American Legion reacts to Secretary MacDonald’s lie
Secretary MacDonald was supposed to talk to American Legion leaders this morning, but he abruptly cancelled the meeting. Of course, the Legion is concerned about the Huffington Post revelation that the Secretary lied to a homeless veteran about the nature of the Secretary’s service on camera earlier this year. The Legion released this statement to the press;
American Legion Head Calls Out VA Secretary for Lying
WASHINGTON (Feb. 24, 2015) – The head of The American Legion called VA Secretary Robert McDonald’s characterization of his service “a poor choice of words.”
“In an effort to bond with a homeless veteran, Secretary McDonald told him he was in the Special Forces,” National Commander Michael D. Helm said. “He did complete Ranger training and served honorably with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. But a lie is a lie. I can’t believe people do this. What a disappointment from the leader of a department whose number one issue right now is the restoration of trust. He should be held to a higher standard. The secretary has apologized, as he certainly should. We hope that he can restore the trust that he lost.”
With a current membership of 2.3-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through nearly 13,500 posts across the nation.
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UPDATE: MacDonald has announced that he’ll hold a press conference with the Legion this afternoon at 4:30, so we’re in “bated breath” mode here.
ADDED: Not surprisingly, IAVA gives MacDonald a pass.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. On fork in that road is a decision that it is alright to tell a lie for a good cause. Once it become ok to lie about important things for a very good reason, it becomes easier and easier to lie about trivial matters, until there is no way to tell what is even remotely true.
Here is a person who automatically lied, got caught, and offers a trivial reason. I reject the notion that it is even remotely necessary to lie in order to express empathy to a homeless veteran. This action suggests habitual lying.
So the next question is, what are the big lies Secretary Robert McDonald has been telling?
Spot on. Nothing to add to this!
It is not the lies he has been telling, per se, that are the problem.
It is the lies that he has been covering up in the VA.
I’m certain that this was not his first lie.
Things like this are generally a habit and the habit of opening your mouth and sticking your foot in it is usually redundant…
There is nothing that can undo a lie. Admission to it shows that you are aware that you lied, but the fact of the act is still there. Apologies are for accidents, and claiming service that was not earned is no accident.
Turd.
“Poor choice of words?”
Where I come from…that is called a LIE!
UPDATE: MacDonald has announced that he’ll hold a press conference with the Legion this afternoon at 4:30, so we’re in “bated breath” mode here.
Wonder if the chap who wants to be the next Legion Commander will participate?
Well, you know that “misremembered” is out, thanks to Brian Williams. So, he can’t use that. He misspoke? No, that’s not it. He said the words and meant them. His statement lacked precision? Hmmm. That might work. It is meaningless, just perfect.
Poor choice of words my ass. This dick needs to dry up like a big pile of dog shit and blow away in the wind.
Did anybody track that “homeless veteran”? I bet he aint no veteran. With the massive number of programs out there to support vets, there is no reason for a veteran to be homeless.
I have never seen a former SF, SEAL, Ranger, PJ, etc. Veteran that is homeless.
Didn’t a study come out just the other day saying that lying has become acceptable in the military?
So we’re surprised at this current discovery how?
It’s not lying if you say you bedded three women in one night when, in fact, you slept with a sock. And it’s not lying when you say you say that your three shots made only one hole in the target b/c shots two and three went through shot’s one hole. That stuff is acceptable. It’s called bullshitting.
McDonald called Paul Rieckhoff and personally apologized to him so it’s all good bro. #poserrecusionhappens #bringelainericcihome
I just can’t get my panties in a bind over this……yet. They will rally the wagons at 16:00 all will be forgiven, apologies made, and he will be given the full support of the AL. He simply conflated.
If claims he made similar statements in the past surface then we might have something to talk about.
He is a public figure and in a position that he should have known better. That being said, I am not jumping on the bandwagon…….yet.
If every time I made some stupid statement it was published online there would be a whole staff of people busy posting.
All who have served know words have specific meanings. Ranger trained is not a ranger per se; just ask somebody who has served in one of the Ranger battalions. Special forces likewise means two specific things and you know if you’re not q course qualified or currently assigned to a group you’re not sf. This is just what this administration has managed to do to expectations and standards.
To clarify I mean assigned to a group in an SF slot.
Would this be the same American Legion which the Chump-in-Chief addressed and said he would not balance the budget on the backs of veterans then proceeded to do so without a peep being heard? If they were going to “call someone out” that would have been a good choice. This is much ado about nothing. Used to be a time when those who were dumb enough to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft were all called “special forces”.
He needs to just resign, our words say who we are in the veteran world and once you fabricate those words to embelish yourself then you as a veteran are a liar. Honor, Courage, and Commitment is our core values! I see no honor in this man, if he stays in office he has no courage to do what is right and he won’t be Commited to the Veterans who served.
If MacDonald needs a lawyer, I know a guy in the PNW who seemingly is a member of the AL … he may be able to help out!
Just sayin’!
Izzat the same critter that claims he’ll be THE next AL Commander? G-WHIZ!!!
Nice push, Master Chief!
MacDonald has enough shitbags in his General Counsel to More than suffice.
did anyone catch that it was HuffPo that called him out on it? I find that little tidbit fun.
The long grey line weeps
I have a hard time getting by the fact that the VA is all about telling the truth so that one receives the proper medical care and benefits that could have a monetary value. If you lied and/or your records don’t back up your claims, you will suffer the consequences with a vengeance from the VA IG. So with that onesie on us, I expect the same from those that claim they are here to serve and care for those who have borne scars of service to this nation. ………MacDonald would put the screws to you in a heartbeat if you lie.
Sigh…when will it end? Fire this idiot…he has lost any and all credibility he had.
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