When Jean Schmidt leaves Congress, one job you don't want her to have is Health Assessment Coordinator for your insurance company.ANALYSIS: I think this one is kind of a wash... While I think Rep. Schmidt's comments were ill advised, I think her point had a nugget of truth to it. At the time, Democrats were using the Walter Reed "scandal" as a club against Republicans in general and President Bush in particular as weak on veterans issues. The context in which the comment was made is crucial to understanding the congresswoman's position. I find it very interesting that Team Heimlich has, once again, parroted Democratic talking points.
When serious problems were uncovered at Walter Reed Hospital, Jean called them “overblown.” This, after Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "I am disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed. Some have shown too much defensiveness and have not shown enough focus on digging into and addressing the problems.” CNN.com, March 3, 2007
But rather than joining Secretary Gates in digging in and addressing the problems, Schmidt said, “…I think it is wrong to suggest that mold found behind an air conditioner somehow is an excuse to say that all of our veterans are receiving substandard medical care.” -Cincinnati Enquirer, March 21, 2007
Jean might be right if mold behind an air conditioner was the major problem uncovered at Walter Reed. In fact, Jean’s dismissive comments revealed that she did not comprehend the magnitude of the real issues at Walter Reed.
While Secretary Gates was clearly trying to draw attention to the lack of outpatient care, Jean focused on a minor issue in her effort to defend the status quo. She completely ignored the real issue — many severely injured veterans had no assistance in finding follow-up treatment for their life-threatening injuries.
Even if mold was the major problem, would Jean want her own family members confined to a hospital with mold blowing through the ventilation systems?
Our wounded soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan must have felt insult added to injury when they read that a member of Congress was calling their problems “overblown.” Nothing is more important than making sure our veterans who are wounded in the line of duty receive the best medical attention our nation can provide. When problems are uncovered, members of Congress should not find excuses; they should act quickly to fix them — whether it’s mold blowing through the ventilation system, or veterans unable to receive the follow-up care they need and deserve.
Click here to see an NBC news report of the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital.
What bothers me about this is that Heimlich fails to say what he would have done differently. There is a pattern emerging that I am close to calling a modus operandi wherein Team Heimlich takes potshots at a sitting member of Congress without suggesting what he would have done to solve the problem.
Should Team Schmidt respond to this? I don't think it is worth it for the campaign to address this. The comment, when examined in the full political context, is not that big of a deal. If she wanted to take the opportunity to announce a new veterans healthcare initiative, I'd consider this an opportunity to do so. Otherwise, I'd ignore it... I certainly would have if it weren't for the fact that if I don't print SOMETHING from Team Heimlich every now and then, I'll be accused of being a Schmidt Shill...I just wish they'd give me something with some substance.
