Take your mea and shove it right up your fucking culpa.

[Stinky The Clown]

The issues at Walter Reed are symptomatic of a MUCH larger issue.

Firing every flag officer involved in the current mess doesn't even BEGIN to answer the problems.

This goes RIGHT TO THE TOP of our civilian leadership. And while Bush may have been the worst offender, he's not alone.

This country makes a pact with its military. The military upholds their end of the bargain. The civilian leadership has been dropping this ball for decades.

Look at any VA hopsital.

Look at any military hospital.

The issue is NOT bad or incompetent staff.

It is about MONEY.

This is a truly bipartisan issue. Ask any PTSD-afflicted Viet Nam vet. This is NOT new.

Motherfuckers .......

[NanceGreggs]

1. Well said ...

... but I would have REC'd it based on the title alone!

:kick:

[AtomicKitten]

2. Well said, sassy and succinct.

[krispos42]

3. The reason the Repubs hate the VA:

It is socialized medicine that works. But, one of the planks of the Republic Party is that socialized medicien DOES NOT WORK.

Therefore, socialized medicine WILL NOT WORK, even if they have to overwhelm the VA will new patients while drastically cutting funding.

Anything, as long as socialized medicine DOES NOT WORK!

Rec.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

14. What krispos42 said.

:applause: MKJ

[krispos42]

15. Thank you, thank you...

please don't forget to pick up a copy of my new book on your way out, and tip your server!

[fudge stripe cookays]

4. Rent the movie Article 99.

I saw it in the 90s, and was horrified. This has been going on for awhile, but has only gotten horrifically worse under Bush.

[Marnieworld]

5. The only question is

What the hell took this long for the story and the outrage?

By the way good to see you Stinky. You gave us quite the scare back then. :hug:

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Heh! Gave **me** quite a scare, too!

The future's looking good though. My cardiologist said on Wednesday that if I quit smoking, I'll still die, but probably not from heart disease!

Good thing I don't have to rely on the VA for my care.

[Marnieworld]

11. Definitely a good thing

In a just world we'd all be envying the medical treatment of Veterans. Hell it would be a recruiting tool. Fucking assholes make me wish there was a hell for them to rot in. Pardon me- that wasn't very ladylike of me. :D

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Bingo!

[k_jerome]

7. my dad died in a shitty VA hospital...

you are right on with this post.

[Golden Raisin]

9. And the same guilty parties are the ones

constantly pontificating in that sneering, arrogant tone to the rest of the country to "support the troops" with the not-so-subtle subtext being they are the only true patriots and everyone else is borderline treasonous. Meanwhile they're handing out millions and billions in greased-palm, no-bid contracts to Halliburton. How about funnelling some of that money to help our brave soldiers in the field and the vets. Disgraceful! Bunch of hypocrites and skunks. But let me tell you how I really feel.

[halobeam]

16. Any person and/or company that profitted from this MUST pay every red cent back

and THEN SOME.

I'm so pissed off.

You know, let me say, I'm not from a military family so to speak.. I've never understood how someone could volunteer to go fight in a war (not really meaning this one)... I've been brought up in such a bubble, with republicans from my siblings to my ancestors... my neighborhood, in a segregated community... every protection imaginable to completely, continuously, dumb my ass down.


I've slowly over the years, been understanding why I felt like I didn't belong in the life I was living, with the people I was living with. I NEVER could've had a nightmare about this happening, it didn't exist to me. Not even in my imagination. I'm not kidding.

This is truly the bottom for me. I hate now. I can't help it. I do. I don't want to hate, I want to make change, but how can I not HATE...after knowing this! On top of EVERYTHING else our lying officials have done/still do... now THIS?


I told my husband this morning, "Don't worry babe, when it's time for the world to end, we'll all just be fucking relieved."


How unbelievably sad.


Sorry.

[yellerpup]

10. I don't just love it that you care

I truly love the WAY you care. Kick ass, H2S.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Ya know what else I care about? I care that we don't paint with too broad a brush ...........

... (NOT saying that you are) ..... as we condemn the mealfeasence associated with this, we need to be careful to not draw the rank and file care givers, staff members, janitors, dietary works, phlebotomists, histologists, ER supply clerks, physchologists, LPNs, RNs, MDs and the rest of the care giver staff. They are no better and surely no worse that the average of their brethren in any other health care setting.

The devils involved in this are those who control our government's purse strings.

And there is enough blame to involve both Democrats and Republicans, although I truly believe the Repubs have been far worse about it, even as they wrap themselves in red white and blue .... and cammo.

[yellerpup]

13. Too many layers of CYA have been erected

between what We The People have agreed to pay for (anything they need, IMO) and the devils who hold the purse strings. These veterans have paid dearly for the principles WTP believe in, which is not the same thing as our (mis)leadership says they are fighting for. Ultimately, We are the Government and it is time we took control so it is working in our favor. On edit: Oh yes, definitely don't blame the health care workers, no matter where they are on the totem pole. They are the first ones to get chucked under the bus.

[durtee librul]

22. Again, to all you readers out there

if you REALLY want a good horror story, check out what has been going on at the Soldier's home in DC. Used to be gubmint property - now it belongs to a Catholic Univ.....I get too angry to even write about it. My father has been a resident there for about 20 years so I know what I am talking about. WRH pales in comparison.

[Faux pas]

17. Follow the money....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x326953

[MH1]

18. Read John Kerry's 1971 SFRC testimony. He tried to tell us. n/t

[TheBaldyMan]

19. kick and fucking r'ed n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. This looks like a major colossal blunder due to privatization.

[Tellurian]

21. Yep, It's ALL about privatization.. a link..

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and subcommittee Chairman John Tierney asked Weightman to testify about an internal memo that showed privatization of services at Walter Reed could put “patient care services… at risk of mission failure.”

But Army officials refused to allow Weightman to appear before the committee after he was relieved of command.

“The Army was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the decision to prevent General Weightman from testifying,” committee members said in a statement today.

The committee wants to learn more about a letter written in September by Garrison Commander Peter Garibaldi to Weightman.

The memorandum “describes how the Army’s decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was causing an exodus of ‘highly skilled and experienced personnel,’” the committee’s letter states. “According to multiple sources, the decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed led to a precipitous drop in support personnel at Walter Reed.”

The letter said Walter Reed also awarded a five-year, $120-million contract to IAP Worldwide Services, which is run by Al Neffgen, a former senior Halliburton official.

more: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/Weightmansubpoena/