Mike Dunford was a graduate student in the Department of Zoology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where he studied evolution. Life as an army spouse has since moved him on to Pensacola, where he's currently trying to figure out what to do next. While he's doing that, he writes stuff here, although not usually in the third person. He's also a contributer to
One of my occasional readers just forwarded me the following email. A quick google search reveals that the same story has been making the rounds of the wingnuttier segments of the intertubes over
few months. (By the way, nutbars, the word you're looking for is "gaff", not "gaft".
UNBELIEVABLE PRESIDENT???
THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT EVER MADE BY A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, LET ALONE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THIS GUY IS OUR "COMMANDER IN CHIEF". HE IS A DISGRACE!
HERE IS HIS RESPONSE WHEN HE BACKED OFF FROM HIS DECISION TO LET THE MILITARY PAY FOR THEIR WAR INJURIES. WHAT AN EMPTY HEADED SCHMUCK HE MUST BE....
Bad press, including major mockery of the plan by comedian Jon Stewart, led to President Obama abandoning his proposal to require veterans to carry private health insurance to cover the estimated $540 million annual cost to the federal government of treatment for injuries to military personnel received during their tours on active duty.
The President admitted that he was puzzled by the magnitude of the opposition to his proposal.
"Look, it's an all volunteer force," Obama complained. "Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now they whine about bearing the costs of their choice? It doesn't compute.."
"I thought these were people who were proud to sacrifice for their country," Obama continued. "I wasn't asking for blood, just money. With the country facing the worst financial crisis in its history, I'd have thought that the patriotic thing to do would be to try to help reduce the nation's deficit. I guess I underestimated the selfishness of some of my fellow Americans."
Please pass this on to everyone including every vet and their families whom you know. How in the world did a person with this mindset become our leader? And I even voted for him - like a jerk!!!
REMEMBER THIS STATEMENT... "Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now they whine about bearing the costs of their choice?"
If this ASS thinks he will ever get another vote from an Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard service member or veteran of a military service, he ought to think it over. If you or a family member is or has served their country please pass this to them. Please pass this to everyone.
I'm guessing that other than the 20-25 percent hardcore liberals in the US will agree that this is just another example why this is the worst president in American history. Remind everyone over and over how this man thinks, while he bows to the Saudi Arabian king.
I didn't write this, but I'll put my name on it so everyone knows my thoughts about Obama!
[Name deleted to protect the empty-headed schmuck credulous -md]
Where do we even start with this one?
We could try starting with the common sense approach, I guess. No matter how in the tank for Obama you think the press was during the campaign, no matter how in the tank you think they are now, do you seriously think that the President of the United States could use the phrase "I wasn't asking for blood, just money" without it appearing on every evening news program in the country? Do you seriously think that all of them - even FOX -would mysteriously decide to give him a pass on calling the military whiners?
Engage brains, people. If you're just hearing about something like this for the first time in an email, do you really think it's likely to be true? Even if you want it to be?
As it turns out, it takes very little time or effort to research this one. A fast google brings up the FactCheck entry for this particular myth, which has been available since May 12. The quotes in the email that are attributed to Obama are, as FactCheck notes, total fabrications. A little more googling turned up the source - they were written as clearly labeled satire back in March.
As FactCheck also notes, the underlying proposal that the President was allegedly defending was also being misrepresented. Nobody had suggested forcing veterans to pay for the treatment of combat-related medical conditions in any way, including by forcing them to buy private insurance. The proposal would instead have billed any private insurance that the veteran already had for all care provided at VA facilities, including treatment of service-connected conditions. There was a great deal of opposition to the proposal from veterans groups, and it was quickly scrapped.
The proposal was a bad idea, but it's hardly the egregious offense depicted in the email. Of course, it's probably easier to scream about the horror of billing vets for the treatment of injuries sustained in defense of the nation than it is to argue that the government, and not pre-existing private insurance, should pay for medical care in certain situations.
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Comments
You should consider using blockquotes at appropriate places in this post.
Posted by: Greg Laden | August 4, 2009 9:33 AM
I thought I had. But it's fixed now. Thanks.
Posted by: Mike Dunford | August 4, 2009 9:51 AM
I've talked to several folks (including, sadly, some of my in-laws) who forward and believe stuff like this. The thing I've noticed is that they rarely read the email through to the end when they receive it: they already have an intense dislike of Obama, and as soon as they've read enough to see that the message supports their existing suspicions, they send it on. It's as though the seed of distrust has been planted, and fertilizer like these emails are applied as needed to make the distrust grow into hatred.
Posted by: dean | August 4, 2009 10:03 AM
Thanks for the heads up! I'm sure I'll see this in my inbox soon... *sigh*
Posted by: jake | August 4, 2009 10:45 AM
Probably 'gaffe'. I always thought of a 'gaff' as a type of boat hook, but I find it is also a name for cross-dressing aid.
Posted by: Dave X | August 4, 2009 10:50 AM
Dude, the idea that there exists an "objective reality" about which there exist propositions called "facts" that must be either "true" or "false" simply does not compute for these people.
