VA Chief Of Staff Steps Down Amid Coup Against Secretary Shulkin

76 Comments

1. Another Great Article by Luke Rosiak & Julia Nista at the Daily Caller and the Daily Signal, on the Morally Bankrupt, Ethical Challenged Traveling mans exotic VA paid Vacations. Including the planned 10 day trip to Rome and the European Vacation(without Chevy Chase).

   Veterans Affairs Chief Alleges Hack of Email, but Agency Says No Evidence of It

   Luke Rosiak / @lukerosiak / Julia Nista / @julia_nista / February 18, 2018

   Full Article At: https://dailysignal.com/2018/02/18/va-secretary-alleges-hack-of-email-but-agency-says-no-evidence-of-it/

   ___________________________

   Really they need to freeze his assets and provide him with a exotic government paid Vacation that will last a lifetime. A great underutilized government agency that should be placed in charge of booking travel arrangements & accommodations should be the U.S.B.O.P. They can take care of all his special needs and see to it he gets the special treatment he has earned including free medical care to help him with his current pharmaceutical addictions.

2. Round and round it goes…. I can’t wait to see who, or what comes next. Is Kushner still reporting on the VA to POTUS? Guess not. I can’t help but wonder if the wrong person stepped down.

3. Hey Elf,

   Looks like deathbed McCain is going to be recalled for a new election. I guess the taxpayers of Arizona don’t like being left without representation in Washington. It has been what over 90 days since he was well enough to be in Washington or to vote on any legislation.

   Arizona politician looking to recall Sen. McCain
   By Howard Fischer, for the Courier
   Originally Published: February 18, 2018

   “PHOENIX — A Libertarian who concedes he was never a supporter in the past is launching a drive to recall Sen. John McCain.

   Vann Gutier said his current gripe with the state’s senior US senator is that he has been absent from Washington now for more than a month while undergoing treatment for a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. He said anyone in the private sector who was away from the job for that long would have been fired.”

   Full Article At: https://www.dcourier.com/news/2018/feb/18/arizona-politician-looking-recall-sen-mccain/

   ____________________

   Hey that way if he recovers he can join Shulkin in the unemployment line!

4. Who is in charge at the Department of Veterans Affairs?
   By: Leo Shane III
   Military Times
   1 hour ago

   WASHINGTON — After a week of scandal and internal turmoil at the Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans groups and agency employees enter this work week wondering exactly who is in charge of the nearly $200 billion bureaucracy.

   Is it VA Secretary David Shulkin, who in the last few days saw his reputation tarnished by a withering inspector general report, his top deputy threatened by political rivals, and his chief of staff abruptly resign?

   Is it a group of White House insiders who on Friday installed a new No. 3 at the department and took over official messaging for VA, removing Shulkin’s statements from online sites and replacing them with one that doesn’t even mention the secretary?

   Or is it someone else within President Donald Trump’s administration, which for the last week has ignored press questions on the embattled department while they deal with other controversies in the West Wing?”

   “Now Shulkin appears to be fighting for his political life, although, in a Friday interview with Military Times, he insisted the White House was still backing him.

   “I spoke to (White House Chief of Staff) John Kelly, and obviously his focus is on making sure we don’t get distracted from the work of helping veterans,” he said. “So we’re trying to do that.””

   Power struggle

   “For months, questions have swirled among the veterans community about the involvement of Darin Selnick, veteran affairs adviser for the White House Domestic Policy Council, in VA operations. He and other White House staffers have met with key veterans groups in a series of roundtables without any of Shulkin’s key advisers present, to discuss long-term policy plans.

   Last month, after Senate lawmakers complained about conflicting messages from the administration on proposed VA health care reforms, the White House issued a two-page policy paper that appeared to contradict Shulkin’s own comments on the topic.”

   “Selnick is a former senior adviser for Concerned Veterans for America, which has ties to the conservative Koch brothers network of political activism efforts. The group has been vocal in recent years supporting legislation to allow veterans more access to private-sector health care at government expense, and dramatically scaling back the VA network of hospitals and programming.

   On Saturday, in an appearance on Fox News, CVA Executive Director Dan Caldwell lamented “all this drama in D.C.,” and said, “if you’re not willing to come together, work with the White House, work with the president to advance his legislative agenda, you need to be gone.””

