McCaskill Says VA Secretary Nicholson Is ‘A Brownie Situation,’ Calls For Him To Resign
McCaskill Says VA Secretary Nicholson Is ‘A Brownie Situation,’ Calls For Him To Resign
Today on CBS’s Face the Nation, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) called on the Bush administration to remove Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley from his post as Army surgeon general, and to fire Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson, whose appointment “looks like a Brownie situation.”
“This is a political appointment,” McCaskill said of Nicholson. “This is somebody who has spent a whole lot of the last few years defending everything about the White House.” CBS host Bob Schieffer piled on, saying “in at least two television appearances that I have seen him…he seemed unfamiliar with the services that were being offered by his own agency.” Watch it:
Nicholson is the Michael Brown of veterans affairs. His primary qualification for the job was serving as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000, “raising close to $380 million for the 2000 cycle.” During Bush’s first term, Nicholson was rewarded with the plush ambassadorship to the Vatican; after being selected to run the VA, he promptly ranked #4 in The New Republic’s list of “the 15 biggest Bush administration hacks.”
In the wake of the Walter Reed revelations, President Bush appointed Nicholson to lead a special panel to “cut through red tape” affecting veterans. But veterans advocates say it was Nicholson’s “inept management of the VA [that] has lead to the red tape.” ABC News revealed last week that Nicholson shelved a program that could have avoided many of the bureaucratic delays plaguing injured vets because of its cost — less than $1 million.
Transcript:
MCCASKILL: Now, come on. We can do better than that. And we need more social workers. They need more caseworkers. They need more legal advisers. And they need a change in the culture of command. General Kiley needs to be removed from his duty as surgeon general of the Army because it’s that culture of command.
And by the way, General Kiley — I documented in the Armed Services hearing this week, he knew of these problems. He’s known of them for several years. And he was in the position to do something about it, and he needs to change. He needs to go. We need a new commander over the medical command of the U.S. Army, and a new culture of command.
SCHIEFFER: Now, one of the things we found out over the past couple of weeks is that these problems go beyond Walter Reed. They go to some of the other military hospitals and they also extend into the Veterans Administration, where we’ve seen the secretary of the Veterans Administration in at least two television appearances that I have seen him where he seemed unfamiliar with the services that were being offered by his own agency. How serious is the problem there?
MCCASKILL: Well, the Walter Reed syndrome spreads to other military hospitals around our country and also into the V.A. And, frankly, the V.A. is really a problem. The president has cut the budget in the Veterans Administration for the past five years.
In the budget that he just submitted to Congress, he went in the veterans’ pockets for another $5 billion for the health care they were promised for free. And with all due respect to the head of the Veterans Administration, this is a man that was chairman of the Republican National Committee. The appearance isn’t right. You know, this looks like a Brownie situation. Let’s put somebody…
SCHIEFFER: Brownie as in FEMA.
MCCASKILL: As in FEMA. You know, this is a political appointment. This is somebody who has spent a whole lot of the last few years defending everything about the White House. Really, that’s not the right person to be leading the agency that’s supposed to protect our veterans.
And I really think it’s time we put somebody in charge of the Veterans Administration whose first priority are the veterans and not the politics surrounding the agency.
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Not only is this toady, incompetent sycophant a total idiot, he doesn’t give a damn about the VA or veterans, as demonstrated by his budgeting shananigans and lies.. He deserves to be fired and then escorted by a group of disabled veterans to a basement somewhere and given a lethal blanket party (after being waterboarded, of course). Any questions? Go see the Sgt Major.
March 11th, 2007 at 3:47 pmShe is right!
March 11th, 2007 at 3:48 pmIf I was an alien from Tralfamador or a Borg, this would be a great time to assimilate America. Apparently every person in charge of the affairs of this country is a clueless twit or a criminal.
March 11th, 2007 at 3:48 pmGodfryDaniel, that sounds about right to me. From the president on down, a bunch of clueless twits. The main qualification for appointment appears to be either the ability to amuse the chimp in chief, or the ability to raise lots of money for the repugs.
