Tag Archives: Dept of Veterans Affairs

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Kerrey can fix VA

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of bringing in a decorated former Navy SEAL to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs out of a major scandal.

Bob Kerrey’s name has been floated as a possible replacement for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, whose days as head of the massive agency clearly are numbered.

Shinseki isn’t saying he’s going to quit. President Obama isn’t saying he’s going to fire the retired Army general and former Army chief of staff. The writing on the proverbial wall needs no translation: Shinseki cannot stay on.

The VA has been shown to be negligent — perhaps criminally so — in its treatment of veterans. There have been deaths because of too-lengthy wait times for health care, fabricated records and what’s been called a “systemic” breakdown all along the way.

Bob Kerrey is a former Democratic senator from Nebraska. He fought in Vietnam — as did Shinseki. The one-time naval officer received the Medal of Honor for valor and heroism and lost a leg on the battlefield.

Kerrey is a bona fide war hero with many friends still in the Senate. He would be confirmed almost unanimously.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is in dire need of an extreme makeover. No one near the top of the chain of command can do it. They’re all tainted now by what’s been revealed.

Some fresh ideas, new sharp vision and some kick-butt attitude are what’s needed at the troubled Cabinet agency.

Why not give Bob Kerrey a chance to repair the damage?

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Partisan battle over vets' health care?

The most interesting thing President Obama said today in his remarks about the Veterans Administration health care scandal involved what he hopes will be the lack of partisan rancor in this discussion.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus didn’t hear that part of the president’s remarks … apparently.

“Why did President Obama wait to address this situation only to ask our veterans for more time and to offer nothing but words?” Priebus asked.

Nothing but words? What does the RNC chairman want Barack Obama to do? Fire everyone? Does he want the Justice Department to bring criminal charges without first knowing what the evidence is to charge someone?

For crying out loud, does he want the president to don some surgical scrubs and tend to veterans’ health needs himself?

Give me a break.

The VA scandal is huge. Veterans reportedly have died while waiting for health care that had been delayed well past what is acceptable. VA officials allegedly cooked up wait-time lists that were bogus to cover their backsides.

Let’s stipulate that this is unacceptable at every possible level imaginable.

Republicans are angry, as are Democrats. The president noted, though, that this is requires an American response that goes beyond partisan posturing. Priebus is trying to gain some kind of political advantage here.

The president vowed to turn over every stone to find out what has gone so horribly wrong with our veterans’ health care system. I am quite sure I watched an angry commander in chief offer some pointed remarks today.

Enough of the peanut-gallery remarks, Chairman Priebus.

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Get the truth at VA, Mr. President

It is fair to assume that President Obama is as angry as he says he is about the growing scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The mess created by what appears to be a deliberate cover-up of health care for veterans is a blight on his presidency, not to mention the reputation of the agency charged with caring for our veterans.

The president today vowed repeatedly to get to the bottom of the scandal and, while expressing support for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, has left the door open for the retired four-star Army general to leave on his own — or be fired — if the evidence takes investigators to his office.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/president-obama-eric-shinseki-va-106938.html?hp=f1

I accept the president’s declaration of outrage as sincere. This is a horrible circumstance that, according to the president, isn’t anything new. It goes back “decades,” he said. Veterans are waiting too long to receive urgent medical care and that must end.

As a Vietnam War veteran myself — but one who enjoys excellent health (knock on wood) — I couldn’t agree more with that desire.

The issue blew wide open with reports of at least 40 veterans dying while in the care of the Phoenix, Ariz., veterans hospital; what’s more, we now know of bogus documentation that fabricated the vets’ wait time that in reality went far beyond the two-week maximum required by VA policy. Now we hear of extreme delays at VA medical centers in other states, including Texas.

President Obama said these delays won’t stand. We owe it to our veterans to get the top-notch care they deserve, he said, and he vowed not to rest until he finds out the whole truth about what has gone wrong, who is responsible and who to bring to account for this outrageous circumstance.

I’m with you, Mr. President, in your search for what’s gone so terribly wrong at the VA. You’d better know, though, that millions of sets of eyes will be watching you to ensure you keep your promise to follow the trail toward the truth — no matter where it leads.

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Some scandals you take personally

Allow me this admission.

Some political controversies are more personal than others. Some of them skip across my radar and then they’re gone; others have this way of hitting you personally.

The Veterans Administration health care scandal hits quite close to home. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said today that President Obama is “outraged,” and “mad as hell” over allegations that veterans have died while awaiting health care. The president vows to get to the very bottom of what’s going on, McDonough said, and vows to correct all of it.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/2014/05/mcdonough-obama-madder-than-hell-on-va-scandal-188734.html?hp=l1

There had better be some major fixes, even if it requires heads to roll — starting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who I happen to admire greatly. If it turns out he was oblivious to what happened at those VA hospitals, then he should go.

At issue is whether a reported 40-plus vets died while waiting for health care in Phoenix, Ariz., and that their wait times were disguised by phony records.

Why do I take this matter so personally? I enrolled at the Amarillo VA medical center a year ago. My friends tell me it must be nice to get “free medical care.” I correct them: “No, it’s prepaid.” Two years in the Army purchased that health care and I expect the government to take top-notch care of all of us who served.

So far so good at the Thomas Creek Medical Center in Amarillo. I’ve been more than happy with the care I’ve gotten. There’s a provision to add: I haven’t yet gotten sick. I enjoy good health and to date my regular checkups have gone well. I appreciate the respect shown by the VA hospital staff.

But this scandal — and I’ll call it that, because it rises to that level — needs to be resolved quickly and thoroughly all at once.

I’ll accept Denis McDonough’s assessment that the commander in chief is “mad as hell.” He damn well better be angry. He also needs to demonstrate that anger in a timely and highly visible manner.

One top Veterans Affairs official is gone. There well might have to be more of them shown the door. There also should be criminal proceedings launched against anyone shown to be culpable in the deaths of those veterans.

Yeah, some of these scandals pack a more powerful punch than others. This one hurts.