   Fallout continues

   “Since the IG report was released, none of the men have made any public statements about the controversies or their role in crafting veterans policy.

   Neither has former VA Chief of Staff Vivieca Wright Simpson, who abruptly retired after 32 years on Friday amid accusations she doctored federal emails in the travel scandal. Shulkin said that in submitting her resignation, she did not mention the charges but did say “she doesn’t want to be in this environment anymore.”

   It’s unclear if she submitted a statement on her resignation and whether official department channels would release it. Since Wednesday, VA communications appears to be working against Shulkin and his supporters, issuing instead only statements cleared by the White House.”

   On Wednesday, after the report release, Shulkin posted a lengthy statement online defending himself and attacking the inspector general. It was taken down by other VA officials within an hour.

   It was replaced by a much shorter statement by VA spokesman Curt Cashour, who has come under criticism within the community for a series of releases that seem to be at odds with Shulkin’s own words on a range of issues, including medical marijuana research and department accountability issues.

   On Friday, Cashour issued a statement announcing Vivieca Wright Simpson’s replacement — Peter O’Rourke, the current director of VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection and another former Trump campaign official. Cashour’s statement did not mention Shulkin, but did promise the change would ensure “the department works closely with the White House going forward.”

   Shulkin’s statement on the move did appear on the Office of Accountability’s Twitter account, which has only 150 followers and fewer than 35 public postings. Shulkin’s own @SecShulkin Twitter handle has more than 52,000 followers but hasn’t had a new post for 10 days.

   What’s next?

   In the latest statement, Shulkin apologized for not handling the travel issues better, and repeated that “it is most important that we all remain focused on the great work [the department is] doing.”

   VSOs lining up

   Fallout continues

   “On Wednesday, after the report release, Shulkin posted a lengthy statement online defending himself and attacking the inspector general. It was taken down by other VA officials within an hour.

   It was replaced by a much shorter statement by VA spokesman Curt Cashour, who has come under criticism within the community for a series of releases that seem to be at odds with Shulkin’s own words on a range of issues, including medical marijuana research and department accountability issues.

   On Friday, Cashour issued a statement announcing Vivieca Wright Simpson’s replacement — Peter O’Rourke, the current director of VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection and another former Trump campaign official. Cashour’s statement did not mention Shulkin, but did promise the change would ensure “the department works closely with the White House going forward.””

   What’s next

   “In the latest statement, Shulkin apologized for not handling the travel issues better, and repeated that “it is most important that we all remain focused on the great work [the department is] doing.””

   [VSOs choosing sides against Veterans having a choice in Health care.]

   “Joe Chenelly, national executive director for AMVETS, said he is worried that there are two distinctly different VA’s operating right now: one led by Shulkin, and one led by a series of officials who most of the public doesn’t know.
   “Only one has worked with us, the organizations representing the interests of more than 20 million American veterans,” he said. “That’s the VA led by Secretary Shulkin, the doctor appointed by the president and unanimously confirmed by the Senate.”

   Late on Friday, officials at the American Legion put out a statement on social media noting that they are “100 percent” opposed to the privatization of VA, a message that appeared targeted at conservative activists pushing for more aggressive health care overhaul plans than most of the mainstream veterans advocacy groups (and Democratic lawmakers) support.

   The Legion and AMVETS are among a small group of veterans advocates who meet regularly with Shulkin to discuss those types of policy priorities. Whether the next one will occur on schedule with the secretary in attendance has not been confirmed.

   Full Article at: https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2018/02/18/who-is-in-charge-at-the-department-of-veterans-affairs/

   1. CVA Executive Director Dan Caldwell and the likes? Is that all they can do is appear on Faux News? Rake in money for something and claim to be for veterans? Or are they afraid of states like Indiana, like Faux News and others seem to be?

      Simpson says “she doesn’t want to be in this environment anymore.” Odd, it made her wealthy, in high esteem, plenty of perks, travels, best health care possible for 32 years. Probably provided perks and employment for all her family and friends. Probably knows of countless atrocities in the VA and the deaths of many vets. She reminds me of the piece of filth in my last visit for orientation at the pain clinic. Smiling while talking trash to us and throwing threats around. Bragging about his eighteen years of proud service and expert care at the Roudebush VA. “None better than us.” While spouting pure insanity and “orders” at us.