Our local VA hospital had posters up all over the place, the last time I was there, saying how much they had shortened the wait time for new patients to get appointments. It was clear to me, from personal experience, the way they did it was to lengthen the time between appointments for existing patients.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:01 pmGood for Bob and Claire. Is this guy Nicholson even a veteran? The treatment our soldiers are receiving is not only ‘on the cheap’, but on the side of incompetence. And let’s not forget the Halliburton side of the story.
Heads should roll and it should start with W’s impeachment.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:07 pm“It’s hard . . . it’s hard work”
~ Prezident GDumbya Bu$h
March 11th, 2007 at 4:09 pmlol “Brownie” is now an expression. A metaphor 4 cronyism.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:17 pmAnd the investigations over inept, corrupt management and special interest-crony hire goes on and on and on…
March 11th, 2007 at 4:20 pmYou would think these people would be embarrassed, knowing what is looming on the horizon. But then, that would require long range thinking and preventative decision-making, on thier part. Another thing they are not especially qualified for doing.
go, mccaskill! … for a newbie, she has been up front in a lot of stories lately… doing what she was elected to do! … missouri should be proud!
March 11th, 2007 at 4:22 pm…
Another sad, twisted mistake by the Bush Administration.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:22 pmlol “Brownie†is now an expression. A metaphor 4 cronyism.
Comment by jeff
Its kind of a double metaphor as in Bush “Brownied” the VA and in their a bunch of “Brownies” as in brown noses from kissing Bushies ass. Wow they got two things done at one time.
#1. Comment by angryvietnamvet — March 11, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
March 11th, 2007 at 4:27 pmWe’re appointing you to lead OUR special panel cause we like YOUR procedures best!
First Bush picks a special panel to go investigate Iraq and after how money months they advise him and he ignores their recommendations.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:30 pmI guess having a panel his his way of stalling and then having three extra months to do nothing until he does nothing. Bob Dole said today that he was investigating through the end of June.
lol “Brownie†is now an expression. A metaphor 4 cronyism.
Comment by jeff
I’d rather see “Bushie” be the term for cronyism (or any other incompetent management procedure).
March 11th, 2007 at 4:31 pmA brownie situation.
Okay, one question, is this like a Haggardly situation?
Is Ann going to rehab?
Or was that a Sanchez situation?
Is that like pulling a Newt or inserting a Clinton?
I am so confused by all these Friedmans.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:40 pmMy God, what have we become? We spend millions on smear smear campaigns and cannot find it in our heart to spend one lousy million on humanity.
I am so ashamed.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:46 pmBushCo = Chaos
If you’re tired of the chaos in our foreign policy and our domestic policy then impeach.
March 11th, 2007 at 4:47 pmWhat a difference between Senator McCaskill and the man she defeated last November, Repug Jim Talent(less)!
March 11th, 2007 at 4:51 pmThey steal from my home and invade my privacy, yet they claim to be good and Godly and just. The claim love and peace yet practice deception and guile. They look at me as some oddity from outer space, rattle my cage and disturb my sleep. They hope to fill my heart with rage and hate so I can become like them – like modern man.
March 11th, 2007 at 5:00 pm“In the wake of the Walter Reed revelations, President Bush appointed Nicholson to lead a special panel to “cut through red tape†affecting veterans.”
Well, that’s real nice.
EXCEPT, Walter Reed ARMY MEDICAL CENTER has ZERO to do with ‘vets.’
• Walter Reed is for ACTIVE SERVICE ARMY. They slap protheses on and SEND THE SOLDIERS BACK INTO COMBAT.
Building 18 is presumably where soldiers too injured to be returned to combat go — to live out their partial recovery among their Bushco’s rats, roaches, and black mold. Open wounds, unconscious soldiers — it’s LUNCH time, rats!
Oh, how fast the RNC has shifted the dialogue to the VA!
The PRIVATIZATION of Walter Reed ARMY Medical Center, $120 million to ADP Worldwide, run by the former Halliburton (a company now headquartered in Abu Dhabi) chief, is controlled by vulture hedge fund Cerberus, run by former Bush Treasury Secretary John Snow.
Cerberus, the three-headed dog of hell, is classically BOUGHT OFF WITH A COIN.
