The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

A Long History Of Ineptitude And Corruption

Posted on | May 28, 2014 | 35 Comments

— Wombat-socho


While this could be a descriptor of many offices, bureaux, agencies and possibly even entire departments of the Federal Government, I’m addressing the problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is still referred to by many as the Veterans Administration or simply VA. As CNN points out in this excellent article (apparently they do still have good reporters, they just don’t let them on the air) the VA has been a disastrous pile of fail ever since 1921, when Congress formed the Veterans Bureau only to see it collapse into a slough of corruption so bad that it had to be abolished in 1930 and replaced with the Veterans Administration, which also took over pensions from the Interior Department and the National Home For Disabled Veterans, this last actually comprising a number of Federally operated homes for destitute and disabled veterans.


Trouble could have been foreseen from the beginning at the VA, since its first head was retired Brigadier General Frank Hines, who had headed the scandal-plagued Veterans Bureau for seven years; he would be sacked by President Truman in 1945 after a series of news reports on shoddy care in VA hospitals*. He was replaced by General Omar Bradley, but even Bradley could make little headway with the over-centralized VA bureaucracy, and by 1946 the American Legion was calling for his head. Two years later, a government reform commission found massive waste, fraud and inefficiency in the VA, some of which was cured by decentralizing the bureaucracy; another reform commission in 1955 noted that waste and poor care persisted. The problems continued on through the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and continue to persist today.


Part of the problem is that while theoretically the VA is supposed to provide care for all veterans, in practice, it triages veterans based on whether their injuries/illnesses are combat-related (this was at the root of the Agent Orange brouhaha) and whether they can afford to pay for their own care. Another part of the problem is that the VA has arguably never had the assets to properly do its job, and while the VA budget has increased since 2008, it hasn’t kept up with the surge of elderly veterans from the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boom who now comprise most of the patient load. This is also the reason why you’re seeing most of the “dying in line” cases coming out of the VA medical centers in Arizona and Florida – those states are very attractive to retirees, and so retired vets tend to flock there. You don’t hear about problems like this in Minneapolis, Washington DC and Boston, for example, because most retired vets either aren’t interested in living in climatic hellholes or simply can’t afford to live in the latter two areas due to their high costs of living. The number of Iraq/Afghanistan vets trying to fight their way through the paperwork to get their benefits is relatively small by comparison.


Megan McArdle posted a pessimistic essay yesterday which I linked to this morning, whose basic thrust is that the Obama Administration thought they could solve the VA’s ongoing problems by just throwing more money at the problem and hiring some more people, only to find that the solution just wasn’t that simple – people need to be fired and processes need to be changed, and both of these are a hell of a lot harder in the Federal government than they are on Wall Street or Silicon Valley. Instead, thanks to the executive decision to make it easier for vets to get help for PTSD and Agent Orange, the claims ratcheted up faster than the agency could deal with them (McArdle quotes a National Journal article that says Agent Orange claims ate up 37% of the VA’s claims processing resources from 2010 to 2012), so things wound up even worse off than they were before. The obvious solution, which is allowing the private sector to take some of the load off, has been fought by the American Federation of Government Employees, which has been fighting a new $9.3 billion program that encourages Medicare-eligible vets (about half the patient population) to seek care from civilian hospitals.**
Stacy’s Crazy Cousin John is often wrong, but as far as the VA is concerned, he’s right – the Veterans Health Administration needs to be stripped down to the things it does best, and hand off other medical care to private physicians. Given the current administration’s sinister ineptitude, though, I think we’ll continue seeing more veterans die in line while waiting for the VA bureaucracy to get them what they need.


*In an ironic tribute to the VA’s ongoing problems, the Chicago VA Medical Center is named for General Hines and is equally mired in scandal.
** Hat tip to The Lonely Conservative.


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Category: Corruption, Megan McArdle, Scandal

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.28.14

Posted on | May 28, 2014 | 22 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Ukraine Forces Retake Donetsk Airport

Smoke obscures Donetsk’s Sergei Prokofiev International Airport

Separatist casualties heavy


Obama Pledges To End US Presence In Afghanistan By 2016
Gee, what a coincidence.



Boko Haram Kills 31 Nigerians In Attack On Base
Cameroon joining the fight?



POLITICS
House’s Oldest Member Ousted In GOP Primary

Ralph Hall, 91, had served in the House of Representatives since 1980.

