Senate to Investigate Walter Reed Scandal

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002621.php

Starting next week, the Senate wades into the muck at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Senate Armed Services Committee announced today that next Tuesday, March 6, a host of responsible Defense officials will parade to the Dirksen building to try to explain how conditions at the Army's elite hospital complex deteriorated to the horrific conditions depicted in last week's depressing Washington Post series.

Perhaps the most anticipated testimony will come from the Army's surgeon general, Lt. General Kevin C. Kiley. The Pentagon reacted to the Post investigation with near-unanimous horror and regret -- Army Vice Chief of Staff General Richard Cody took personal responsibility in a Thursday press conference -- and vowed to get to the heart of the problem. Kiley has been the exception. While he hasn't challenged the facts that the paper reported, last week he attacked the expose as "one-sided" and assured reporters, "this is not a horrific, catastrophic failure at Walter Reed."

Defense Secretary Gates disagrees. On Friday, he declined to endorse Kiley's characterization, saying "I have not seen anything or heard anything in the time since (the stories ran) to lead me to believe that those articles were in any substantial way wrong." To get out in front of the scandal, Gates announced the creation of an internal investigation -- led by Clinton and Reagan defense officials -- into Walter Reed, the Bethesda Naval hospital and "any other centers they choose to examine." While he said he hadn't heard of any additional problems with veterans' outpatient services beyond Walter Reed, Gates emphasized that the Pentagon needs to understand "the scope of the problem."

The next move will be the Senate's. Kiley and Cody are called as witnesses, as is Walter Reed's commanding general, Maj. General George Weightman, and the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, William Winkenwerder. In addition to next week's hearing, more Hill action is likely: Winkenwerder is stepping down from his position for what we're told are unrelated reasons. His nominated replacement, cardiologist and Army Reserve Col. S. Ward. Casscells -- who recently returned from Iraq himself -- is sure to face a grilling on veterans' outpatient care as well.

[Monkeyman]

1. Starts Wednesday in the House subcommittee Veterans Affairs

[durtee librul]

2. YAWN......

And what pray tell will they all do - issue a non-binding resolution to clean it all up?

Sorry gang....the congress hasn't shown me ANYTHING yet. And in today's USA Today paper, front page, we still have Senators going on junkets paid for by lobbyists.

Why don't they all just stand in the rotunda and flip us all off?

Talk is cheap and folks, obviously that's what we are getting right now.

Because my dad SHOULD be going to WRH (he lives at the DC Soldier's Home) and won't because of the conditions, I pray in earnest it DOES get rectified. However, I am not going to hold my breath.

I don't know who it was last week, but some top dog genrul said he was 'unaware' of the conditions at WRH - hey asswipe, news bulletin...if you are the 'boss' it's your responsibility to make sure this place was in order....and I would LOVE to ask him one question - - "As top dog, why weren't you visiting your wounded?"

Now before all of you who think they are doing a wunnerful job there, let me say this....I will give them a chance to win this race, but I gotta tell ya, I think their starting gate malfunctioned and they are still at the gate stomping their feet and not going anywhere as of yet. I hope they prove me wrong, but I am starting to lose consciousness as I have been holding my breath too long and will need to exhale pretty soon.

[Jesterstear]

9. Amen to that...

There's no way that I can be convinced that Repubs AND Dems both did not know of this situation. They just ignored it until the media started covering the situation. As typical, it's not worth fixing unless they can get some time on camera looking outraged.

[bigluckyfeet]

11. Investigating the Walter Reed Scandal is Good

But Lets Quit Wasting time and stop the damn war.

[babylonsister]

3. What, Kiley hasn't been fired yet? He's the pig who blamed it all on the

soldiers, claimed they were eating in their rooms and attracted the rodents and roaches. Excuse me? And where are they supposed to eat? Did you provide a cafeteria for them? :grr: :grr:

[Monkeyman]

4. Keep Ranting Watch hearings Rick Weidman from VVA

Your rant and mine will be said

[durtee librul]

5. Maybe someone should ask

what they did with all the $$$ earmarked for WRH? Bet someone bought a boat with it ala Duke Cunningham?

[Monkeyman]

6. Watch the Hearings

http://veterans.house.gov We are on it plus http://www.veteransforamerica.org

[jmowreader]

8. I don't think that's the problem

I think the REAL problem here is that George W. Bush tried to do a war with no money and no people.

Always remember that, in Bush's little world, our troops were going to be greeted as liberators and showered with flowers and chocolates.

In the real world, they were greeted as invaders and showered with landmines and rifle fire. Big difference.

Anyway, right now the people at the military medical facilities, one of which (Walter Reed) was scheduled to be closed anyway, are spending all the money they get on troop care. There's no money for facilities maintenance, there hasn't been for a while, and three years of deferred maintenance on a structure that gets as much use as Walter Reed will cause the situation you see now.

There's nothing fundamentally wrong there that a couple hundred million for structural repairs won't fix. Thanks to Fearless Leader's tax cuts and profligate spending, there's not a spare couple hundred million to be had.

[w8liftinglady]

7. I agree 100%..what a prick

[jkoehler]

10. Support the Troops!

Put a magnetic bumper sticker on your SUV! Support the troops, but support them as cheaply as you can. What should we do with the returning wounded? Kick 'em to the curb! If we don't we'll slow the economic expansion and embolden the enemy! Providing quality medical care to wounded American soldiers is exactly what the Islamic terrorists want us to do!

In an alternate reality it all makes sense.

[newyawker99]

14. Hi jkoehler!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Bentcorner]

12. Is it really any news that the military treats it's people like shit?

[IWantAChange]

13. Will Chimpy pay any more attention to this than to Baker-Hamilton?

I 4 one doubt it - he simply doesn't care about anything other than his precious legacy.