When the ARMY privatized their Walter Reed ARMY Medical Center, they FIRED 240 STAFF the day before ADP took over. ADP then fired ten more.
From 300 staff, the privatizing contractor cut (with the help of the compliant ARMY) 5/6 of the former staff.
Oh, that damn VA! How come they can’t stop the ARMY FROM PRIVATIZING THEIR PROSTHETIC GARAGE FOR BROKEN SOLDIERS?
• Shall we PLEASE stop letting the ARMY off the hook by talking carelessly about the Veterans Administration, which, benighted, has all its own problems, and probably its own privatization scandal under Bush — but which IS NOT THE ISSUE WITH WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER!
That has to with the ARMY.
(…but this isn’t a Complaint About Army Privatization form — those are blue).
March 11th, 2007 at 5:24 pmIraq: the hidden cost of the war
America won’t simply be paying with its dead. The Pentagon is trying to silence economists who predict that several decades of care for the wounded will amount to an unbelievable $2.5 trillion.
Casualty conspiracy
the number of wounded listed on the VA website dropped from 50,508 to 21,649. The Bush administration had, once again, turned reality on its head to concur with its claims.
So far, more than 200,000 veterans from the current Iraq or Afghanistan wars have been treated at VA centres. Twenty per cent of those brought home are suffering from serious brain or spinal injuries,
There is now a backlog of 400,000 claims from veterans and waiting lists of months, some of which “render . . . care virtually inaccessible”, in the words of Frances Murphy, the VA’s own deputy under-secretary for health. Claims are expected to hit 874,000 this year, 930,000 in 2008. Casualties returning from Iraq meanwhile outnumber other patients at Walter Reed 17 to one, and many have to be put up at nearby hotels and motels rather than in the hospital beds they desperately need. Suicide attempts are frequent; often the less wounded end up having to care for the more seriously wounded.
GEORGE BUSH HATES THE TROOPS BRING THEM HOME NOW…………
March 11th, 2007 at 5:31 pmI like Claire McCaskill. I hope we hear a lot more from her.
Nicholson, if he was an honorable man, would resign immediately — last week, for god’s sake.
Well….?
March 11th, 2007 at 5:59 pmWho’s gone?
The lines are drawn. It’s the Republicans versus our Justice System. Pick your sides Republicans. Because what Bush said is true. You are either with the Bush Republicans (and against Justice) or against them (and for Justice like the rest of us).
Make your choice.
I am for our Justice System. Don’t mess with lawyers who have devoted their lives to public service. Not all of them will be corrupted for partisan ends. The bar is powerful. And it truly upholds the rule of law. It doesn’t just give lip service, like the President and his rubbish about his number one goal in Iraq to “uphold the rule of law.” Hah. This is the same President that outs his own CIA agents for political reasons, by “secretly declassifying” them. This is the same President that tried to appoint his personal crony hack lawyer to the Supreme Court. This is the same President that tried to intimidate our Justice Dept into targeting Dems. Where will it end?
March 11th, 2007 at 6:10 pmMcCaskill is a hell of an improvement over the untalented Jim Talent she defeated last November. Now if only we could do more of the same next November.
March 11th, 2007 at 6:30 pmRefreshing to hear a Dem Senator say it like it is.
March 11th, 2007 at 6:30 pmGo Claire!!!!!
That’s us home folks in Missouri worked our asses off and sent you there.
Thanks for keeping faith!
March 11th, 2007 at 7:01 pmThanks for keeping faith Claire.
That’s why we sent you there.
March 11th, 2007 at 7:02 pmThank God this is finally getting media attention. For years leaders of VSO’s – Veteran Service Organizations have claimed Nicholson is not veteran friendly and was appointed to fullfil the neocon agenda.
March 11th, 2007 at 7:09 pmIs this sycophant the reason why I got a letter from the VA last year concerning my personal information may be compromised? Why the VA has less funding and more casualties from the Iraq/Afghan wars? Why the VA health care system is breaking down FUBAR?
March 11th, 2007 at 7:15 pmFom the original post: ABC News revealed last week that Nicholson shelved a program that could have avoided many of the bureaucratic delays plaguing injured vets because of its cost — less than $1 million.