      Whistle-blower Protection? More BS. I know how that lying, pretending, crap goes. Forty years ago to today, same claims and games. Won’t matter if it’s the VA, Dept. of Labor, a corrupt union, OSHA, NLRB, whatever. Such laws or claims will not work, has not worked in places like Indiana. You still have to work here, or keep employed, join a union to work probably, deal with the cliques, corrupt authorities, and thugs after the possible lawyers or claim-makers agents are gone or move on to more BS. Plus any “whistle blowers” would be totally black-balled by government agencies and the VA. Even by all their contractors and secret clubs/unions. Who would take chances on someone with loose lips, didn’t appreciate nepotism or vast corrupt networks, and has some real professional ethics and honor about them??? Ha.

      The more news is listed and read about the more I have to smile and think about all the guppies and sheep falling for this stuff. Pretending to fix things, thinking some law will help, using words like “protection” or some fool stepping down will change things in one corrupt agency or office. Let me count the years of seeing this kind of stuff… ahh. SNAFU. Faces may change but the dirty DNA, the scat/spoors, the corrupt norm remains.

      Surely Caldwell or Hemsworth guy before him that got a job on Fox, and other vet orgs read this site and more. Where are all of them at? All the media? Is Caldwell another one in cahoots with the high rollers and game players?

5. This is excellent for those anti-VA, anti-Shulkin, and anti-everything (VSO) to have a field day. The whole issue is a tempest in a tea pot and costing more money to investigate than it’s worth. The people who should really be investigated are those that have embedded themselves into the VA and VSO hierarchy that refuse change. They (I won’t mention names, I may be charged with treason) have vested interests in confusing and avoiding the real issues.

6. VA Secretary’s Effort to Dispute IG Report Just Took an Unbelievable Turn

   VA Secretary Alleges Hack Of Agency Email, His Department Says No Evidence Of Claim

   Luke Rosiak & Julia Nista
   Daily Caller News Foundation
   11:19 AM 02/17/2018

   “Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin told the Daily Caller News Foundation that his agency emails were hacked or spoofed
   •The Department of Veterans Affairs released a statement that same day saying it could find no evidence of hacking
   •Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman believes that the claims are an attempt to muddy the waters around around an inspector general report on the VA

   Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin detailed new claims that his agency was hacked or spoofed in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, but minutes later the VA released a statement saying they could find no evidence of compromised emails.

   Republican Rep. Mike Coffman told TheDCNF the discrepancy appears to him to be evidence of an attempt to “muddy the waters” around an investigation that led to the resignation of Sulkin’s chief of staff.

   An inspector general’s report released Wednesday said taxpayers were wrongfully billed for Shulkin’s wife’s travel to Europe. It hinged upon findings that his longtime chief of staff, Vivieca Wright Simpson, changed a June 2017 email in order to facilitate the payments. Shulkin implied to Congress on Thursday that she might not have been responsible for that email, and rather, it might have been a hacker impersonating her. He insisted the department has “found there are people sending emails from her account that aren’t her.”

   In a videotaped interview at The Daily Caller News Foundation office Friday, Shulkin claimed that his assertions of hacking rested upon an impersonation attempt he says occurred hours before he told Congress about a history of such activity.

   On the day the IG report came out, an email was sent from his chief of staff’s account requesting a suspicious wire transfer of funds to be made out of the VA, he said.

   “It was a request to wire money out of the VA to somewhere else,” Shulkin told TheDC’s Julia Nista. “Fortunately our finance department thought that was an unusual request and brought it to our attention so there was no money sent out.”

   “The finance department came to Mrs. Wright Simpson on Wednesday morning and said ‘why are you requesting a wire transfer outside the VA,’ and they brought her the email, and she said ‘I never wrote that email,’” he said. “Mrs. Simpson’s email was being impersonated by someone else.”

   He said the financial request was “hacking” or “spoofing” and did not actually come from Simpson.

   “Wednesday was the first time that I was aware of that single situation and certainly want to make sure that we understand whether it was an isolated situation or something more extensive … I don’t know whether this is related to the approval of the travel, that’s something we want to understand, but we don’t have any evidence of that right now.”

