Army secretary quits in wake of hospital scandal
Army Secretary Ousted: Second Firing Follows Walter Reed Revelations; Bush Vows a Probe
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey resigned Friday in the wake of recent reports of substandard conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a key facility treating troops wounded in Iraq. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Harvey’s resignation at the Pentagon, just a day after Harvey removed the hospital’s commander, Maj. Gen. George Weightman, from his post.
I applaud Secretary Harvey for having the moral courage to do the right thing. Though he’s not personally responsible for the miserable conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital, the problems occurred while he had supervisory authority. Like any good leader, Harvey accepted responsibility, and when Secretary of Defense Robert Gates demanded his resignation, he acquiesced. Will Harvey’s resignation solve the problems at Walter Reed? Of course not. In reality, Harvey’s forced resignation will change nothing. What it may well do is to introduce an aura of something resembling accountability into the Bush Administration- a commodity sorely lacking these past six years. Without a commitment from the White House, nothing will change. A commission will only provide Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © political cover. Remember the Iraq Study Group and their recommendations? Yeah, it didn’t take long for their report to be deep-sixed, eh?
Before Americans begin to think that the problem is being solved, they need to recognize that Walter Reed Army Hospital is not the only broken spoke in the wheel. The military’s health care system is very nearly irretrievably broken. Anyone who’s ever been to a VA hospital should be able to attest to this sad reality. We love our soldiers when they’re fighting for us, but when they come back broken, we’re OK with ignoring them and tossing them on the scrap heap. The reality is that all too often our soldiers, who deserve and should be given every possible resource necessary to help them heal, are subjected to an underfunded military health care system willing to cut corners and bury the wounded in red tape and bureaucratic minutiae.
This administration has trumpeted their commitment to and love for our men and women in uniform since Day One…and yet they’ve allowed this travesty to happen on their watch. Yes, it’s good that Francis Harvey is being held accountable, but the accountability should be moving much farther up the political food chain…and straight to the Oval Office.
If we can afford to fight a senseless war of aggression and occupation in Iraq, then we should be able to afford to provide our wounded soldiers with the very best health care available. That this clearly is not being done should mean that the responsibility needs to be laid on the big desk in the Oval Office. It’s time to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.
NOW CAN WE IMPEACH THE LYING BASTARD??