Additional defense money he’s (the current, corrupt president’s) already requested to finance this year’s war operations (actually, that should be military operations; no “war” has been declared) in Iraq and Afghanistan = $93.4 billion* = $93,400 million.
And Jim Nicholson (the Brownie clone) can’t wheedle an increase to $93,401 million out of the Budget Office?
Nicholson almost makes Brownie look competent. Naaaaaah!
* Infomation obtained from YAHOO! News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_iraq
March 11th, 2007 at 7:28 pmDoes anyone know if Nicholson even has military experience?
March 11th, 2007 at 7:28 pmAnd to think that McCaskill nearly lost that election to Toady Talent.
March 11th, 2007 at 7:53 pmShe has been hard at work representing Missouri and its citizens.
I I lived in Missouri, I would be personally proud of her.
Zooey; I don’t know if this schmuck ever served, but judging by the track record of this administration, odds are a million to one, no. This administration should be called the ‘reign of the chickenhawks’.
March 11th, 2007 at 7:54 pmThis administration should be called the ‘reign of the chickenhawks’.
Comment by Uncle Ho
That, too.
March 11th, 2007 at 9:04 pmzooey, uncle ho – yep… but not just for his country!
Prior to his nomination, Mr. Nicholson served as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, a position he held since 2001, where he became a well-known advocate in Rome for the elevation of human dignity, giving special emphasis to human trafficking, religious freedom, starvation and bio-tech food, HIV-AIDS, and international terrorism. He was knighted by Pope John Paul II in October 2003 for this work on these issues while representing the U.S. to the Vatican.
Mr. Nicholson was born in 1938 and grew up on a tenant farm in northwest Iowa in a family of seven children. He is a 1961 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Mr. Nicholson served eight years on active duty as a paratrooper and Ranger-qualified Army officer, then 22 years in the Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel. While serving in Vietnam, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry and two Air Medals.
March 11th, 2007 at 9:12 pmhttp://www1.va.gov/OPA/bios/biography.asp?id=29
If he was in Nam he was hiding in a hole someplace lacking the balls to do otherwise. Shithead should be fired. Thats an order.
March 11th, 2007 at 9:26 pm“he became a well-known advocate in Rome”
End factual report. Begin propaganda:
“for the elevation of human dignity,”
…by blocking women’s rights, in line with Holy See bigotry…
“giving special emphasis to human trafficking,”
…while ignoring completely the trafficking of prostitutes to US troops in Iraq…
“religious freedom,”
…by helping to spread lies about Islam, also in-line with Holy See policies…
“starvation”
…by assisting ADM in selling its pesticides and dual-use chemical fertilizers…
“and bio-tech food,”
…impoverishing millions of farmers through forced use of Monsanto GMO seed contracts…
“HIV-AIDS,”
…by helping cut funding to the fight for AIDS, while joining the Vatican in its fight against LGBT rights, divorce, and use of condoms…
“and international terrorism.”
…by helping make the U.S. the main terrorist state in the world.
Bravo, traitors. Making money for big corporations…no wonder Catholic Inc. loved him.
March 12th, 2007 at 1:35 amZooey; I don’t know if this schmuck ever served, but judging by the track record of this administration, odds are a million to one, no. This administration should be called the ‘reign of the chickenhawks’.
Comment by Uncle Ho
I looked up Nicholson’s record in wikipedia, and he turns out to be a Westpoint grad with military experience–which to me makes his neglect of wounded veterans even more appalling. BTW, the fact that this one guy does have military experience doesn’t in my mind lessen the reasons for calling this administration your choice expression, the ‘reign of the chickenhawks’.
March 12th, 2007 at 2:49 am“I looked up Nicholson’s record in wikipedia, and he turns out to be a Westpoint grad with military experience”
I heard Benedict Arnold took his wife’s cause and tried to sell West Point to the British.
I think cooperating in a ripoff privatization of Walter Reed that treats soldiers like dirt is plenty of evidence that Ben Arnold has lost some of his laurels.
March 12th, 2007 at 3:33 amThe left was never so diligent in watching govt as it is under this Republican President. I don’t remember calls for resignation of Janet Reno after she murdered women and children in Waco.