Unseated by former attorney who was only 15 when Hall was first elected

Texas Lt. Gov. Dewhurst Defeated In Re-Election Attempt

Hagel Orders Review Of Military Health System

Federal Consumer Watchdog Agency Scraps Employee Ratings

IL House Passes Third Version Of 2015 Budget

FLOTUS Takes On School Meal Critics

News Groups Complain About Government Leak Rules

SOCOM Reportedly Training African Counterterrorism Units

Hacker Who Turned Federal “Whitehat” Sentenced To Time Served, Released



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Up From US Close As Ukraine Crisis Continues: NYMEX $104.18, Brent $110.31
Pilgrim’s Pride Makes Play For Hillshire Brands
Wall Street Breaks More Records
Nikkei Rises On US Data
Intuit Adds Check To Finance Stable In $360 Million Deal
Amazon: No Quick End To Hachette Dispute
Aussie iOS Users Reporting Hijacked Devices
Skype To Get “Real-Time” Translator
Apple Reportedly To Launch Control Systems For Homes
Valve Delays Steam Machine Until 2015
Ubisoft Launches “Watch Dogs” In North America



SPORTS
Westbrook Scores Forty As Thunder Even Things Up With Spurs

Westbrook also had five rebounds and five steals.

Western Conference Finals tied at two games apiece after Spurs fall 105-92


Sterling To NBA: F**k You

Bourque’s Hat Trick Keeps Habs Hopes Alive

Twins Rally In Ninth To Top Rangers

Jays’ Buehrle Beats Rays For League-Leading Ninth Win

Gallardo’s Pinch Hit In Tenth Sinks Orioles


Red Sox Rally Again To Beat Braves Again

Tigers Slip Past A’s

Astros Poised For Sweep After Blanking Punchless Royals 3-0

Pale Hose Top Tribe In Rain-Delayed Marathon

Rosario’s Dinger Leads Rockies Past Phillies

Hunter-Reay Gets $2.4 Million For Winning Indy 500

Tony Stewart Drives Sprint Car For First Time In Ten Months

Cron Spurs Angels To 6-4 Win Against Mariners

Greinke Solid As Dodgers Beat Reds

Cubs Blank Giants, 4-0

Nationals-Fish Tilt Postponed Due To Rain



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Miranda Lambert Supplies Carrie Underwood With Sweet New Ride

Now that’s a first-class seat cover!

Next stop for Carrie: motorcycle driving school


Royal Privacy Row As German Tabloid Publishes Duchess Of Cornwall’s Bare Butt Pic

Kristen Stewart On Her Role In “The Clouds Of Siles Maria” And The Other Side Of Fame

Charlie Cox To Play Daredevil In Marvel’s Netflix Series


George Clooney And Amal Alamuddin To Marry At Downton Abbey

Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow Rip Brainless WaPo Film Critic (BIRM) Over Eliot Rodger Op-Ed

Johnny Depp In Negotiations To Star As Houdini In Lionsgate Film

David Schwimmer Helps Cops Solve Stabbing

Katharine McPhee – I Didn’t Cheat On My Husband – We Were On A Break!

Emma Watson’s Graduation: Cap? Check. Gown? Check. Armed Guard? Check.

LeAnn Rimes And Eddie Cibrian Have Faith In Their Relationship

The Manager Who Turned Down Madonna

Alexa Ray Joel Says Living In Her Dad’s Shadow Is Scary

One Direction Toking Up In Controversial Video?

Sum 41 Singer Out Of Hospital After Brush With Death



FOREIGNERS
Patient Held As Suspect After Fire In ROK Hospital Kills 21
Chemical Weapons Watchdog Team Kidnapped In Syria
Thai Junta Airs Videos To Show Detainees OK
PRC Cracks Down On Instant Messaging Services
Nigerian Military, President Split On How To Rescue Kidnapped Girls
Leaders Agree To Review EU Agenda At Brussels Summit
Reserve Bank Of India To Keep Rates On Hold
US Citizens Advised To Leave Libya
Sudanese Christian Woman Condemned To Death Gives Birth In Prison



