House hearing on Walter Reed neglect starting on CSpan1 Now

[Greeby]

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS

[babylonsister]

1. I'm really happy this is being televised. Thanks! nt

[rodeodance]

2. K and REC

[rodeodance]

3. waiting

[w8liftinglady]

4. K and R

[Monkeyman]

5. That's not all hearing on Veterans

March 5th
March 6th
March 7th
March 8 th
At the Cannon Building

[w8liftinglady]

6. opening statements

[w8liftinglady]

9. undersecretary of army..soon to be acting secretary up-poor sound quality

[rodeodance]

7. can you make this the OFFICIAL thread please---in your subject line??

[rodeodance]

8. OK< they are televising NOW

[rodeodance]

10. "Democrats fume over Walter Reed scandal"

Forum Name General Discussion
Topic subject Democrats fume over Walter Reed scandal
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x340501#340501
340501,

Democrats fume over Walter Reed scandal
Posted by dogday on Mon Mar-05-07 08:54 AM

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats on Sunday kept up their attacks on substandard care for injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as they prepared for hearings on the issue this week.

"If it's this bad at the outpatient facilities at Walter Reed, how is it in the rest of the country?" Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on ABC's "This Week." "Walter Reed is our crown jewel."

In a letter sent Sunday to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Schumer called for the creation of an independent commission to examine conditions at all medical facilities treating military personnel and veterans. He suggested that former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, a retired Army general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lead the panel.

"To think that men and women are serving their country in the most honorable and courageous way possible and all we give them is a dilapidated, rat-infested, rundown building to recover is a disgrace," he wrote. "My fear is that Walter Reed is just the tip of the iceberg, and merely highlights the pervasive and systemic mistreatment of our service members."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-reed5mar05,0,3110412.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[rodeodance]

12. K

[rodeodance]

14. lots of NOICE coming thru.

[w8liftinglady]

11. "i'll never leave a fallen comrade"

[w8liftinglady]

13. I hope they fix the mike issue

[rodeodance]

17. Looks like a very crowded room.

[rodeodance]

19. now saying the meeting is taking place AT Walter Reed.

[rodeodance]

22. K

[Monkeyman]

20. Code of Honor "Never Leave a Man Behind"

[Monkeyman]

15. Boot up first

[w8liftinglady]

16. Tierney -opening statements

[w8liftinglady]

18. vital we have the hearing at wramc

[w8liftinglady]

21. showing the washington post video

[Monkeyman]

24. All right get ready allot will be in tears after this hearing and you will be angry

[w8liftinglady]

27. I already am.

[babylonsister]

23. Cool! They're showing Dana Priest's video! nt

[rodeodance]

29. nice Refresher!

[rodeodance]

31. purpose is to get to the bottom of things-to get Honest things.

[rodeodance]

33. talking of the Surge----Is the WH/Ary PREPARED! WHOW>

[w8liftinglady]

25. "tip of the iceburg"-talking about bureaucracy

[rodeodance]

26. Building 18 built in the Mid 30's: they were reading a letter from a mom who

son was at WR.

[Monkeyman]

28. What the hell thanking the pukes

[Monkeyman]

35. That's more like it give them hell

[w8liftinglady]

30. another example of poor planning for this war?

[w8liftinglady]

32. getting into privatization

[w8liftinglady]

34. senior officials aware for several years

[w8liftinglady]

37. denying-cover up-fallguy

[Monkeyman]

38. Yep

[rodeodance]

36. that was a good opening!

[w8liftinglady]

39. tierney is tearing it up so far

[w8liftinglady]

40. davis r-va up

[w8liftinglady]

43. problems of institutional indifference

[Monkeyman]

41. Shay-s deferrers

[rodeodance]

42. AP: Lawmakers to hold Walter Reed hearings...(fasten your seat belts)

Forum Name Latest Breaking News
Topic subject AP: Lawmakers to hold Walter Reed hearings...(fasten your seat belts)
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2755527#2755527
2755527,

AP: Lawmakers to hold Walter Reed hearings...(fasten your seat belts)
Posted by catgirl on Mon Mar-05-07 08:48 AM


WASHINGTON - As several House committees prepared to delve into the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, outraged lawmakers vowed quick action and called for an independent commission to examine poor conditions for soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ADVERTISEMENT

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's national security panel, headed by Rep. John Tierney (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., scheduled a hearing at the hospital's auditorium Monday morning. The list of Army officials, hospital staff and patients invited to speak includes the medical center's previous commander, Maj. Gen. George Weightman.

The defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee also scheduled a hearing on Walter Reed for Monday.

In a letter Sunday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., asked for an independent commission, possibly headed by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, to investigate all post-combat medical facilities and recommend changes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070305/ap_on_go_co/walter_reed

[rodeodance]

45. keep kicked so others can join us.

[Monkeyman]

44. Republicans should just shut up they are part of the problem

[w8liftinglady]

46. no shit..they know it-shays didn't want to go on record

[w8liftinglady]

48. so,Mr Davis-why didn't you do anything about this?

[Monkeyman]

47. Clearly definded yes it is

[Monkeyman]

49. Army wide problems hey num nuts talk to the Marines

[Monkeyman]

53. Dam I got to go keep me informed will you guys

[w8liftinglady]

50. I can hardly wait for the false outrage from the repubs

[rodeodance]

51. saying "Building 18 is just ONE visible symptom"

[w8liftinglady]

52. witness testimony.

[w8liftinglady]

54. SSGT Shannon.statement

[w8liftinglady]

57. wounded in iraq-gsw to head.TBI and loss of lt eye

[rodeodance]

55. Walter Reed is NOT a Veterans Administration Medical Facility. (2 Diff Groups)

good post from earlier that is rapidly sinking.


Forum Name General Discussion
Topic subject Walter Reed is NOT a Veterans Administration Medical Facility. (2 Diff Groups)
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x340313#340313
340313,

Walter Reed is NOT a Veterans Administration Medical Facility. (2 Diff Groups)
Posted by Ioo on Mon Mar-05-07 08:11 AM

This is for education reasons, this is not a defense of the scandal.

I see a lot of people who are making a huge mistake interchanging the Walter Reed issue and the Veterans Administration. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME…

Walter Reed is part of the DOD Medical System, it is run by the DOD via the Department of the Army. It falls under the DOD budget, the one that is so large that it engulfs every nation on the planets own defense budget.

The Veterans Administration is a cabinet level agency that has many parts, the medical wing of the VA is called the VHA (Veterans Healthcare Administration) and has NOTHING to do with the DOD, or the DOD budget.

I am a disabled vet in the VHA system, and to be honest I (ME) have had great healthcare under the VA system (Been covered by the system for 11 years). I know there are issues, but please people, they are not the same….

You do all veterans a disservice by lumping them together. Once a vet, no matter HOW is discharged from the service, they can get NO CARE FROM the DOD, they must go to the VA. The VA is a long term system for vets, they do not treat people as they come off the battle field.

[GreenPartyVoter]

88. Thanks for pointing that out

[rodeodance]

56. Witnesses are being sworn in now.

[w8liftinglady]

58. given a map and told to find the malone house

[w8liftinglady]

60. WITH A BRAIN INJURY

[w8liftinglady]

62. sat in a room for weeks waiting for someone to call..ptsd

[w8liftinglady]

64. no advocacy that isn't working for the gov't

[rodeodance]

67. this Staff Sargent who was a witness did real good.

[rodeodance]

59. the witness with the lost eye==Is this a Woman???

[w8liftinglady]

61. no

[rodeodance]

71. thanks.

[rodeodance]

63. my internet pic is not good (sounds like a woman but has she lost her

hair?)

[napi21]

65. Very sad story from Sgt. John Shannon.

I thought the public health care system was scrwed up. GOOD GOD! His story makes me think we've got it damn great!

[w8liftinglady]

66. annette mcleod-spouse of injured soldier

[w8liftinglady]

68. NG soldier activated=head injury..sent to walter reed after mistake

[w8liftinglady]

69. no treatment or follow-up after initial assessment

[w8liftinglady]

70. army said he wasn't trying hard enough-tried to say he was retarded

[w8liftinglady]

72. placed on cholestrol med-no followup-developed liver failure

[w8liftinglady]

73. back injury-no mri-too expensive-try to blame it on pre-existing cond

[rodeodance]

75. There was a documentary of how a troop was demoted--said was

lazy and not following orders. This went on for several months (while in Iraq)-------before she was diagnosed as having a brain injury form being NEAR blasts.

I do not know if she ever got her rank back. PBS I think aired it a while ago.

