Walter Reed Not The Only Place With Problems

Last month I wrote about news coming about squalid conditions and ill-treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. [ http://hellbroadcast.blogspot.com/2007/03/bush-administration-is-beginning-to.html ] In that post I mentioned that VA Secretary Jim Nicholson had ordered full report of conditions from all 1,400 VA health clinics and hospitals.

The reports are now in, and apparently the problem of squalid conditions is not exclusive to Walter Reed, according to the reports.

Associated Press detailed the problems found at many other locations, stating that the report found that 90 percent of the 1,100 problems cited were routine wear and tear, such as worn-out carpets, peeling paint, mice sightings, and dead bugs.

The other 10 percent of problems were serious in nature.

Here’s a quick run-down of some of the other problems:

<*>Mold spreading in patient case areas, serious enough to require immediate action in eight cases;

<*>Roof leaks thought a facility in White City, Oregon, requiring them to “continuously repair via leaks upon occurrence, clean up any mold presence if any exists, spray or remove ceiling tiles”;

<*>Also at White City, large colonies of bats residing outside the facility, occasionally finding their way into the building;

<*>Secondhand smoke from an outside smoking shelter sometimes seeped into the building in Oklahoma City;

<*>Deteriorating walls and hallways in patient areas in Little Rock, Arkansas;

<*>Numerous “environmental conditions” as well as roof leaks and mold in New York’s Hudson Valley, with the private landlord repeatedly refusing to fix problems;

<*>Roof leaks and mold in North Chicago, Illinois;

<*>Roof leaks and mold in Indianapolis, Indiana;

<*>Roof leaks and mold in Puget Sound, Washington;

<*>Roof leaks and mold in Portland, Oregon;

<*>Roof leaks and mold in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In some cases the staff at the affected facilities are either constantly patching up the problems, or moving to new facilities.

Veteran’s associations state that these problems are to be corrected immediately and should not be shelved due to insufficient funding, or lack of interest from the national media.

The disclosures from Walter Reed lead to three high-level Pentagon officials stepping down.

A separate review of the Veteran’s Affairs system is underway to determine the previously stated problems of dealing with disability claims, in an attempt to cut through the bureaucratic delays, confusing paper work and the long appeals process.

This whole thing seems to be merely a problem arising from too much bureaucracy in the system. It’s doubtful that this issue will solve itself quickly, even as the number of injured soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan is rising and will continue to rise as the surge on Baghdad gains momentum.

Change in the system is slow. In the end, it’s America’s soldiers who will draw the short stick, yet again, if the problems aren’t fixed soon, or if this issue gets stuck in the bureaucratic wishy-washy nature of government. A fraction of the money the United States spends daily fighting wars in far off lands could easily grease the machine and work miracles back in the States. It’s ridiculous that so much money is being spent sending the soldiers into harms way, yet once they return from a tour in battle, they’re practically on their own.

I refer you once again to a soldier inside Walter Reed: http://walterreed.blogspot.com

Sources:
AP: Mold, Leaky Roofs Beset VA Clinics – Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/veterans_care

Inside Walter Reed Hospital: A Patient’s View

We've heard about the conditions and neglect at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the news lately. The media has only so and so dug into the issue and what it's like to be a patient there. Now, here is a personal blog from within, written by a patient. The blog is really worth reading.

http://walterreed.blogspot.com

The Bush Administration Is Beginning To Crumble

The Bush Administration has been rattled by three scandals lately; the I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby trial, ill-treatment of returning wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital, and the firing of 8 U.S. Attorneys. All three cases have been in the news lately, and continue to be, so I’ll just touch upon them ever so slightly, in an effort to side light on what is going on and what it means for the Bush Administration.

Covering Up Lies In The White House: United States vs. Lewis Libby

The Scooter Libby Trial, or Plame Affair as it’s also known as, is a long and arduous case. Long story cut short: Members of the Bush Administration leaked the covert identity of a CIA operative, an act which is allegedly a political retribution to the agent’s husband’s (Joseph Wilson) criticisms of the Bush Administration’s reasons for going to war in Iraq. Namely, Wilson declared the Administration’s evidence, connecting Saddam Hussein to weapons of mass destruction, fraudulent.

Before resigning from office as a result of being indicted, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was the Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, assistant to the VP on national security affairs, and an assistant to President Bush between 2001 and 2005.

The crucial issue in the Libby conviction in relation to the Bush Administration is not what he did, but rather why he did it.

Originally, Libby was indicted not only for perjury, obstruction and lying, but also for the act he was covering up.

Libby confirmed the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA operative to a reporter, Robert Novak, then denied it, proceeding to cover up the leak.

Several months before the start of the Libby trial, Richard Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State, admitted to being the source of the leak. He wasn’t charged with anything. He wasn’t even tried in court.

