If you didn’t catch Bob Woodruff’s “To Iraq and Back” last night, I hope they re-air it. A must see. According to James Nicholson, the Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, the Iraq and Afghanistan wounded numbers are around 200,000……not 23,000. According to him, they were just not prepared for this. Gee, what a surprise…..this administration isn’t much prepared for anything that happens regarding their “war on terror.” At what point does this excuse not hold up any longer???? They interviewed soldiers with head injuries who, when sent home, could not receive proper care because there aren’t any facilities in the areas where they live. It was just so sad. The oversight and investigations subcommittee of the House Veterans- Affairs Committee is holding hearings tomorrow regarding the data breaches in the VA department. Maybe they need to look into the care of veterans and the misleading Pentagon numbers of wounded as well!!!

Three deaths and new rule violations prompted action; VA may cut $7 million in funding.

State inspectors said Tuesday that three men died at the Minneapolis Veterans Home after neglect or medication errors last month, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty promptly ordered the Minnesota Department of Health to begin monitoring day-to-day operations of the state-owned nursing home.
The governor’s action was prompted by the deaths, two years of “not so good” inspections that found scores of infractions, and the threat by federal officials on Friday to cut off about $7 million in payments for the care of veterans at the Minneapolis facility, said Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach.

Two of the men who died were in hospice care; one was given penicillin and the other morphine sulfate when they were allergic to the drugs. Investigators said they did not determine whether the medication errors caused the deaths.

Read more about this case here