[w8liftinglady]

74. jeremy duncan

[w8liftinglady]

76. ied-neck fracture lt arm,lt eye lt ear injury

[w8liftinglady]

77. describing barracks 18-weakened immune system-black mold

[w8liftinglady]

78. contacted buildings maintainance-went through chain of command

[w8liftinglady]

79. this is a q and a session now-mrs mcleod

[w8liftinglady]

80. she informed commanding general ...or tried to.."he did not have time"

[w8liftinglady]

81. did meet with general weitman-"he's being punished-the fall guy"

he didn't have anything to do with my husband's case,but did listen

[w8liftinglady]

83. ssgt shannon-asked platoon sgt to give him 25% of cases to help keep track

[babylonsister]

82. I think Tierney's doing a fine job; he's got all his ducks in a row, very

methodical.

[w8liftinglady]

84. not grandstanding-i respect that

[w8liftinglady]

86. shays asking questions.."Attitude you encountered"

He took new soldiers under his wing-common because they weren't getting any help

[w8liftinglady]

87. treated like a piece of dirt

[w8liftinglady]

89. impersonal treatment is a problem-

[malaise]

85. This is heartbreaking

Support the troops my fugging ass.

[w8liftinglady]

90. I have an anger problem,too-I hope they throw the whole lot in the brig

[w8liftinglady]

92. Shannon is outraged-his testimony is killing me

[Norquist Nemesis]

96. Oh, completely agree. Wanted to punch Shays a minute ago

I have it on in the background and caught Shays getting snarky. It's obvious Duncan's having trouble and getting frustrated; Shays' tone was completely inappropriate. :grr:

[Ninja Jordan]

91. Would a hearing have happened with a republic Congress?

[blogslut]

95. In the basement

at the Alamo. :(

[rodeodance]

97. no, I really do not think so.

[rodeodance]

101. Waxman talking of past Gov Reports warning of problems

[rodeodance]

105. sounds to me like this scandle was just blistering----waiting for the pus

to burst forth!

[rodeodance]

108. WHOW HO------Waxman calling them REPRESSED Reports

[Norquist Nemesis]

100. Only if a Democrat was in the Oval Office

Then, we'd be seeing Impeachment hearings.

[w8liftinglady]

93. Waxman-"how could anyone say we didn't know"?

showing large list of articles

[w8liftinglady]

94. quoting marc benjamin's articles

[w8liftinglady]

98. The Gao's own reports

[w8liftinglady]

99. Waxman is going to crucify these criminals

[babylonsister]

102. I hope; he's laying it out, and then he'll go for the jugular. nt

[w8liftinglady]

104. it took the washington post to get peoples attention-

[Monkeyman]

103. Waxman is using what we sent

[w8liftinglady]

106. he is quoting the "surprise" by top officials

[w8liftinglady]

111. David Chu"the amounts of military medical care and pensions are hurtful"

Veteran care and war funds should be separate

[rodeodance]

112. saying that the Top officials- just had NO idea!!

[malaise]

107. Fabulous Waxman

Nail them.
There is no way they couldn't have known. What a fugging indictment of Bushco.

Add.

[Sydnie]

109. Does that guys eye patch have a picture of his medal on it?

What is that?

[DemReadingDU]

110. purple heart

[Sydnie]

115. thank you

My picture quality if not so good today.

[flashlighter]

114. I don't know, but that guy is awesome! I can't believe how

brave he is. <3

[Sydnie]

118. I just tuned in

trying to catch up as quickly as I can.

[babylonsister]

113. The soldiers and Mrs. McLeod are great! Telling it like it is. We NEED this! nt

[malaise]

125. Annette McLeod has me in tears

I can't believe this stuff. Bushco won't recover from this one. IMfuggingPEACH!

[Jeanette in FL]

116. I have the biggest lump in my throat

I am not going to get through this hearing without crying. How incredibly sad. This is so difficult to listen to and to hear what our soldiers are going through.

[w8liftinglady]

117. I already have.My son is in this system.

[w8liftinglady]

119. Mrs Mcleod is making me cry

[w8liftinglady]

122. how about a new thread?

[eleny]

124. me too

[cooolandrew]

120. This is huge somebody get clips on youtube. ty.

[rodeodance]

121. Thread # 2 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=389

[babylonsister]

123. McLeod (crying): "I don't care about your careers." So sad she and

her family had to go through this, but she's also a hero in my eyes!

[Monkeyman]

126. Cannot afford to give t shirts we have a major problem