Walter Reed woes bring turmoil at the top

[babylonsister]

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/harvey070302/

Walter Reed woes bring turmoil at the top

By Kelly Kennedy, William McMichael and Gina Cavallaro - Staff writers
Posted : Saturday Mar 3, 2007 8:46:31 EST

The more than 1 million soldiers of the Army, deeply involved on two war fronts, suddenly find themselves serving under leadership tainted by scandal and in critical transition. Army Secretary Francis Harvey is out, pushed out the door by his boss, Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Read complete coverage of the Walter Reed controversy.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/online_reedarchive_070302/

Gates was unhappy with the Army’s response to revelations, reported by Army Times and The Washington Post, that wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington were consigned to squalid quarters and mired in administrative red tape while awaiting care and evaluation for benefits.

“I am disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed,” Gates said in the Pentagon briefing room.

“Some have shown too much defensiveness and have not shown enough focus on digging into and addressing the problems,” Gates said.

“Also, I am concerned that some do not properly understand the need to communicate to the wounded and their families that we have no higher priority than their care, and that addressing their concerns about the quality of their outpatient experience is critically important.

“Our wounded soldiers and their families have sacrificed much and they deserve the best we can offer.”

He took no questions from reporters.

Harvey was at Fort Benning, Ga., the morning of March 2, when he cut short his visit to return to Washington to meet with Gates. Sources told Army Times that Gates asked for Harvey’s resignation. However, in an interview in his office shortly after the announcement, Harvey said he offered Gates his resignation because he believed the Army let down the wounded soldiers. He said the furor has depressed the staff at Walter Reed, and he wanted to prevent any others from leaving or being fired.

“We can’t have them leave,” said Harvey, a former corporate leader appointed to the top Army civilian post in November, 2004. “We can’t have them be so demoralized that they leave. So I figured what the heck, if I offer my resignation, that may stop all this bleeding, and it was accepted.”

more...

[spindrifter]

1. Let's be sure to remember that

the real blame dates back to Rummy. He's gone--but he needs to step up and accept his legacy, a failure to treat those who served with human dignity.

[lyonn]

2. Turmoil at the top.... damn wounded troops just won't suck it up!!

Bush made some smarmy remark that W. Reed had a long tradition of dedication, etc. etc. That might have been true and I believed it was true until the bushies took over. Oh how bush relies on our old tried and true traditions and then stomps on them. Nothing, Nothing is more honorable than to take care of our wounded.

Now bush is tromping all over the devastated area where the tornados did their worst and once again can't complete a sentence even when describing the pain those people are experiencing. He is throwing out the "I" word, and "god" word, and "words like, the people here are strong and can make this whole thing better on their own", while clutching a couple of teenagers, girls, paraphrasing of course. Wake up America. He doesn't care America. Ya gotta stop believing what you want to believe and see reality.

Can we impeach now? Sorry, what else can we do to stop this IDIOT.

[Auntie Bush]

4. "Sorry, what else can we do to stop this IDIOT" Shoot em

up cowboy.

Agent mike...be sure you read the whole post before you draw any conclusions

[lyonn]

5. Got a chuckle out of that Auntie!!

Democrats have a problem trying to be logical when insanity is all around us. I have dealt with some real mentally retarded people and logic doesn't work. Actually it isn't totally insanity it is pure lies mixed in with a puppet leader that is mentally retarded. Those repubs know how to pick em. Remember Reagan? Hell, I voted for him, oh the shame and embarrassment.

Poor agent Mike. Look what he has to deal with?

[Monkeyman]

3. K&R

[Merrill]

6. Americans WOULD Support National HealthCare

Bottom line active duty and vets in america would be better off with National Healthcare:


Most Support U.S. Guarantee of Health Care


By ROBIN TONER and JANET ELDER
Published: March 2, 2007
A majority of Americans say the federal government should guarantee health insurance to every American, especially children, and are willing to pay higher taxes to do it, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/washington/02poll.html?ex=1173589200&en=46444db95848ddd2&ei=5070&emc=eta1

=============================================

Our Mission: Single-Payer National Health Insurance

Greg Silver, MD (Fl.)
The U.S. spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on health care, $7,129 per capita. Yet our system performs poorly in comparison and still leaves 46 million without health coverage and millions more inadequately covered.

This is because private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consume one-third (31 percent) of every health care dollar. Streamlining payment though a single nonprofit payer would save more than $350 billion per year, enough to provide comprehensive, high-quality coverage for all Americans.

http://www.pnhp.org/