Posted by: Comrade PhysioProf | August 4, 2009 1:18 PM
"Factcheck.org" is owned by George Soros and ACORN, and bankrolled by George Soros and Jane Fonda. Their credibility is on par with other leftist party organs like the UNCF, the Harvard Law School, and Amnesty International.
Posted by: ABM | August 4, 2009 10:36 PM
The really sad thing is that I honestly can't tell if that last comment was intended to be taken seriously. Satire has become impossible.
Posted by: Mike Dunford | August 4, 2009 10:43 PM
really???? your quote on "no matter how in the tank you think they are now, do you seriously think that the President of the United States could use the phrase "I wasn't asking for blood, just money" without it appearing on every evening news program in the country? Come on, they have been hiding so much of what he does (or doesn't do). How do you think he got elected?? Here's to close to 4 more yrs of the worst pain and misery this country has ever had or will ever see.
Posted by: Trey Barr | August 5, 2009 8:47 AM
You haven't gotten that it's simply irrelevant to these people whether it's true or not? Many of them know it's made up, they don't care - they're against him and they'll tear him down any way they can - and that's been true for any elected official during the history of our country. Both sides engage in the same behavior - much of the same kind of stuff went zooming around the 'net during the Bush years about him. There's always (well, usually) a kernel of truth to it, enough to point to and say, "see, here's my evidence", but none of these people, on either side of the coin, have any interest in "the truth".
Posted by: Dan | August 5, 2009 8:57 AM
@Mike Dunford: I was hoping that including "Harvard Law School" (zomg, Obama's alma mater!) in there would clearly tip my hand, but you're right, these days the satirists (clever wits) and trolls (me) can't invent anything so loony that the sincerely paranoid loons wouldn't say it, and mean it. But then again, that's what the Kenyan/Muslim/Reptilian conspiracy would WANT you to believe.
It's sad that the political debate in America has been utterly driven by what the internet now calls "wharrgarbl" ever since... well, Ronald Reagan, actually. We're seeing a whole lot of it here in Canada too lately, and it's pissing many of us off, since it really distracts from seriously important, but less entertaining, issues of the day.
Posted by: ABM | August 5, 2009 9:11 AM
@Trey:
You're wearing your cap wrong. The shiny side is supposed to be on the outside.
@ABM:
Actually, including Harvard Law did have an effect - it was what made me think there was a chance it was satire.
Posted by: Mike Dunford | August 5, 2009 12:11 PM
You mean George W. Bush got voted back in office for a third term? Unbelievable!
Posted by: sinned34 | August 6, 2009 4:00 PM
You know I do dislike the guy's policies on just about everything but I do engage my brain and couldn't buy this one. So here I am checking on it.
Posted by: Ken | August 8, 2009 11:29 AM
Lets think about this for a minute. Go to the fact check website and do your own analysis. It's obvious it's a left wing site. It does not matter what side your own, don't call yourself "fact" when "opinion" is added. Let be smart americans and get back to the basic principals of the Bible they way it used to be in America. Get a grip. Obama has issues and needs prayer.
Posted by: Alan | August 9, 2009 5:42 PM
Pretty harsh judgement on your part. I believe Obama is doing a very poor job as President and I am not looking forward to the rest of his term. That aside... The email I got didn't pass the smell test so here I am looking for the truth. I'm still not sure I found it but I did find the usual small minded hate anyone who doesn't think like me. That's a fact.
Posted by: Lori | August 14, 2009 9:51 AM
OK, Alan, an excellent point, but I've got one question:
Which version of the Bible do you mean? The first King James, in which the translators said they would be issuing a second edition to correct ALL THE ERRORS? Or the second King James. Or ...
Oh, wait, you were being sarcastic....
Posted by: mediajackal | August 18, 2009 12:06 PM
It would not surprise me in the least if Obama thought this way. The way he has acted since becoming president and being on track to be the worst president ever. Jimmy Carter can finally step down from that stage!
In trying to push this ridiculous heath plan on the American people ( the American people are speaking up and want no part of this)wouldnt you think he would take it to another level and try and make the military members feel guilty for not paying for everyone else too.
2012 can't come soo enough if Obama makes it that far, at the rate he's going....
Posted by: kyle | August 21, 2009 12:01 PM
Alan, one item that defies the logical analysis is the White House press release at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-from-Press-Secretary-Robert-Gibbs-on-the-Presidents-Strong-Commitment-to/
It leads to the questions "How long did Obama consider the idea?", "Who proposed it" and "If it was insignificant, why did it warrant the press release?"
Posted by: JLB | August 21, 2009 1:12 PM
who are the assholes that even thought up the proposal, The president should have raised hell for a member of congress to even consider the idea...a GOOD president would have,I should say
Posted by: Chris Meyer | September 20, 2009 10:02 AM
You know "fact check' is Annenberg and that Obama was appointed to serve on the board of an organization started by Annenberg (and yes Bill Ayers helped appoint him) where he doled out money to some pretty leftist organizations? What is that, two degrees of separation? Annenberg has a long standing interest in BO's career. I do think the quote was someone else's satire (satire that pretty much fits BO's personal view of things) but why would you trust anything from a phony baloney group like fact check?
Posted by: Linda | November 2, 2009 12:00 PM