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President stung by bad press

Members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots group who flew noncombat missions for the military during World War II deserve to be viewed as veterans. A 1977 federal law codified that.

In 2002, under then-President George W. Bush, the decision was made to allow any ex-WASPs who desired to be interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

But last year, President Barack Obama’s administration did something distinctly biased against women: Then Secretary of the Army John McHugh declared there would be no more WASPs buried at Arlington.

It took an act of Congress, controlled by Republicans, to reverse the policy.

Last week, Obama signed into law a bill allowing ex-WASPs to be interred at Arlington. No doubt the “optics” – the public relations appearance – of vetoing it was a consideration.

Someone once said the true measure of a person’s character is behavior when that person does not think anyone is watching. Obama could have rescinded McHugh’s policy by issuing an executive order of the kind he is so fond of using. He chose not to do that.

Obama and fellow liberals frequently accuse Republicans, including former President George W. Bush, of waging a “war on women.” It just isn’t true.

In this case, it took the GOP Congress to do the right thing for a group of patriotic, often courageous, women the liberals slighted.

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