January 29, 2008
Yet Another Disheartening Veterans Care Story
Thanks to the Washington Post's work exposing the lapses in care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Americans are more familiar than ever with the mind-boggling bureaucratic maze returning war vets must navigate. Congress is expected to act again on the reforms outlined by the Dole-Shalala commission this year. (They were included in a defense authorization bill President Bush vetoed last month.)
Though many in the military and in Congress are on board with those reforms, it often seems that the real problem with veterans care is that it is split up by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Departments and agencies don't do coordination too well in this town, as we now know all too well.
NPR's Ari Shapiro has a report highlighting this divide. For reasons they would not give, Army officials have instructed VA counterparts at Fort Drum in upstate New York not to assist disabled vets with DOD disabled benefits paperwork. One expert Shapiro interviewed surmised that DOD did so in order to save money on benefits. According to another expert, VA officials will generally do what DOD asks because they require DOD cooperation to reach out to disabled solders.
Truly, a head-scratcher. NPR reported on the DOD-VA separation last March; you can hear that report here.
Posted at 12:21 PM
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January 28, 2008
Liveblogging President Bush's Final State Of The Union Address
End note. SOTU affairs are always a laundry list, and few expect them to deliver poetry. This year's address (full text) did lack the rhetorical punch of previous years, particularly Bush's first SOTU address following 9/11, which received very high marks.
If there is one character trait that describes this president, it is determination-bordering-on-
stubbornness. He has largely ignored polls and the punditry, and he only changed tacks in Iraq when the calls for a change in course permeated his own administration. Plenty of Americans didn't tune in to this speech tonight, on the assumption Bush is a lame duck. That is probably not the case, at least as far as the legislature is concerned.
With his veto threat and the executive order coming Tuesday, Bush is asserting himself in a dramatic way. The rate of federal spending under Bush's watch is triple that of the Clinton administration. That Bush is positioning himself to put a foot down on pork-barrel spending was pretty unexpected in his final year in office. We'll be watching to see how it pans out.
As for Bush's various claims in tonight's speech, NPR's reporters have been posting fact checks all evening. See their corrections on the tax cuts, FISA, Iraq and entitlement reform. Good night.
10:27. A somewhat unexpected criticism of the president here: "In spite of the attempts to convince us that we are divided as a people, a new American majority has come together. We are tired of leaders who rather than asking what we can do for our country, ask nothing of us at all.
"We are Americans sharing a belief in something greater than ourselves, a nation coming together to meet challenges and find solutions; to share sacrifices and share prosperity; and focus, once again, not only on the individual good but on the common good."
It should come as little surprise that Sebelius has endorsed Barack Obama. This speech reflects Democrats' palpable eagerness to move the country well away from the Bush era.
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Posted at 10:47 PM
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December 13, 2007
Reports: Charities Stiffing Wounded Vets
With tens of thousands of U.S. troops still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, many Americans will be sending their thoughts, prayers and charity dollars this holiday season to non-profit organizations catering to wounded veterans and their families. But a report from the watchdog American Institute of Philanthropy and tax filings examined by the Washington Post show that some of the nation's largest veterans charity groups have either mismanaged the donations they've received or spent very little of them on actual care for wounded vets.
The findings have outraged some lawmakers in Washington, who are holding their first hearing on the matter in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. "We need to make sure that the generous contributions of Americans to veterans will help veterans and not line the pockets of fundraisers and these organizations," Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told the Post.
ABC News recently interviewed Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, about the watchdog group's charity report card.
Posted at 12:51 PM
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July 17, 2007
VA Secretary Nicholson Steps Down
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that Secretary Jim Nicholson has tendered his resignation and will return to the private sector. Nicholson sounded an upbeat note on his departure.
"It has been an honor and privilege to lead the VA during this historic time for our men and women who have worn the uniform. We have accomplished so much and the VA is always striving to improve our services to veterans," Nicholson said in a press release.
The Vietnam veteran and former Ambassador to the Vatican was tapped by President Bush in late 2004 as part of a second-term shuffle. Nicholson noted that he will turn 70 this February, and said he wanted "to get back into business... while I still can."
Administration departures at the end-stages of a presidency are not unusual. Nicholson does leave with a cloud over his head, however, because of the Walter Reed scandal. (The hospital serves wounded veterans, but it is run by the Pentagon and is not part of the VA system.)
Continue reading "VA Secretary Nicholson Steps Down"
Posted at 1:15 PM
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March 21, 2007
Walter Reed Story 'Overblown,' Ohio Rep. Says
After touring facilities at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, Ohio Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt said she found "the situation at Walter Reed to be overblown by both politicians and the media."
Continue reading "Walter Reed Story 'Overblown,' Ohio Rep. Says"
Posted at 11:03 AM
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March 02, 2007
Army Sec'y Resigns; Bush Orders Walter Reed Probe
Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey has resigned in the wake of growing outrage over combat veterans' care. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also announced that a replacement for Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, who was fired as commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center yesterday, would be named today.
Continue reading "Army Sec'y Resigns; Bush Orders Walter Reed Probe"
Posted at 3:59 PM
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March 01, 2007
Walter Reed Commander Fired
Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, was relieved of his post this morning, Army Times reports. "Weightman was informed this morning that the senior Army leadership had lost trust and confidence in the commander’s leadership abilities to address needed solutions for soldier-outpatient care at" the hospital, according to a press release.
Revelations of inadequate care and deteriorating conditions at the facility, which has treated thousands of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, have rocked the Pentagon the last two weeks.
The Washington Post, which published a series on the medical center last week, reported in today's editions that "top officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, including the Army's surgeon general, have heard complaints about outpatient neglect from family members, veterans groups and members of Congress for more than three years."
Posted at 2:57 PM
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