Filner issues VA obscenity-laden scolding
By HOPE YEN
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top House Democrat on Tuesday called on the government to assist up to 26.5 million military personnel whose personal information was stolen, uttering obscenities to say Veterans Affairs officials weren't doing enough.
Rep. Bob Filner, the acting top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, appeared at a news briefing outside the VA building to criticize the agency's three-week delay in publicizing the May 3 burglary at a VA data analyst's home.
Two VA officials — Assistant Veterans Affairs Secretary Lisette Mondello and spokesman Matt Burns — also appeared and called the briefing a "publicity stunt," leading to Filner's blunt commentary.
"You guys f----- it up," Filner declared. "Stop covering your a-- and figure it out." [...]
My personal info has been stolen from so many places that I figure the thieves know more about me than I do.
Here we have Democrat trying to make hay over a VA screwup by a career civil servant. I am not sure exactly what the VA is supposed to "fix" since the horse is already out of the barn.
Of course teh language only hurts the Congressman unless his constituents really beleive that is way one speaks in public.
Posted by: Larry Anderson at June 13, 2006 02:32 PMI tell you, it's almost as if he's out saying all this simply to try to score political points and gin up pointless controversy.
(One wonders how long it will be--what with the mention of "gin" and "pointless"--that a Kennedy will show up.)
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at June 13, 2006 02:39 PMHe does have a point, though. They did BLEEP up.
Posted by: Skinnydan at June 13, 2006 03:38 PMOh, no doubt about it. I even think they probably had that figured out ahead of his press conference.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at June 13, 2006 03:44 PM