Talk about a victim of circumstances and unwarranted backstabbing. Unlike most of his critics while he was Chief of Staff, he actually fought in wars, and was injured in Viet Nam. (excepting McCain, that is)
He was a superb Army Chief of Staff. Most of his moves and ideas were brilliant, necessary and prudent. He transformed a moribund army into a far more mobile and effective fighting force. His clashes with Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz about staffing needs in Iraq earned my admiration more than anything else. The fact that he was proven right about Iraq only cements my impression of him.
Partly out a regret about how the previous administration treated him, and partly out of a recognition that he was a natural, talented, hard-working leader, President Obama nominated him to head up the Veteran's Administration.
Under the Cheney Bush administration, not only were hundreds of thousands of troops sent to fight unnecessary, costly, and ridiculous wars, but no effort was made to prepare for the influx of thousands of casualties. As their equipment got better, and field medical techniques improved (instant clotting materials, wound treatment, and protable IVs had a huge impact) the condition of our troops actually got worse when injured.
In earlier wars, even our previous Little Iraqi Invasion under W's daddums, many of the seriously injured would have likely perished rather than survive their significant injuries. Today, because of a great leap forward in med-tech, arm-less, leg-less, blinded, and seriously injured soldiers have a second chance at life.
The problem was that Cheney Bush refused to consider, prepare for, or fund the anticipated increase in wounded soldiers. By 2004, several scathing reports came out about the dire conditions in Walter Reed Medical Center, formerly promoted as the best that the military could offer our troops. Despite critical reports, inspections, and more reports to congress and to the White House, nothing was done. Only in 2008, when some newspapers decided to air the (literally) dirty laundry at Walter Reed was the problem even discussed.
The problems were not limited to Walter Reed. Overcrowding, doctor shortages, nursing staffing problems, and a lack of funding continued to hurt our vets and injured soldiers.
By all accounts, Shinseki's tenure at the VA (2009 - today) was a success. He managed to clean up all facilities, he managed to improve the level of care provided to our troops. Still, problems remained. In 2011 and again in 2013, several doctors resigned because of severe staffing shortages, bringing to light the lack of funding problem. Again. Repeated hearings before congress always started off with a plea for more money.
The GOP's response? In 2013, they prevented a much needed funding increase to the VA. Now, those very same yellow-bellied bastards demanded the scalp of Shinseki, even though they caused the problem (IraqNam, Afghanistan) initially, compounded it by a lack of funding, and made it worse last year with their political gamesmanship. Yet, their voices were the loudest demanding that Shinseki resign.
And being the occasional craven spineless pol that he sometimes is, Obama caved in Chief once again. He accepted the resignation of his VA chief today. I am sure that he was grateful to receive it, because most of all, he hates and avoids having any difficulty with his GOP friends in congress.
Shame on you, Mr. President. Instead of accepting, you should have been on the stump, bitching and pointing fingers at every GOPer who prevented the funding increase. But no, you took the craven, easy way out and effectively and unnecessarily punished a hero for a second time in his career. Shame.