Obamateurism of the Day

All I can say is that I may not forgive my co-blogger for bogarting the best OOTD candidate I’ve seen in a while. Don’t worry, though — we’ll come back to that one later this week for sure.  (For the record, Allahpundit elbowed me and yelled “INTERCEPTED!” when that tip came to our inboxes.)  For now, let’s go to E-nough for a look at Barack Obama’s Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery.  It included this solemn pledge:

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As long as I’m President, we will make sure you and your loved ones receive the benefits you’ve earned and the respect you deserve.

“As long as I’m President” might not be much consolation, given Obama’s poll numbers and the state of the economy.  However, even if Obama won a second term, it wouldn’t make veterans and their families feel all that secure.  Don’t forget that this is the same President who considered this plan in 2009:

Lawmakers say they’d reject a proposal to make veterans pay for treatment of war wounds with private insurance.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance.

Water under the bridge, you say?  Lesson learned?  Consider this development from just two months ago:

The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.

The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.

The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.

Many in Congress are opposing the proposed changes, which would require the passage of new legislation before being put in place.

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“As long as I’m President”? My guess is that veterans can’t wait for his term to expire.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at [email protected] with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!

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