Top Veterans Affairs Health Official Resigns Amid Scandal

by JASmius

.....so his boss wouldn't have to.

Except, of course, he doesn't anyway; but this will stay the hissing torches and pitchforks:

The top health official at the beleaguered Veterans Affairs department abruptly quit Friday amid growing outrage over delays in care for ailing veterans at numerous VA facilities.

VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel was supposed to retire this summer, but VA Secretary Eric Shinseki asked for his resignation early, Military Times reports.  

"As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA healthcare, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care," Shinseki said in a statement. "I am committed to strengthening veterans’ trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system."

VA officials wouldn't elaborate on any specifics on the forced resignation, according to the Times. [emphasis added]

No need to, actually.  The emphasized portion of the above quote pretty much tells you all you need to know.  Somebody in the Regime decided a sword needed to be fallen upon, and Dr. Petzel was retiring anyway, so what the hell, why not give Shinseki a little extra insulation?  Now he can "get to the bottom of" Deathgate without any more "distractions".

Not that it'll make any difference, but not everybody is sated by the Petzel sacrifice:

Meanwhile, an Army Times editorial called for Shinseki to step down.

Noting allegations at the heart of the VA care lapse scandal "are hardly new," having been outlined in a December 2012 report by the Government Accountability Office, "That should have served as a top-down wake-up call to clean house and bring overdue transparency and reform to what long has been viewed as the most dysfunctional agency in the federal system," the editorial says.

Eighteen months later, the VA still fails "to provide timely medical care for the nation’s veterans as demand for those services grow."

"In situations such as this, the buck must stop at the top: After five years on the job, it is time for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to step down," the editorial urges.

All true.  Every word of it.  But even Shinseki bowing out in disgrace wouldn't solve the underlying problem, which is that the VA is [drumroll] single-payer.  Just because it is supposed to specifically serve veterans doesn't change the fact that's it's still socialized medicine.

If you want to solve the problems with the VA, here's a crazy suggestion: Privatize it.  Until then, have fun changing captains on the Obamatanic.  I know the "iceberg" will be entertained.