Karl Rove and Lewis Libby were originally both be indicted and prosecuted for the cover up. Rove managed to avoid the same fate as Libby by changing his grand jury testimony. He walked and is free to continue his job as senior policy advisor to Bush. Karl Rove has also admitted his involvement in the leak, having spread the word about former Ambassador Joseph Wilson being sent by his CIA wife on a mission to Africa. He hasn’t been indicted on the matter.

On March 6th, 2007, Libby was convicted on two counts of perjury, one count of obstruction, and one false statement count. He was acquitted on a second false statement count. Libby is the highest-ranking white house official convicted in a government scandal since the Iran-Contra Affair.

The issue continues as Valerie Plame, the CIA operative who’s identity was outed, has filed a civil lawsuit against Dick Cheney, stating that he allegedly “illegally conspired to reveal her identity”. Also named in the lawsuit are Lewis Libby, Karl Rove and ten yet unnamed administration officials.

When The Support Ends: The Walter Reed Hospital Scandal

As the verdict in the Liaby trial was being read, reports of squalid conditions and ill-treatment of returning soldiers began to emerge from Walter Reed Hospital.

Injured soldiers returning from duty in Afghanistan and Iraq have stated many problems at the hospital. These include: cockroach and rodent infestations, mold-covered walls, neglect of soldiers, bureaucratic delays, stained carpets, cheap mattresses, no heat or water, even reports of drug dealers at the hospital entrance, among other problems. In addition, some injured soldiers tell of been forced to pull guard duty to better the law security present at the hospital. Democratic congressmen have been quick to point the finger directly at the Bush Administration, stating “catastrophic failure of leadership”. It has also come out that reports of outpatient neglect have been reported as early as 2004.

The poor treatment of injured soldier is reported to be due to poor training, lack of staff, underfunding, and conflicting policies among the Army, the Veterans Affairs, and the Defence Department.

Since the initial reports, three high-level Pentagon officials have been forced to step down over the poor treatment and horrid conditions. All three have at a time overseen Walter Reed Hospital, and must have been aware of the situations within.

Responding to the reports coming from Walter Reed, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson is ordering all 1,400 hospitals and clinics under the supervision of the VA to report on the quality of their facilities in order to determine whether conditions similar to those at Walter Reed exist elsewhere.

Margaret Carlson at Bloomberg (via Huffington Post) summarized the sentiment with the scandal:
“Say a word about bringing them home and you’re a traitor who wants to abandon the troop. Send them off without training or armor, and bring them back to poorly staffed, decrepit and vermin-infested Walter Reed Hospital, the brown jewel of the military, and you’re a patriot.”

The President Doesn’t Like You Anymore: The Purging Of U.S. Attorneys

In the past few months, eight U.S. Attorneys have been fired. The roots of the removals extend all the way to the White House.

According to the Congressional Research Service, there have been a mere five instances in the past 25 years in which U.S. Attorneys were fired by the President or resigned following reports of questionable conduct. This figure doesn’t include U.S. Attorneys fired by an incoming president, such as in the case of Bill Clinton firing all republican Attorneys upon taking office.

As the firings began in December, it seemed that Bush’s Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Bush Administration was getting off with simply explaining that it was time for a change. Nevertheless, once the number of fired U.S. Attorneys reached eight, questions had been raised. Possibly feeling pressured, Justice Department officials began to to blame the attorneys, stating poor performance as grounds for dismissal. Never mind that all of the pushed attorneys had previously received very favorable reviews and performance reviews. Fact of the matter is, there attorneys were fired surely for political reasons, because of their unwillingness to go along with the abuse of the judicial system being imposed from the top. Keep in mind that Bush wasn’t firing people appointed by someone else as Clinton did. U.S. Attorneys serve for up to 4 years at a time, meaning that each of the fired attorneys were actually appointed by Bush himself.

Karl Rove, upon being asked for the reasons for the firings, stated that the attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President and that there eight were removed for cause, over performance issues. Six of the lawyers told House and Senate committees they were dismissed without explanation.

From Libby to Walter to Attorney, these three cases are a mere continuation of the scandals that have happened, are happening and are itching to happen under the watch of the Bush Administration. Several heads have fallen already, unimportant enough to save the Administration from crumbling by sacrificing their careers. With the exception of Libby, no other White House official has been dragged to the chopping block as of yet, even though evidence is piling up on the crimes of the Bush Administration. There are many people in seats of power, walking free, “immune” to the scandals. Or is this just the beginning of the end for the Bush Administration? Guess we’ll find out soon enough… Did someone say “impeachment”?

Sources:
The Blog Margaret Carlson: Libby Is Guilty, Yet Bush’s Lies Are Exposed The Huffington Post
Lewis Libby – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plame affair – Wikipedia, the free

Plame v. Cheney – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Army surgeon general ousted amid Walter Reed scandal – CNN.com

Walter Reed Army Medical Center neglect scandal – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Q&A: Hiring and firing of U.S. attorneys – Yahoo! News

Gonzales: Prosecutors firings mishandled – Yahoo! News