Oh Soltz, you munificent imbecile, you’ve done it again!

In a preface to Sir Isaac Newton’s Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Edmond Halley wrote of the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics that: “Nearer the gods no mortal may approach.” If you are one of those who professes a belief that fact-deficient partisan hackery on Huffington Post is indeed a science (and who among us hasn’t on occasion genuflected at that particular altar) than one would be inclined to say the same of Jon Soltz.

Provided of course that person also believed that the Gods sit perched on Mt Olympus sniffing glue and eating nasal discharge.

As Exhibit A to that proposition, the impeding (and necessary) deification of VoteVets’ chief minstrel, I give you this effluvient, “Where do Vets Stand on Shinseki.” (I would suggest as an opening opinion that they ought not stand on the man at all, as he is a wounded veteran himself but nonetheless…)

He [Soltz] begins by citing some figures from a poll which VoteVets has run, although he was magnanimous to point out that “this isn’t a scientific poll of all veterans, but it is a glimpse into a few segments of them.” Well stated Jon. No more or less scientific than phrenology or some other ludicrous “science” like geology. (I kid of course, but it’s only ’cause like Dr. Sheldon Cooper I have no respect for the field.)

A random poll of 3,300 “random [VoteVets] supporters” found that

Out of the total group polled, only 17 percent believed that Secretary Shinseki should resign. A whopping 60 percent said he should not resign, with 23 percent saying they weren’t sure yet.

I would point out that 17 percent is significantly higher than the number of Members of Congress who have articulated that as well. It is also about 16 percent higher than the number of Students interviewed at George Mason University who knew where or what Bhengazi was. (The answer we were looking for was “Bhen Gazi was Obi Wan’s name among the Sand People. Be careful, they frighten easy but will return in greater numbers.”)

And then we get to the part where he bashes my employer. (I should add that I was no part of the discussion about this, as I was saying Good Bye to a friend at Arlington when the decision came down, more on that in a minute. I would also add that I am writing this at midnight, betwixt two days I have off, and am not doing this for any work related purposes. Mocking Soltz is it’s own reward.)

The American Legion has called on Shinseki to resign. As of yet, I don’t believe they asked their members if they agreed. So, we decided to. Of those on our list who also are members of the American Legion, only 17 percent backed the Legion’s call for Shinseki to resign. Sixty-four percent said he should not resign, with 19 percent saying they weren’t yet sure.

I’m going to start by hazarding a guess that a) we can’t trust these figures, and b) they are meaningless anyway.

But first, a short transgression from our path to the Immortal Heights is perhaps warranted. VoteVets you may recall has had truthiness problems in the past. In fact, they’ve even trotted out their people to bash the VA in the past when it benefitted them, which is why their bashing us is so…..what’s that word? Hypocritical? (No, “batshit crazy” is the answer this time, you guys suck at this.)

Some of you may recall in 2006 how VoteVets put forth a young lad named Josh Lansdale in TV commercials to bash Senator Jim Talent in Missouri. Josh you see “returned from Iraq with a busted ankle and post-traumatic stress. It was six months before I could see a doctor.”

But then a funny thing happened, Lansdale’s First Sergeant came forward and pointed out the stories were all bullshit. And the VA said it was crap as well. And Lansdale’s appearance in campaign ads went down the Memory Hole along with the porno from Hitler’s bunker and the videotapes of the third man on the grassy knoll. (It was Keith Hernandez, but a Gov’t conspiracy is keeping that quiet.)

Isolated incident right?

Well, then they trotted out gay Marine Battalion Commander Rick Duncan to do ads for them in Colorado. But he was attacked by Koch brothers CNN plant and noted right winger (and homophobe) Anderson Cooper, and so his television appearances went into the same hole.

Soltz, he of diminutive mental capabilities and Brobdingnagian rhetorical hyperbole continues:

You’d be hard-pressed to find any veteran who is happy about what happened at the Phoenix VA. Yet, at the same time, I don’t think the American Legion, or the Koch-backed Concerned Veterans for America, are really representing how veterans feel at large. It’s very likely that the Legion isn’t even representing its own membership anymore. That’s a true shame for such a historic veterans’ organization.