   “The motivation was a financial crime,” he said. It remained unclear what motive an impersonator would have to alter an email in order to help Shulkin’s wife book a trip, and he acknowledged that “we have no evidence that that’s related to the IG report, none at all.”

   An hour after he left TheDCNF’s newsroom Friday afternoon, the department’s website posted a statement saying it had found no evidence of any hack, either in June or on Wednesday. “We have thus far found no credible or conclusive evidence of a compromise to our email system or a user’s account.”

   Some observers questioned Shulkin’s claims that someone was impersonating his chief of staff and were suspicious that his allegations coincided with the release of the IG report.

   “Based on the timing and the VA’s own press release which found no evidence of an outside intrusion, this appears like it could be a setup, a faked hack,” Rep. Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs who is former chair of its oversight panel, told TheDCNF. “I think that’s very suspicious. This is kind of my dog ate my homework.”

   Coffman said Congress should call for Shulkin’s resignation due to what he says is earlier manipulation of evidence, and now, the implication to legislators that there was credible reason to think the email might not be real.

   “What we know now is there’s no evidence of a hack. I think he’s trying to muddy the waters on this. It’s not the issue itself, its the cover-up, it speaks to his lack of integrity,” he said.

   An early indication that the “hack” wasn’t what it seemed came at the hearing Thursday, when a member said the Department of Justice should be brought in to prosecute the hacker, Coffman told TheDCNF. “I looked at the secretary’s face, and he seemed surprised, like ‘uh-oh.’ But what else would you do?”

   Pete Hegseth, a former head of Concerned Veterans for America who has studied the agency, said “to any level-headed person, this appears to be manufactured. The IG needs to look into whether he made this up.”

   Shulkin has gone to significant lengths to try to control the fallout of the report. Before the purported Wednesday impersonation attempt, he hired an outside public relations crisis management firm to come up with strategies to rebut the report’s findings.

   The VA secretary found himself on thin ice with the White House after warning its officials that a report was coming but downplaying its severity. The action caused the Trump Administration to feel misled. The White House forced Shulkin to delete a statement saying “I have done nothing wrong,” but on Friday, he declined to provide any examples when asked if he’d done anything wrong.

   In initial comments to Congress and to reporters Thursday, Shulkin implied that an impersonator may have written the Europe travel email. However, the questioned email came following a verbal conversation, in the middle of an rapid-fire back-and-forth email thread, and included a request by Simpson to move the conversation over to phone by calling her at her office. Simpson herself would not deny having altered the email, but instead played coy, the IG report said. Shulkin didn’t explain how someone could have sent out emails in Simpson’s name without her knowledge given that recipients replied to those emails.”

   A lot more to the Article At: https://dailycaller.com/2018/02/17/david-shulkin-email-hack/

   Also note in from the article ” he hired an outside public relations crisis management firm to come up with strategies to rebut the report’s findings.” in other words his legal team is being paid for from the VA Budget not Shulkin’s own pocket.

   __________________________

   Thank You Luke for looking out for Veterans!

   1. Higher than a kite Mr. Bobble Head Shulkin. His eyes clearly show he is on some kind of Happy pills and notice how bad his head starts bobbling each time he answers a question about what he is claiming in his email hack scenario.

      Also, note how bad he starts Bobbling when he is asked about the trip he and his wife had planned prior to the investigation starting. His and wife’s planned trip to the to the Vatican to talk about Veterans issues.

      1. I Stand corrected on the trip to the Vatican! The trip is still on the books at the VA for both he and his wife. I don’t think the former Chief of Staff will be joining him this time.

         From an additional article at the Daily Caller;

         “Before the Friday interview, TheDCNF learned from a senior department official that the secretary has an upcoming official trip to the Vatican with his wife. TheDCNF asked Shulkin what benefit the trip would provide to taxpayers or veterans.

         “I am not going on any trip to the Vatican or any trip abroad. That is not happening” Shulkin responded.

         The source reiterated that the trip is currently on the books, saying the pair are scheduled to travel to Vatican City from April 20 to 29 to attend the Pontifical Council for Culture.

         The Vatican is the one of few countries in the world that do not have a military. The Council for Culture includes a show of European art and religious history.”

         Although Shulkin denies it in this head bobbling stuttering denial. This linked Video will take you right to the start of the head booblers question.
         Don’t worry his head doesn’t actually fall off but it certainly looks possible.

