money isn't enough. You have to explain why you need it. If the VA had reported that people were waiting for 100 days for appointments, and more than a thousand who needed treatments or procedures were not on any waiting list because there was no way to get them the treatment before the person expired, and then asked for more money, I'd be a real heartless bastard to deny you the bucks you asked for. But that isn't what happened is it?

I don't like members of the Rethugs. I'll gladly take them to task for what they willingly and knowingly do. However, you can't blame the Republicans for the VA management committing criminal fraud.

[leftyohiolib]

11. this is tha scandal and the lie

People were getting bonus checks for their outstanding work in scheduling treatments and procedures. the numbers that produced those bonuses are fake

[Savannahmann]

13. That my friend, is the textbook definition of fraud.

Getting something for lying is fraud. In Georgia, we call it theft by fraud in the criminal code. The Federal Law calls it simply Fraud.

[Wounded Bear]

16. Well, so far...

the "problem" seems to be limited to red states. I'm not sure exactly how a federal program gets segregated like that, but look at the map. Presumably, vets with problems write/contact their Reps and Sens for redress. I have Reps and Sens in my state that take vets issues seriously. I suspect that many Repub congresscritters have been ignoring calls from vets in their constituencies.

[lark]

21. They need the funding to update their system and hire more physicians, PA';s etc.

Their computer system is so overfilled, it will only hold 3 months worth of appointments when the same volume used to cover a year, pre-Iraq and Afghanistan. Many more veterans now need care yet the system hasn't grown to accomodate them because congress refuses to appropriate the $$, then blames the president for the mess they created.

Having said that, many VA system are totally excellent. Don't tar and feather the ones in Jacksonville, Lake City and Tampa FL - which I know for certain are wonderful, due to issues in AZ.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Shrink the government and blame the Democrats when underfunded programs

fall short of their intended purposes.

Why did it take so long for Democrats to call the Republicans out? That's what I want to know.

[LittleGirl]

19. Exactly. n/t

[redqueen]

7. "voting against veterans over and over again, as Republicans have, is the issue."

This needs to be tattooed on some foreheads.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. Shout this from the rooftops and make sure that every Republican that voted against the funding

is linked to this when they run for re-election.

[NastyRiffraff]

9. More like this!

I wish I lived in Colorado's 6th District so I could vote for Romanoff. Meanwhile every Dem in that district needs toget behind him.

[nxylas]

12. Pull up the fainting couch

The M$M is going to be full of pundits squealing "How discourteous!"

[Blue Owl]

30. And start clutching those fuckin' pearls

n/t

[Skidmore]

14. Excellent. I posted this in a response on another thread and I'm adding it here.

Just because I can and it is what is sticking in my craw right now. An edited and improved version ensues now.

The Rs have been unsuccessful at undermining ACA. Big Medicine/Pharma/Insurance is going to lose money/excessive profits. Let's move vets to the private sector to make up profits for them. All the more reason to build on ACA for single payer.

I do believe that Gen. Shinseki is an honorable man who has made up his own mind to remove himself from the line of fire. He, like the President, had been tasked with sorting out the dunghill that Bush/Cheney left. Don't forget that. Pile of elephant manure being sculpted by the idiotic Teabaggers and Koch sycophants that make up Congress now. How freaking much can one accomplish when you have so much systemically arrayed against you and your own side is kneecapping you too?

Now are we going to sit around taking potshots at the good General and the President or are we going to deal with these monsters making up the Republican Party. I'm so done with the tearing down from the left. Just done with it. Because while the circular firing squad continues to kill each other off, these Rs are walking away with the store. I have no damned intention of seeing another Bush in the Oval Office.

[libodem]

17. Wish I could K&R

This particular post! Spot on!

Good OP as well, of course.

[LittleGirl]

20. excellent post. thanks. n/t

[Egnever]

26. should be an op

[Cha]

29. Thank you, Skidmore.. pic of Obama and Shineski this morning and relevant Tweets..

@petesouza: Pres Obama walks w Veterans Affairs Sec. Eric Shinseki on the WH south grounds this morning

TOD

Liberal Librarian @Lib_Librarian
Follow
So, now that Shinseki's head is on a platter, those 41 GOP senators will vote for Sanders' VA bill, right? Right? Yeah.
11:21 AM - 30 May 2014
27 Retweets 9 favorites

Dudette @Dudette9t9
Follow
@Smartypants60 Dems saw GOP vote down bill after bill. Then piled on SecShinseki instead of placing blame where it shld be. Disgusting!
7:56 AM - 30 May 2014
16 Retweets 8 favorites

[locks]

15. The sixth district of CO

has been in the past the wealthiest and most conservative in CO and elected Tom Tancredo. Current rep is Mike Coffman almost as crazy as Tom. But it has changed in the last few years and Dems are working hard and hoping that Romanoff's terrific record in CO will win out. Romanoff was defeated for US Senate by Michael Bennett, handpicked by Gov Bill Ritter to replace Salazar. He has been on the "right" side of every issue challenging CO and the US and would be an outstanding rep for the people if elected. Thanks for your help and interest.

[otohara]

18. I Like Andrew Romanoff A Lot

He was my state rep for a while back in the day.

[dougolat]

22. Republicans sabotaged the VA like they did the Post Office

(Harder to privatize if it's working well!)

Homeless vets, kicked out of the system, and suicides are the result.

[Jamaal510]

23. K&R

[freshwest]

24. I'd K & R this a thousand times if I could. But I only have one vote, one K & R to give.

[Egnever]

25. about damn time

Thank you!

[Cha]

28. Smart guy.. wish those other Dems calling for head had been not so dumb.. I'm looking at you Sen

Franken.

Dudette @Dudette9t9
Follow
@Smartypants60 Dems saw GOP vote down bill after bill. Then piled on SecShinseki instead of placing blame where it shld be. Disgusting!
7:56 AM - 30 May 2014
16 Retweets 8 favorites

[pacalo]

31. One of these moments...

[B Calm]

32. Washington Democrats could do the same, so

why don't they?

[sellitman]

33. We should Privitize the VA

Then make sure no bid GOP leaning companies get the work , then let them rain money down on more GOP politicians so the Democrats are completely shut down in the next election cycle.

Oh wait.....

[spanone]

36. k&r...