Comments on: Veterans: With Friends Like This . . . http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:37:39 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Uncle Joe Mccarthy http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59553 Uncle Joe Mccarthy Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:42:16 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59553 kritter, apparently congressmen from both sides have been speaking out about the va conditions for years now, but no one (that includes the msm and blogs) were really listening...and we all should be ashamed however, the republican party has been in power throughout this entire war, and they have held the purse strings....so the buck must stop with them that is, until they blame clinton for fht whole mess and nicholson should resign...i really wonder how he sleeps at nite kritter,

apparently congressmen from both sides have been speaking out about the va conditions for years now, but no one (that includes the msm and blogs) were really listening…and we all should be ashamed

however, the republican party has been in power throughout this entire war, and they have held the purse strings….so the buck must stop with them

that is, until they blame clinton for fht whole mess

and nicholson should resign…i really wonder how he sleeps at nite

]]> By: kritter http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59232 kritter Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:51:21 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59232 Shaun- apology accepted, brother! Shaun- apology accepted, brother!

]]> By: Shaun Mullen http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59230 Shaun Mullen Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:48:21 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59230 kritter: Ugh! I apologize. kritter:

Ugh! I apologize.

]]> By: kritter http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59194 kritter Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:15:34 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59194 Shaun- That would be amen, sister, LOL! BTW- I would have to agree about the Bush Cabinet- most of them are foxes guarding the henhouses or slavish loyalists to the Bush agenda. Gates is the first one that seems to have backbone, but as I said earlier, he should have gotten rid of Kiley- who knew for a long time about WR's conditions, and failed to respond, and have recommended to Bush to get rid of Nicholson. Weightman, having just arrived on the job, was the fall guy. Shaun- That would be amen, sister, LOL!

BTW- I would have to agree about the Bush Cabinet- most of them are foxes guarding the henhouses or slavish loyalists to the Bush agenda. Gates is the first one that seems to have backbone, but as I said earlier, he should have gotten rid of Kiley- who knew for a long time about WR’s conditions, and failed to respond, and have recommended to Bush to get rid of Nicholson. Weightman, having just arrived on the job, was the fall guy.

]]> By: Shaun Mullen http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59161 Shaun Mullen Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:13:26 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59161 kritter: Amen, brother! Nicholson is all too typical of Bush-era Cabinet secretaries. Instead of advocating for the department's constituency, he dutifully follows the Dear Leader's behind-the-scenes moves to squeeze the gonads of veterans in need of help while we hear endless imprecations from him about supporting the troops. kritter:

Amen, brother!

Nicholson is all too typical of Bush-era Cabinet secretaries. Instead of advocating for the department’s constituency, he dutifully follows the Dear Leader’s behind-the-scenes moves to squeeze the gonads of veterans in need of help while we hear endless imprecations from him about supporting the troops.

]]> By: kritter http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59127 kritter Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:39:01 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59127 The system is vulnerable to congressional budget cuts, so yes, Congress is also responsible. A few have tried to improve veterans' care. How tragic that it took a national scandal to draw attention to the problems. I have no doubt that this would have just kept getting worse if it were not for Dana Priest's expose in WaPo. Nicholson's job is to advocate for veterans, and make sure the VA runs smoothly. With two wars going on, isn't it his duty to make sure that injured servicemen get the benefits that are owed them? The system is vulnerable to congressional budget cuts, so yes, Congress is also responsible. A few have tried to improve veterans’ care. How tragic that it took a national scandal to draw attention to the problems. I have no doubt that this would have just kept getting worse if it were not for Dana Priest’s expose in WaPo.

Nicholson’s job is to advocate for veterans, and make sure the VA runs smoothly. With two wars going on, isn’t it his duty to make sure that injured servicemen get the benefits that are owed them?

]]> By: Critch http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-59115 Critch Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:19:23 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-59115 Where were all these Democrats while we're piling on the Presdient? Hell, they live right there in Washington, why weren't they going to visit soldiers? For that matter, where were all the high-minded Republican politicans for that matter? If they had visited, they would have seen the conditions and should have done something about it. I'm 53 years old and I've been using the VA system for years, neither political party has ever done anything great for it. Where were all these Democrats while we’re piling on the Presdient? Hell, they live right there in Washington, why weren’t they going to visit soldiers? For that matter, where were all the high-minded Republican politicans for that matter? If they had visited, they would have seen the conditions and should have done something about it.

I’m 53 years old and I’ve been using the VA system for years, neither political party has ever done anything great for it.

]]> By: ChuckPrez http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-58983 ChuckPrez Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:06:52 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-58983 I've always liked this saying: Veterans: With Friends Like This, who needs enemies? I’ve always liked this saying:

Veterans: With Friends Like This, who needs enemies?

]]> By: kritter http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-58982 kritter Thu, 08 Mar 2007 14:45:59 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-58982 As frequently is the case in Washington, the wrong people have been left in place to deal with this scandal. Nicholson's major qualifications for getting the job in the first place may have been his close ties to the Republican Party as RNC chair, and contributor to the demise of the Gore campaign, rather than actual experience as an advocate for better care for veterans. Elsewhere in the media, he is being labeled the "Brownie of the VA". Another case of a patronage job handed out to a party hack. What other results would you expect??? As frequently is the case in Washington, the wrong people have been left in place to deal with this scandal. Nicholson’s major qualifications for getting the job in the first place may have been his close ties to the Republican Party as RNC chair, and contributor to the demise of the Gore campaign, rather than actual experience as an advocate for better care for veterans. Elsewhere in the media, he is being labeled the “Brownie of the VA”. Another case of a patronage job handed out to a party hack. What other results would you expect???

]]> By: superdestroyer http://themoderatevoice.com/11375/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-58975 superdestroyer Thu, 08 Mar 2007 14:10:16 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/military/veterans-with-a-friend-like-this/#comment-58975 Anyone who believes that any computer database that would need to be installed at hundreds of facilities, track several million individuals, and would require a huge amount of data entry would require a couple of people and one million dollars is an idiot. Doesn't the government have a long history of failure to deliver on computer systems (like the FBI electronic casebook?). Sullivan sounds like your typical government program manager who had his program cut and is not disgruntled. Anyone who believes that any computer database that would need to be installed at hundreds of facilities, track several million individuals, and would require a huge amount of data entry would require a couple of people and one million dollars is an idiot.

Doesn’t the government have a long history of failure to deliver on computer systems (like the FBI electronic casebook?).

Sullivan sounds like your typical government program manager who had his program cut and is not disgruntled.

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