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Pentagon tries to block testimony by Walter Reed chief.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) “is challenging the Pentagon, which is attempting to block the former chief of Walter Reed Army Medical Center from testifying before Congress next week.” Waxman wants to ask Maj. Gen. George Weightman about a contract to manage the medical center awarded to a company that had documented troubles fulfilling a contract to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. Waxman’s staff has confirmed the congressman has issued his first subpoena to legally compel Weightman’s testimony.



33 Responses to “Pentagon tries to block testimony by Walter Reed chief.”

  1. Tom says:

    Let’s not let them get away with another cover up. Call your congresscritters everyday. We can do this.


  2. Uncle Ho says:

    Cover-up! sweep it under the rug!


  3. Wayne says:

    hmmm, from the article linked:

    In the letter, Waxman charged that the Army used an unusual process to award a five-year, $120 million contract to manage the center to a company owned by a former executive of Halliburton, the scandal-prone government contractor once operated by Vice President Dick Cheney.

    why does it not supprise me in the least that Cheney’s name and Halliburton pop up in relation to this fiasco?


  4. RUCerious says:

    Under every moldy rug we turn up, there’s Halliburton, sucking our wallets dry.


  5. Bluedog49 says:

    OK, that’s what you get with Henry frickin’ Waxman running the committee, people. Subpoenas and forced accountability. It’s about time!


  6. wake-n-bake says:

    It’s the “Halliburton” way to do business.

    No compete contracts, big bully tactics and bloated bottom lines.

    YOU GOTTA PROBLEM WIT DAT???


  7. Nellieh says:

    IAP Worldwide Services is/was run by a Halliburton crony. No f’n wonder it is screwed up. Profit and profiteering over honest service.


  8. wake-n-bake says:

    It’s supposed to be a parody.

    Would be funnier if it were not the truth.


  9. . says:

    this what Privatization’ll get you, disrepair,vermin and cockaaroaches


  10. AshenShard says:

    So, where are all the trolls who were spouting about how socialized healthcare caused this problem and that privatization would solve it?


  11. Clyde the Ripper says:

    If Henry had hair on his head like he has on his ass he could be President. Give ‘em Hell Henry, you is d’ man!


  12. . says:

    from the Army Times:
    ….the Defense Department “systemically” tried to replace federal workers at Walter Reed with private companies for facilities management, patient care and guard duty – a process that began in 2000.

    …“But the push to privatize support services there accelerated under President Bush’s ‘competitive sourcing’ initiative, which was launched in 2002” .

    …..They also found that more than 300 federal employees providing facilities management services at Walter Reed had drooped to fewer than 60 by Feb. 3, 2007, the day before IAP took over facilities management. IAP replaced the remaining 60 employees with only 50 private workers.
    ….IAP Worldwide Services, which is run by Al Neffgen, a former senior Halliburton official.


  13. exterminaterepugnicansNOW says:

    I want to privatize Chaney’s privates, dress him in some sexy Victoria’s Secret drag (like Ms.Rove wears at home) and pimp him out on the streets of East Bagdag where they would love his rosy ass. Bet that would wipe that ugly smirk off his face and replace it with sweet smiles the likes of which we have never seen on Dickless. I will send the proceeds to refurbish the war wounded’s lodgings at Walter Reed.


  14. Manhattanite says:

    Go Waxman! Put these bastards’s feet to the fire!


  15. Valiant Penus says:

    Hello my name is Valiant Penus and I will be the atturney for the government on this one. Exlaxley will be my co-counsel. I am sorry but we cannot allow this testimony and will move to sqaush this subpenis on the grounds that his testimony would give aid and comfort to the enemy by letting them know we treat our own soldiers like sh1t. I beleive there is is signifigant caselaw in our favor, but then again I also beleive angels speak to me after i’ve smoked meth all night, perphaps I’m impeaching my own credibility a bit.


  16. Valiant Penus says:

    This is actually a brilliant strategy by waxman.. these fookers are always screaming about “YOU DONT SUPPORT THE TROOPS”.. now here is an enormously politically profitable opportunity to show the cuntry what hipocrties they are…


  17. ChildrenofLir says:

    Put them all in jail. Cheney, Bush, Barbarian Bill, Mann Coulter


  18. Raymond Funamoto says:

    Get those SUBPOENAS A FLYIN’, Representative Waxman!!!!! Bring Bushland Uber Allies TO ITS KNEES!!!!!


  19. chimpeach says:

    Patrick? Little Patrick1Note? Where are you? Come and extoll the virtues of privatization to us, Patrick.

    This is just so perfect. We just had Patrick1 telling us the other day that the fix for all the problems at Walter Reed is privatization. Close but not quite, Patrick. Privatization was the CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS THERE!!!

    Imbecile.


  20. Mikey says:

    Definately not enough of these criminals going to jail. I’ll be writing my leaders every week. Count on it.


  21. Mikey says:

    I’m not trying to hijack this post with off-topic stuff but I heard something this morning on Howard Stern that completely shocked me (and it had nothing to do with his usual toilet humor). They had a re-run show from November of 1994 when Newt was speaker of the house. Stern was complaining about Gingrich because, aparently the breaking news at the time, Newt was publicly bashing the former Speaker for allegedly having issues with young boys. That speaker was Tom Foley. TOM FOLEY. Funny, I don’t remember anyone bringing this issue up during the Foley scandal last year, and why isn’t Newt up on charges of child endangerment if he knew this was going on so long ago? He knew about Foley in 1994!!!


  22. mary says:

    This is the crime against our own. This is a crime that must be addressed and the Urine man most be removed now. This administration is sick!



