“Enough”
During a photo-op at Walter Reed, Bush said: “The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures. The system failed you and it failed our troops. And we're going fix it.”
When asked to respond to Bush’s remarks, former Democratic Senator Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam said: “It's really unbelievable for the commander in chief five years into this war, after he said "Major combat over," "Mission accomplished," "Bring 'em on," and his own failure and the failure of his administration to plan for casualties in this war that have now amounted to more than 3,200 dead, 30,000 wounded, and continuing the loss of our young people at 80 a month, and a thousand casualties a month, it's a little bit late to go to Walter Reed and say, well, it's just the bureaucrats' fault.”
Furthermore, Cleland who ran the Veterans Administration under Jimmy Carter warned that Bush is threatening to veto legislation that would add $20 million to Walter Reed and take the hospital off the list of bases to be closed. Bush plans to veto legislation for a billion dollars extra for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling, treatment for traumatic brain injury, and $2 billion for the Veterans Administration.
Cleland insists: “The way to really rectify the situation at Walter Reed is to bring the troops home and make Walter Reed a center of excellence for wound care. That's the way to really take care of the troops.”
During his visit to Walter Reed, Bush stated: “We expect there to be no strings on our commanders, and that we expect the Congress to be wise about how they spend the people's money.”
Cleland reply was, that when Clinton was president, there were Republicans who were calling for a timeline for withdrawal from Somalia, from Haiti, from the Balkans, but now Republicans are saying: “We don't want a timeline.”
Cleland feels that Congress declares war and the Congress can undeclare it. This Congress is disposed to follow the American people and say "enough", while signing legislation, that gives more money to Walter Reed and the Veterans Administration.
When asked to respond to Bush’s remarks, former Democratic Senator Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam said: “It's really unbelievable for the commander in chief five years into this war, after he said "Major combat over," "Mission accomplished," "Bring 'em on," and his own failure and the failure of his administration to plan for casualties in this war that have now amounted to more than 3,200 dead, 30,000 wounded, and continuing the loss of our young people at 80 a month, and a thousand casualties a month, it's a little bit late to go to Walter Reed and say, well, it's just the bureaucrats' fault.”
Furthermore, Cleland who ran the Veterans Administration under Jimmy Carter warned that Bush is threatening to veto legislation that would add $20 million to Walter Reed and take the hospital off the list of bases to be closed. Bush plans to veto legislation for a billion dollars extra for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling, treatment for traumatic brain injury, and $2 billion for the Veterans Administration.
Cleland insists: “The way to really rectify the situation at Walter Reed is to bring the troops home and make Walter Reed a center of excellence for wound care. That's the way to really take care of the troops.”
During his visit to Walter Reed, Bush stated: “We expect there to be no strings on our commanders, and that we expect the Congress to be wise about how they spend the people's money.”
Cleland reply was, that when Clinton was president, there were Republicans who were calling for a timeline for withdrawal from Somalia, from Haiti, from the Balkans, but now Republicans are saying: “We don't want a timeline.”
Cleland feels that Congress declares war and the Congress can undeclare it. This Congress is disposed to follow the American people and say "enough", while signing legislation, that gives more money to Walter Reed and the Veterans Administration.
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