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
100% Agree
“Washington insider” can mean qualified for the job.
@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.
@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.
@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.
@Tidbitdid he actually do anything for the va under obams????? no..why give him a second chance
@Tidbit so why didnt he do it before???
key is whether the nominee can deliver on what vets need
You’re not wrong, but a vet would know what vets need.
@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.
@Maja-Danmark
It depends on the vet. But I agree it should be a vet in charge. Bad pick.
@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.
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.
I agree with him, except that it should be a post 9/11 pick. Why does that matter?
A modern vet? We’ve been at war since 2003. Vets today have different issues than, say, VN War vets.
@Matty V VN vets are still receiving care at the VA.
Does the secretary of HUD need to have lived in the project to be qualify?
Good point!
I think she did though.
She surely knows an REO from an Oreo.
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.
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?
Is being a veteran the criteria or the law? What if he succeeds all expectations?
he didnt do too much when he worked for obama
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” 🇺🇸
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.
I wanted to see a veteran head this Dept. As well I’m a little surprised
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.
Competent leadership is what our country needs at this point in time.
@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” 🇺🇸
We have some coming in.
Trump as usual, was derelict in his post.
Yes, and a non-veteran in charge of the VA is not a competent pick. Biden has the ability to choose better.
@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
I completely agree with this video.
“Washington insider” that has been out of Washington the last 19 years???
um, Obama’s chief of staff from 2012 to 2016, and prior to that he was National Security something or other.
Where have you been? Except under Trump he has never been out of Washington insider deals.
Under Trump you had his billionaire friends running that department from Maralago!
you cant even name who has the job now
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.
@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.
@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.
That doesn’t mean we can’t expect better.
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?
MSNBC never complained about Trump’s cronies?! Where TF have you been the last four years??????
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!!
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?
Why didn’t you cry with Trump???? why cry now with Binden?
0bummer tried his hardest to destroy the veterans community.
Under Trump they got trash representation. Now they want one of their own. Under Trump they were afraid to open their mouth. Oh please.
VA takes so long to help there wounded soldiers.
Be honest. You wanted a Republican, not necessary a veteran. What the Veterans Administration needs a qualified director
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.
“It should have been me… I wanted that job… waah”.