Head Of Vets Group Criticizes Biden’s Pick For Head Of VA | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Paul Rieckhoff of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America says President-elect Biden's pick of longtime Obama aide Denis McDonough for secretary of Veterans Affairs is not the right fit for the position. Aired on 12/11/2020.
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Head Of Vets Group Criticizes Biden's Pick For Head Of VA | Morning Joe | MSNBC

54 comments

    1. @Tidbit Surely, in this vast country, there is someone who knows how to deal with red tape, who is also a veteran. This was a poor choice, as was Austin to head the Department of Defense.

    2. @Deborah Freedman Does a brain surgeon have to have experienced brain damage and brain trauma in order to repair a person’s brain? His position is to run a multi billion dollar organization and campaign on capital hill for more funding, his Washington bonafides will be so much more valuable then say experiencing PTSD.

    3. @Deborah Freedman I don’t see many vets traveling a career path that would make them qualified to run a government agency and be educated in politics and know how to negotiate with politicians. And I certainly do NOT think that a soldier with PTSD would make a good choice for this position. You don’t put an insane person in charge of the insane asylum, you put a well educated person who understands what the VA’s mandate is and knows how to make large organizations work.

    1. @Maja-Danmark but it doesn’t mean that the vet is qualified to lead a department. Have you seen the scandals that agency had faced.

    2. @Midnight Adventurer – Not any vet will be qualified. I understand what Mr Rieckhoff means, and I get his disappointment. I’m not ready to criticize the pick, tho.

    3. The key is, the pick needs to be a Vet. As a veteran myself, and someone who has worked at a VA hospital, I know. Not hiring a Vet would be akin to trump replacing Patton in 1944. Ask the troops.

    1. HUD doesn’t just manage the projects. You have probably benefitted from one of their programs. But, most people understand the need for a home. Veterans have specific needs, that a non-veteran does not understand.

    2. Deborah Freedman I’m not sure exactly how you arrived at the conclusion that a non veteran can not understand the specific needs of a veteran. If the HUD analogy I used was inadequate foe you to drive home my point, consider this, can only a person missing a limb or limbs can design and fabricate a prosthetic limb? And/or to run a facility that manufactures such artifacts?

    1. Georgia republicans-“don’t vote for the republicans on the Jan 5 run off , don’t give these republicans candidates your votes” this is the head of the Republicans saying this maybe listen? The election 🗳 has been decided already , maybe vote for the winning president and winning team the democrats , or maybe don’t vote 🗳 “stop the steal” 🇺🇸

    2. It should be. One of Obama’s failures was the decline of VA hospital care.
      Time to put a vet-friendly advocate in charge. Not someone who oversaw the rapid decline of the VA.

    1. I want to see someone who will fix it. All but one previous secretary was a vet and VA has remained most dysfunctional government entity for decades.

    1. @josef mengele Georgia republicans-“don’t vote for the republicans on the Jan 5 run off , don’t give these republicans candidates your votes” this is the head of the Republicans saying this maybe listen? The election 🗳 has been decided already , maybe vote for the winning president and winning team the democrats , or maybe don’t vote 🗳 “stop the steal” 🇺🇸

    2. Yes, and a non-veteran in charge of the VA is not a competent pick. Biden has the ability to choose better.

    3. @Deborah Freedman as a veteran it is my opinion that a qualified director is more important than than just simply a veteran. It goes without saying that should he be a veteran is irrelevant for such a gigantic department. Stay safe

    1. If this guys personal “pick” was a non-vet, he’d be for it. He “forgets” that Bidens pick for Sec.D. is being dissed for being too RECENT a vet.
      But comparing tRumps picks to Joes?
      “What about Hillery/Obama?” Is something they should stay away from, and some legit criticism is…refreshing.
      Finally, one (if not the top) reasons JB should nominate ANYBODY is “steady hands on the wheel” . It IS a time to be cautious.
      Most if not all of tRumps picks, EVEN if critics thought they were “good” added arrogance and undue righteousness to their position.

    2. @J Barnhart These are different positions. Our Founding Fathers were quite insistent that the Defense Department be under civilian control. That is why the Secretary of Defense must be a civilian. Sure, Trump broke the Rule of Law, when he appointed Mattis, who needed a waiver, but Biden was supposed to restore the norms. That is why his choosing another person who needs a waiver is so very wrong. On the other hand, the person in charge of Veteran’s Affairs should understand their needs, and should be a veteran. If Biden wanted to have Austin in his administration, he should have appointed him to Veteran’s Affairs, not to head the Defense Department.

    3. @Deborah Freedman… insistent that the Defense Department be under civilian control…and then we decide what that means. Haven`t been out of the military long enough, too long, wrong branch wrong…
      It`s the same with the rest of the constitution. EVERYBODY needs wants and has the right to own and USE a bazooka…and some of the founding fathers might have said YES…but that doesn`t mean we have to.

  1. Shaq Diesle got it right, lotta hand wringing about these choices but when the fascists put up their unqualified cronies….crickets. Double standards in the media much?

    1. MSNBC never complained about Trump’s cronies?! Where TF have you been the last four years??????

  2. The bad pick is whoever msnbc picked to do these segments. They keep cutting people off mid sentence… I’d like to see the whole thing!!

  3. What would be he Nazi party say if he appointed Hunter Biden to be in charge of everything like the orange fascist did with Kushiro?

  4. Under Trump they got trash representation. Now they want one of their own. Under Trump they were afraid to open their mouth. Oh please.

  5. Be honest. You wanted a Republican, not necessary a veteran. What the Veterans Administration needs a qualified director

  6. Oh…so now the Republicans expect us to care what they think all of a sudden? Like, we already know what you condone and we don’t want that. Boy bye.

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