BLOGS & STUFF
First Street Journal: Economics 101 – You Can’t Increase Costs On Businesses Without Increasing Costs To Consumers
Michelle Malkin: Memorial Day 2014 – Land Of The Free Because Of The Brave
Doug Powers: On Your Marx, Get Set…
Twitchy: This Even An Apology? Toure “Very Sorry” His “Power Of Whiteness” Crap “Too Nuanced” For Twitter
American Power: Europe’s So-Called “Far Right” Parties
American Thinker: African Americans – Boko Haram Just Enslaved Africa’s Children – Again
BLACKFIVE: The Only Thing Transparent In The Obama Administration Is The Name Of The CIA Station Chief In Afghanistan
Blackmailers Don’t Shoot: Watch Dogs – First Impressions
Conservatives4Palin: Governor Palin Endorses Steve Lonegan For Congress
Don Surber: Daily Scoreboard, May 24
Jammie Wearing Fools: Shock Report – Recipients Of Connecticut’s Minimum Wage Increase Say It’s Not Really Helping
Joe For America: Why Are All Mass Murderers Democrats?
Pat Dollard: Federal Judge Who Ordered Conyers Put Back On Ballot Was Confirmed After Reid’s Nuclear Option Went Into Effect
Protein Wisdom: Historic Cross Erected To Honor Fallen WWI Soldiers, But Now Atheists Due For Its Removal
Shot In The Dark: You’re Invited!
The Jawa Report: American In Syria Loved Kitties, Blowing Self And Others Up
The Lonely Conservative: Unions Try To Block Veterans From Receiving Civilian Care
This Ain’t Hell: Generals Feathering Their Own Nests
Weasel Zippers: After Being Shamed Into Honoring Memorial Day, Google Honors Radical Environmentalist Responsible For Tens Of Millions Dead
Megan McArdle: Why Obama Can’t Fix The VA


Category: Live at Five

pardon the dust!

Posted on | May 27, 2014 | 33 Comments

if you experienced any intermittent issues with the site over the last 30 or so minutes, I apologize. I was busy drop-kicking 56,000 spam user accounts so stacy and team can stop moderating garbage and get back to writing about stuff we’re all way more interested in.

back to your regularly scheduled programming!

– Dennis the tech guy

Category: Uncategorized

Monsters And A Mystery

Posted on | May 27, 2014 | 49 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


I confess to having failed the Loyal Readers by not mentioning that I’ve finally gotten around to reading the first two Monster Hunter novels by International Lord of Hate Larry Correia, which were conveniently packaged in The Monster Hunters along with the first one I’d read, Monster Hunter Alpha, which is itself an excellent tale of modern horror set in a small Michigan town. While you can certainly read the Monster Hunter novels in any order, I think your appreciation of them is definitely improved if you read Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta first. To sum up for those who haven’t read them before, the Monster Hunter novels are about Owen Zastava Pitt, an accountant who finds himself volunteering for the secret war on vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump (and slash, and chomp) in the night after barely managing to kill his boss, who turned werewolf and decided Pitt would be a good late-night snack. Mysteriously, Pitt doesn’t himself become infected with lycanthropy – narrowly avoiding death at the hands of the Federal Monster Control Bureau – but gets a job offer from legendary monster hunter Earl Harbinger and Earl’s lovely daughter. The offer is to join Earl’s company of hunters, kill monsters, and get filthy rich collecting the bounties. Of course, Owen accepts, and the result is (so far) four novels chock-full of ultraviolence, cliffhangers, massive property destruction, and other entertainments. I am definitely looking forward to Monster Hunter Nemesis, wherein the MCB’s Agent Franks goes off the reservation – and you should, too.


Larry Niven is famous as the author of Ringworld, of course, not to mention The Smoke Ring. He’s at it again with Greg Benford in Bowl of Heaven, wherein a human ramscoop en route to the Earthlike exoplanet Glory comes across a gigantic half-Dyson sphere using its sun for propulsion – which is also headed for Glory. The bowl is inhabited, of course, and ruled by the long-lived, gene-manipulating Astronomers, who remind me more than a little of the fithp from Footfall, and the Astronomers are uncertain whether they want to “adopt” or exterminate the newcomers. Interesting read; nowhere near as good as Ringworld, but it has its charms.


Last in the list of books I’ve read this weekend is This Doesn’t Happen In The Movies, a nice little noir mystery by Renee Pawlish which is entertaining enough if you like noir, and hey – the price is right!


In the wider world of science fiction, apparently the increasingly irrelevant SFWA picked their Nebula Award winners recently, and excluded all the bad, evil, cismale patriarchal oppressors from the winner’s circle. Sarah Hoyt has a few things to say about that. As for the clash between Hachette and Amazon, Vox Day has pertinent comments.


Like Stacy, I’m going on the road next week and will be in Las Vegas from June 3-6. Since I’m planning on visiting both the Heart Attack Grill and In-N-Out Burger, there will be burger posting in addition to the usual Live At Five posts.


Category: Books, Culture

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson Will Speak at Republican Leadership Conference

Posted on | May 27, 2014 | 40 Comments

Just announced a few minutes ago:

Phil Robertson, patriarch of the Robertson family and star of the series “Duck Dynasty,” will address the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference, Thursday May 29th at 6pm. Also speaking on Thursday evening are RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Ron Johnson and Ben Sasse.
Other Speakers at the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference include Governor Rick Perry, Governor Phil Bryant, US Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, & David Vitter; Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann and Allen West! The Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans has become one of the premier political events in the country. It’s not too late to register.

