Sadly enough, yes, he does.

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.

But the proposal would be “dead on arrival” if it’s sent to Congress, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, said.

Murray used that blunt terminology when she told Shinseki that the idea would not be acceptable and would be rejected if formally proposed. Her remarks came during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs about the 2010 budget.

No official proposal to create such a program has been announced publicly, but veterans groups wrote a pre-emptive letter last week to President Obama voicing their opposition to the idea after hearing the plan was under consideration.

The groups also cited an increase in “third-party collections” estimated in the 2010 budget proposal — something they said could be achieved only if the Veterans Administration started billing for service-related injuries.

Asked about the proposal, Shinseki said it was under “consideration.”

“A final decision hasn’t been made yet,” he said.

Currently, veterans’ private insurance is charged only when they receive health care from the VA for medical issues that are not related to service injuries, like getting the flu.

Charging for service-related injuries would violate “a sacred trust,” Veterans of Foreign Wars spokesman Joe Davis said. Davis said the move would risk private health care for veterans and their families by potentially maxing out benefits paying for costly war injury treatments.

… “I believe that veterans with service-connected injuries have already paid by putting their lives on the line,” Murray said in her remarks. “I don’t think we should nickel and dime them for their care.”

I don’t know how this idea got put into Obama’s head. But it’s a horrible one. Frankly, I cannot believe that it is even being considered. If a servicemember goes to Iraq or Afghanistan and is injured, or is injured here at home during training, then they should be taken care of. Period, end of story. Imagine getting, say, your leg blown off in Iraq. You come home to find out that Obama now requires that you pay for your treatment.

Isn’t that just so classy? In this brave new world, injured soldiers will come home and be forced to pay for the treatment of injuries sustained defending our freedoms.

Meanwhile, Obama and his ilk bleat constantly about the importance of free healthcare for everyone… everyone except our troops, that is. Interesting, isn’t it? It’s OK to spend trillions of dollars on pork-filled liberal dream projects, but taking care of veterans wounded serving their country is too much for him. The obvious contempt he has for our troops disgusts me.

And he wonders why he got such a cold reception at Camp Lejeune.

Hat Tip: RedState