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Punchlines: Finally, a real Obama administration scandal?


According to one late-night comic, the current scandal haunting the Department of Veterans Affairs, Secretary Eric Shinseki and President Obama is like "Christmas morning" for the GOP. Unlike past (and perhaps more feeble) attempts at blowing up scandals — such as the hunt for Obama's birth certificate and the hoopla over Solyndra and Fast and Furious — this one, the comic gloated, is actually backed up with documents and ... wait for it ... sick veterans.

But what's even worse, says another comic, is the fact that the GOP is trying to use the poor conditions of veterans (who are seeking help in a system that's accused of hiding incredibly long patient wait lists and delaying care) in an attempt to make themselves look better and the Obama administration look incompetent. The fact is, backlogs existed under the previous Bush administration and were made worse by the wars that administration started in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's enough incompetence on both sides of the political aisle to go around, this comic says. Scandals even date back to the country's first war, when veterans who demanded hard-earned back pay from the government were sentenced to death. Take a look at this webisode of Punchlines as one comic details how Democrats and Republicans have made life difficult for those who have served.

After you watch our favorite moments from last week, vote for your own in the quick poll to the right. Watching from your smartphone or tablet? Then visit opinion.usatoday.com to vote on your favorite.

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Punchlines: Finally, an Obama administration scandal?
Two late-night comics on the failed Department of Veterans Affairs and what that means for Obama, the GOP and Secretary Eric Shinseki. Vote for your favorite comment at opinion.usatoday.com.