Yeah, I’m on my way to New Orleans today, leaving out of Atlanta, and will be covering the RLC this weekend.




 

 

Category: Fear and Loathing in the French Quarter

Creepy Little Weirdo’s Murder Rant Becomes Cultural ‘Rashomon’

Posted on | May 27, 2014 | 59 Comments

Isla Vista mass murderer Elliot Rodger’s 7-minute video and 141-page manifesto have become a Rashomon — a story whose meaning is different to everyone. The Washington Post has Style section writer Ann Hornaday telling us how Rodger’s video rant reflects “misogynist” themes promoted by Hollywood.

Meanwhile, the shooter’s mention of Monette Moio — she shows up on Page 41 of Rodger’s manifesto as “a pretty blonde girl” he said teased him when he was in 8th grade and she was in 7th grade — drew an angry reaction from the girl’s father:

The woman’s father said it was Saturday morning when his 20-year-old daughter realized Rodger had made her part of his sick story.
“She’s devastated by this,” the dad said in a phone interview. “She doesn’t even remember this guy. . . . She’s always been the most delicate kid you’d ever want to meet. For him to call her a bully, this kid was really disillusioned.
“She was 10 years old,” the dad added. “He was two years older than her. He was in my son’s class. She was in the seventh grade and he was in eighth grade. . . . Can you imagine a 10-year-old kid bullying a 12-year-old? This little, petite girl bullying him?”
In his screed, Rodger called his crush an “evil bitch” who “teased and ridiculed” him and “wounded me deeply.”

The reality — this was just a girl he had a crush on in 8th grade, a girl who never even noticed him — became something completely different inside the twisted mind of the Creepy Little Weirdo. Speaking of twisted minds, Amana Marcotte’s got a long rant headlined, “How ‘Pick-Up Artist’ Philosophy and Its More Misogynist Backlash Shaped Mind of Alleged Killer Elliot Rodger.”

PJ Media’s Dr. Helen Smith fires back: “The Elliot Rodger Case: If Pick-Up Artists Are Guilty, Then So Are the Feminists.” Dr. Helen is a psychologist who has specialized in studying male violence and is also the author of Men on Strike: Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream — and Why It Matters. If anybody is an actual expert in this area, she is.

The focus on “pickup artist” (PUA) culture as an influence on Roger is probably misguided. As his manifesto makes clear, the Creepy Little Weirdo had been overwhelmed by resentment and a sense of failure since he was in middle school, and he didn’t start ranting on PUA forums until after he had already decided on his “Day of Retribution.” So he acquired from PUA culture a jargon (“Alpha males,” etc.) but this was not the source of his anger, nor did it exercise a determining influence on his actions. As for the PUA culture itself, they are denouncing Elliot Rodger as “effeminate.”

 

 

Category: Crime

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.27.14

Posted on | May 27, 2014 | 15 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Narendra Modi Sworn In As Prime Minister Of India

The new PM greets BJP party workers after paying tribute at a memorial to Gandhi in New Delhi yesterday

Takes office one week after his party’s smashing victory in Lok Sabha elections; Nawaz, Karzai in attendance

Ukraine’s New President Vows To Restore Order
Poroshenko rules out negotiations with pro-Russian militants

High Hopes For Al-Sisi As Egyptian Tourism Falters
Former general the consensus pick to win next week’s presidential election



POLITICS
Sen. Burr (R-NC), VFW Spar Over VA Scandal

VA Secretary Shinseki meets with ranking senators Burr and Sanders of the Veterans Affairs Committee

Burr accuses VFW, other vet groups of trading support for access to senior VA officials

Obama Observes Memorial Day At Arlington As VA Scandal Grows

Prosecutors Seek Leniency For Former Hacker Who Defended Government Websites

Medicaid Surge Triggers Cost Concern For States

In New Role, NYC Champion Of Homeless Hopes To Prove His Critics Wrong

US To Rev Up Hacking Fight Against PRC



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
WTI Stays Above $104 In Asian Trade As Libya, Ukraine Crises Persist
Asia Stocks Mixed On Political Tensions, ECB Rate Cut Hopes
Inflation Worries Weigh On Europe, Japan
Big Health Insurance Rate Hikes Coming?
Amazon Tests Its Dominance In Row With Hachette
US Reactors Prepare Long-Term Nuke Waste Storage
How Do Today’s Kids React To 1970s Computers?
Microsoft, Apple, And Device Discontinuity
Sony Forms PlayStation Venture In PRC
“Watch Dogs” Live-Action Fan Made Video Mimics Game Action
Here’s What “Wolfenstein: The New Order” Had To Do To Launch In Germany



SPORTS
Santana Can’t Hold Five-Run Lead; BoSox Rally To Beat Braves 8-6

Snapping a ten-game skid

Big Papi homered, drove in four

A’s Rack Up Five Homers In 10-0 Rout Of Tigers

Heat Dominate Pacers Wire-To-Wire, Take 3-1 Series Lead

Jays’ Weekend Sweep Of Rays The Start Of Something Special?