It is said that Democracy (which Soltz here construes as a poll of 3,300 people) is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch. Nonetheless, The American Legion, like a country that Soltz allegedly swore allegiance to, has a constitutional republican form of government. We have our Congressional Charter including the Constitution as a guideline, and then a “National Executive Committee” which like the Senate has two representatives from each state. Since it is impracticable for the Legion to poll 2.4 million people on any given subject, they instead elect their NECmen (and women) to represent their interests.

In fact, if you happened to see National Commander Dan Dellinger’s call for the resignation anywhere, you will see that it coincided with our National Executive Committee’s Spring Meetings. It wasn’t just one or two guys who decided this on a whim, it was after deliberation and thoughtful analysis of the issues. Now, again, I wasn’t there, but Soltz’s implication is that it was just a few employees or something making shit up, and that’s not at all what happened.

Soltz has one other gem in this rant of his that warrants noting:

And of those who receive care at the VA, again, there was no overwhelming call for Shinseki to step down. Sixty-two percent said he should not resign. Twenty-four percent said they weren’t sure, with the remainder, just 14 percent, saying he should. That’s interesting, in that those who actually receive VA care are the least likely to say Shinseki should resign. Listening to the news, you would think that those who get VA care would be up in arms, with torches and pitchforks, calling for Shinseki’s head. That just isn’t the case.

Ah yes, another right wing hysteria movement foisted on us sheeple by the likes of Jonathan Karl, Jake Tapper, John Stewart, Ron Fournier and their Koch brothers funded ilk! And they are even including Tea Party Republicans like David Scott (Dem, GA, Congressional Black Caucus) and John Barrow (Dem, GA) in their partisan attacks on “Rick.” Dastardly villains.

Now Beeker, ahem, I mean Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs of HUD (and formerly the VA) Brandon Friedman, as non-partisan a figure as you will ever find to be sure, shockingly backed up his former VoteVets colleague Soltz:

.@VoteVets basically challenges the @AmericanLegion to survey its members on Shinseki.

Um, yeah, here’s the weird thing about that, I haven’t met anyone in the Legion who ever said we ought to check in with VoteVets first, and see what they think. These are the same guys who for the first 10 days of this debacle were still arguing the importance of the military going green. (“Well shit Bob, sorry you weren’t able to see a doctor about your colorectal cancer, but the good news is we are this close [thumb and forefinger spread a millimeter apart] from getting the Navy to buy $24 gallons of gas!”)

If either of them watched the hearings last week, that I covered in person, they would have heard the Legion, VFW and a host of other ACTUAL veterans SERVICE organizations saying that the quality of VA Medical Care overall is very high. And it is. If you look at the satisfaction rankings, this is borne out by the numbers. The problem is that people were cooking the books to get bonuses. And veterans died waiting for calls back. And when asked who had been fired over this issue, Petzel and Shinseki stared at them like a 13 year old seeing his first set of knockers.  It’s access that is the problem, not quality.  (Not the quality is universally excellent, but they are higher than the private sector, and mine in particular I would rate as excellent.  Attaboy Roudabush Medical Center.)

Seriously, they couldn’t think of a single person fired over this? They were in charge. There have been 19 IG reports in the past two years. There are memos dating back years in which VA acknowledges the existence (and their knowledge of) these off the books lists.

I was one of the veterans this happened to. Same thing happened to me at the DC VA in 2007. I was told they couldn’t get me in within the 30 day window, so I’d have to call back “next Thursday” to schedule an appointment. At the time I couldn’t even walk, which made it impossible for me to get to school. Now, I just told the lady I had Shinseki’s number, and I’d call him from work. Miraculously, a slot came available 10 minutes after I hung up.

Look, if you want to support Secretary Shinseki, than by all means, VoteVets are your peeps. But just who in the hell are they to say that 55 American Legion National Executive Committeeman and their Alternates (we have 5 overseas Departments) should poll their people before voting to call for his resignation? You don’t like the decision they came to? Then get your millions of supporters to join TAL and vote in your own people, but don’t be so presumptuous as to tell us how to make our own decisions.

Not every group has the luxury of picking positions based on what a Magic 8 ball and George Soros’ checkbook have to say about the issue.

Category: Politics