Highlight reel here:
…and the full thing can be seen here. Executive summary: White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough tried to platitude his way through a tough interview session about just why VA Secretary Eric Shinseki let sick veterans die while waiting for treatment. Jake Tapper got somewhat, ah, exercised on the subject. Money quote from Jake: “How many dead veterans do you need before somebody asks the question within the White House, ‘Maybe this guy isn’t the best steward of these veterans’?”
The answer is, of course, They already have; but God forbid that Barack Obama ever admit that he is wrong. And I think Jake knows that, too.
Moe Lane
PS: On a personal note, I don’t think that the WH CoS looks at all well. And I’m not trying to be mean; McDonough should probably go get a checkup.
For those who want a mobile version: CNN’s Jake Tapper Grills W.H. Chief Of Staff Denis McDonough
Come on, Jake, admit it. By Obama standards the VA is doing fine. Criminal negligence is the BEST this administration is capable of.
Obama didn’t want comparisons made between the VA and Obamacare. He also didn’t want yet another scandal to snowball in conjunction with the rollout fiasco.
No doubt, he told Shinseki to “make the problem go away.” Or, if he didn’t tell Shinseki that, Shinseki probably knew that would be the response anyway.
It’s always one-day-at-a-time survival with this administration. But there’s only so many leaks you can plug before the dike fails completely. And then, preference cascade.
Also, “Forget it, Jake. It’s [Obamatown].”