Rangers Move Within One Win Of Stanley Cup Finals

Howard Fuels Phillies’ Rout Of Rockies

Ramirez’ Walkoff Lifts White Sox Past Tribe

Brewers Bullpen Costs Lohse Another Win As O’s Rally For Win

Young Shines As Mariners Top Angels

Rangers Pound Twins 7-2

Pirates Rally In Ninth To Top Mets

Jimmie Johnson Ends Drought At Coca-Cola 600

Stanton Hits NL-Leading 15th Homer As Fish Beat Nats



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Emma Watson Graduates From Brown University

One English Lit major who won’t have to worry about finding a job

Took an extra year to wrap up degree due to break in 2011 to promote The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Unspeakable Armenian Gets Married
I’m taking six months in the divorce pool.

T.I. Vs. Floyd Mayweather: Brawl Erupts On Vegas Strip

Rachel Bilson Pregnant

“Happy Endings” Alum Casey Wilson Married


Christina Ricci Pregnant

25 Things You Don’t Know About Lea Michele

Justin Theroux Is The Main Course In “The Leftovers”

Picture Of Kate Middleton’s Bare Butt Posted Online

Jim Carrey Offers Heartfelt Advice To Maharishi U. Grads

The “Bullied” Fights Back

Nick Loeb Low-Key After Split From Sofia Vergara



FOREIGNERS
PRC To Scrap Millions Of Cars To Improve Air Quality
Thai Junta Rushes To Pay Rice Farmers, Boost Economy
Nigerian Military Knows Where Missing Girls Are; Rules Out Force
Pope To Meet With Sex Abuse Victims At Vatican
Canadian Doctor Gunned Down In Pakistan
Vietnam Accuses PRC Of Sinking Fishing Boat
Hollande: Euroskeptic Vote “Must Be Confronted”
At Least Forty Killed, 100 Injured As Indian Express Train Hits Stationary Freight In Uttar Pradesh
Jordan Declares Syrian Ambassador Persona Non Grata
Pope Francis Visits Jerusalem On Final Day Of Tour
Poroshenko Wins 54% In Ukraine Vote
Ireland’s Labour Party Leader Quits After Disastrous EU Vote Results



BLOGS & STUFF
American Power: Emo-Prog Elliot Rodger Was Fan of MSNBC’s Far Left Spinoff Channel, “The Young Turks”
American Thinker: Senate Democrats Declare War On Vets
BLACKFIVE: Are Journalists Free To Publish Classified Info?
Conservatives4Palin: Democrats Privately Calling Obama “Detached”, “Flat-Footed”, “Incompetent”
Jammie Wearing Fools: Justice Department Used Lois Lerner To Build Criminal Case Against Nonprofits
Joe For America: Mark Cuban, Stephen A. Smith, And The Dirty Little Secret About Blacks And Racism
JustOneMinute: Classic Krugman
Pat Dollard: Gay UCSB Killer’s Father Photographs Womens’ Naked Asses For Extra Cash
Protein Wisdom: Land Of The Flawed, Home Of The Corrupt
Shot In The Dark: Memorial Day
The Jawa Report: Smartest Administration Ever Accidentally Outs CIA Station Chief In Kabul
The Lonely Conservative: Lessons In Liberal Governance
This Ain’t Hell: The President At Bagram
Weasel Zippers: CAIR’s Canadian Branch Sues PM Stephen Harper For Accurately Linking Them To Hamas
Megan McArdle: Even Less To Like About Flying Coach


Category: Live at Five

ROAD TRIP!

Posted on | May 26, 2014 | 34 Comments

With little advance warning, I have decided to hit the road today, bound for New Orleans and the Republican Leadership Conference:

Republicans who can’t wait for an advance preview of the 2016 GOP presidential primary campaign should mark the last weekend in May on their calendars and book their flights for New Orleans, site of the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference. Among the names already announced for the three-day event are Texas. Sen. Ted Cruz, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Tennesssee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Florida Rep. Allen West, businessman Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Tonight I’ll be in Atlanta and tomorrow will traverse Alabama and Mississippi.




 

Category: Fear and Loathing in the French Quarter, Shoe Leather Fund
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