  23. nofltwlt says:

    Waxman is doing a great job. Americans must know of all the dirt and dirty tricks of the GOP and this administration.

    If the GOP had stolen the 2006 mid-terms as they did the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections we would be on the road to ruin – even worse than we are now.


  24. katy says:

    *
    did you see this? … good links:

    BREAKING: Did Privatization at Walter Reed Put Troops at Risk?
    By: SilentPatriot @ 3:51 PM – PST
    Why would the Army fire the well-respected Gen. Weightman? They say it’s because they lost trust and confidence in him. It would appear, however, that it’s because they don’t want him testifying about the privatization that led to the terrible conditions at Walter Reed. Henry Waxman is trying to get to the bottom of it. And what would cronyism in Bush’s government be without…wait for it…Halliburton. (h/t Strawberry)

    VIDEO UPDATE: CNN is calling the privitization memo a potential smoking gun in the scandal
    [...]
    http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/02/breaking-did-privatization-at-walter-reed-put-troops-at-risk/

    .


  25. Mary Poplins says:

    #20 Isn’t this guys name Mark Foley not Tom Foley?


  26. rachel says:

    http://www.peace-action.org/

    ———————————————————————————

    To: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
    cc: Chairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Committee on International Relations

    We, the undersigned, vehemently oppose any U.S. military action against Iran. Such military action would inevitably kill large numbers of innocent people, foster even more hatred and international condemnation of the U.S., and dramatically increase the instability of the region. Our own intelligence agencies have concluded the Iraq war has worsened the terrorist threat, and a war against Iran would add immeasurably more fuel to the fire.

    Even if Iran decided to build a nuclear weapon, experts agree that it would take several years. There is no crisis, and our government should not create one with inflammatory rhetoric or military threats. The U.S. has both the time and obligation to work with the international community to fashion a diplomatic resolution to the situation, and the current refusal of U.S. officials to talk directly with Iranian officials cannot possibly help resolve the nuclear standoff, nor contribute to peace in Iraq and the Middle East.

    Therefore, we urge you to take all steps necessary to reach a peaceful resolution to the current situation, including direct negotiations without pre-conditions. This is the only way to prevent yet another war, one that would be a calamity of truly global proportions.
    ———————————————————————–
    No War with Iran!
    President Bush is now regularly accusing Iran of supporting attacks on U.S. troops, without any evidence, – remember the WMD’s in Iraq, anyone? – adding that “we will seek out and destroy” these networks. Bush has authorized U.S. forces to kill Iranian “operatives” in Iraq, and he is sending nuclear aircraft carriers and missile defense batteries to the Persian Gulf. The unthinkable – a wider war in the Middle East – is unfolding.

    John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that any U.S. military move into Iran would be “catastrophically stupid” and “unleash a conflagration like we’ve never heard of before.” We could not possibly agree more.

    Resistance to a Bush planned military strike on Iran is growing in Congress, but it needs your help! Sign the petition to Congress below – No War with Iran! House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said recently that she would introduce legislation to stop such a strike, so our demand is beginning to get through. But the pressure needs to be much, much stronger to stop a President who has apparently gone mad with war and his own power.

    Please know that your email address is for internal purposes only; we will not send it to the petition recipients nor share it with any other organization for any purpose. Thanks also for forwarding this to your friends, colleagues and listserves. We need everyone who wants to bring peace to the Middle East and prevent a war with Iran to join the effort now!
    ———————————————————————————–

    http://www.peace-action.org/


  27. big papa says:

    Comment by katy #24

    Feb. 3, 2007, the day before IAP took over facilities management. IAP replaced the remaining 60 employees with only 50 private workers.

    IAP Worldwide Services, which is run by Al Neffgen, a former senior Halliburton official.

    Comment by . #12

    Yeah katy…

    …I heard this company (and Al Neffgen) are the same company that couldn’t get ice and water to the Gulf Coast Region following the spate of hurricanes that hit Fla., Ala., Miss., and La…

    …and yet these sons-of-bi*ches were awarded a $120 million dollar contract for the Walter Reed mess…

    …How can ANYONE NOT see that Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Carlyle Group and all of the other corporate “PRIVATIZATION” PUSHERS…

    …are ROBBING us blind?


  28. TexasVietVet says:

    Ah, the famed Halliburton connection. These “free market” crooks have a hand in everything and make tons of money and screw the GI’s. I hope Henry Waxman exposes this corrupt profiteering bunch good. It doesn’t surprise me that they got caught, but I believe this has been going on for quiet some time and finally a news article exposed it AGAIN.

    BUCK FUSH!


  29. rahel kinnardi says:

    http://www.tarpley.net/bushb.htm

    George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography — by Webster G. Tarpley & Anton Chaitkin
    ————————————————————–

    I encourage everyone to download and read this free book about George HW Bush. It explains how George Junior grew up as well as all of his misgivings then and now.

    It is available in .htm and .zip format

    EVERY dirty little secret is revealed. It is a GREAT recent history text.


  30. Privatized Disaster at Walter Reed « News Coctail says:

    [...] Pentagon, rather than admit that this whole privatization thing is a washout, is trying to block testimony by the former chief of Walter Reed, Maj. Gen. George Weightman. As a result, Henry Waxman has [...]


  31. Captain Pike says:

    Privatization=STEALING

    It’s the Truth;Read it & weep.


  32. Privatized Disaster at Walter Reed « Tons of Fresh News says:

    [...] Pentagon, rather than admit that this whole privatization thing is a washout, is trying to block testimony by the former chief of Walter Reed, Maj. Gen. George Weightman. As a result, Henry Waxman has [...]



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