Sorry folks, Bush is still President. King George, to all of you. He won’t be stepping aside anytime soon. AND interestingly enough, the GOP still leads the horserace for 2008 polls. EVEN in this mess! HA – that has to bother you.
March 12th, 2007 at 9:42 amDoin a heckuva job, Ritchie!
March 12th, 2007 at 9:48 am[...] out this profile of Senator Claire McCaskill from Sunday’s Post-Dispatch. And don’t miss this coverage of her appearance on Face The Nation in which she takes the Bush Administration to task for depriving our veterans of the benefits they [...]
March 12th, 2007 at 9:59 am#39 you have a faulty memory.
And someone is not being straight with you when when say the GOP is leading.
Oh, wait — you are a Faux-TV exclusive viewer/Lintball listener. Sorry. That explains your ignorance.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:10 am#41 – I am sorry, did Janet Reno not kill women and children in Waco? Do you have polls showing Hillary or Obama leading McCain or Rudy? Is Bush not the President?
Not sure that anything I said was false, but since your so blinded by hatred, you might be missing the truth.
March 12th, 2007 at 10:25 am[...] day after Senator Claire McCaskill called for his ouster on national television, Army Surgeon General Kevin Kiley has announced his plans to retire.Last year, voters said they [...]
March 12th, 2007 at 1:07 pmNot sure that anything I said was false, but since your so blinded by hatred, you might be missing the truth.
Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists
You don’t get to talk about anyone else’s possible hatred — with a name like yours.
March 12th, 2007 at 1:07 pmNot sure that anything I said was false, but since your(SIC) so blinded by hatred, you might be missing the truth.
Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists
You already lose any argument with the name you choose to comment with. Talking about being “so blinded by hatred, you might be missing the truth.”
March 12th, 2007 at 6:25 pmI would like to recommend that you look up the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) rankings of how all members of Congress, except the newest ones, have or have not supported issues of concern to veterans, such as more funding for traumatic brain injury research. All the Congresspeople receiving A’s and B’s are Democrats; whereas prominent Repgs like Dennis Hastert, John Warner, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Liddy Dole, etc. all receive F’s and D’s. Yes, they all even voted against slightly more $ for research to help soldiers/veterans who nearly had their brains blown out. Your darling Repgs talk a lot about supporting the troops, but never put the money where their mouths are.
I am not including the http website, as it got stuck in TP’s spam filter previous times I tried to send it. I’m sure you can find it on Google.
Nicholson and Kiley, YOU’RE BOTH A CREEP!
March 13th, 2007 at 4:09 pmHOW THE HELL AT NIGHT DO YA BOTH SLEEP?
As Kurosawa Akira said, THE BAD SLEEP WELL(tm)
‘Cause YOU TWO SHITS HAVE SOLD YA SOULS TO THE DEVIL IN HELL!!!
I’d BE GLAD to SEND YA BOTH TA HIM in THE BIG SLEEP(tm)!!!!!
Nicholson is a completely incompetent idiot! Have you ever watched him testify before a congressional panel? He does not know what the hell he is talking about. He cannot answer the questions posed to him, the way someone in his position should be able to. As a retired Navy disabled veteran, I said he should have been fired after our personal identity information was stolen not once, but twice during his tenure. Yes, he is in fact a Vietnam veteran. However, he certainly treats veterans with the same distain and disrespect that Bush treats American citizens with. Kick his ass out of this job!
March 19th, 2007 at 5:31 pmI’ve been going to the VA since 1968. Just when you think the VAMC has bottomed out and can’t get any worse they find a way. My observations over the years are as follows:
Good things are:
Isolated and perhaps accidental
Bad things are:
The norm covered up by statistical manipulations
Intentional, systemic driving veterans away from receiving their, pre-paid for by the veteran, benefits
These are systemic because they are employed across the country and across time periods
Systemic lies by the VA. One lie was claiming the money was going to other parts of the country. This blaming of other VAs for the lack of services or poor services is but one lie the VA used on a national basis.
Since 1968 the one thing that has been consistent has been the downward spiral of services and the anti-veteran policies and practices of the VAMCs.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:21 am