         It Just Boggles the mind!
         ____________________

         https://goo.gl/q9N9Si

      2. “The Vatican is the one of few countries in the world that do not have a military. The Council for Culture includes a show of European art and religious history.” unquote

         They have a huge wall, plenty of guards and military-like police forces with all the high tech gear possible. Semantics… no military?

         What bull. A look into his shark eyes tells the story. Like open borders Pope has anything good to offer Americans or vets? More corrupted ‘History? The totally corrupt meeting with others being totally corrupt. And wanting total rule/controls over the people.

         Doesn’t boggle my mind that much, or shocks. Why multitudes keep bowing to all this traditional phony crap and corruption is what boggles my mind. Then the elite taking world trips instead of taking care of priorities at home. I simply have to chalk it all up to spiritual warfare and so far evil is winning and filling all known arenas of play, games, constant warring, the VA, modern medicine, to politics.

         Trump. Too bad he probably doesn’t read this site or is referred to him for some reality checks. You lied like others before you. You have not made America first, second and third. You did not do much about PC-ness or ending the wars. The Pope-ster will not help us, Israel will not help us, Congress will not help us. The exposed fake media will not help us vets or America. IMHO

      3. You ever notice you have to drag these people out the door kicking and screaming like a 5 year old outta Chuck E. Cheese?

      4. Yeah, after they had their fill and then some, still not being satisfied, while others are outwardly hurting. But, you know how it goes, they come first because they supposedly know better (how to use the system for their greedy self). IMO.

7. dr shitkin are yo going to drain the swamp my ass yo are the swamp yo are a swamp rat come tu merdia dr shitkin !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8. so Vets die…while this POS lies and vacations in Europe on the taxpayers dime,,,,this POS is no better than the last POS,,,,Fuck TRUMP for appointing him!

   1. @Barry Sucktero – there has only been a few that post on this blog, that has said, “Fuck TRUMP . . . ,” although I suspect that there are others that feel the same way, but don’t come out and say what they believe. Me, I’ve have always believed, that since POTUS Trump ran a campaign stating that he cared for Veterans, and that he’d work on the VA, so that Veterans can be better served, that this has made him TOTALLY responsible for the successful workings, as a whole, of the VA. Like I always share with my wife, “words mean things.”

      It has now been 13 months since POTUS has been officially in office as our 45 President. And, I have always believed, and will not waiver, when an issue deals with the lives of Veterans, that an immediate resolution(s) need to be put in motion, that will solve, and not just help, any problem with the deliverance of healthcare to Veterans, and that any fixes are to be automatically initiated into high gear of implementing a process of fixation, so that the hindering areas can be reviewed, revised, removed, or a new process can be created that fully supports the benefits of our (Veterans) healthcare, and claims process time, and one that creates just hearing process for the purpose of appealing claims decisions.

      My belief of where the buck stops has been further fixated on POTUS’s desk, due to what he said at the SOTU Address; (1.) on a mission of righteous, (2.) pulling through together, (3.) never been a better time to live the American dream, (4.) total unwavering support for Veterans, (5.) will not stop UNTIL Veterans are taken care of, (6.) accountability and respect for our Veterans, (7.) the removal of Federal employees, and (8.) putting Politics aside to get the job done.

      Therefore, I propose that the Trump Administration create a specific Task Force, that extends the authority, investigative powers, and the ability to by-pass any Union bylaws, so that ANY Federal employee can be removed due to being a threat to the health, life, or well-being of any Veteran (singular). Period, end of story.

      If we don’t hold our Politicians accountable, they’ll do the same as the VA; run all over, and take advantage of your human kindness; via undermining manipulation.

      1. Well, that “Accountability Law” was *supposed* to do just that but they underestimated the slippery nature of VA Floaters in the swamp’s backwater cesspool.
         Imagine trying to wrangle an oiled-up manatee from a swimming pool filled with jello. You’ll be forever wrestling that turd like old Ahab chasing Moby Dick.
         Now, if you nuke that entire pool, jello and oiled manatees; repeat as necessary.

      2. We are still on a domestic terrorist list since Obummer…. and the new Act of 2018 seems to expand it all. With more to come to silence us, let us suffer and die, do without, to allowing our masters and scum in DC continue on totally ignoring some major issues while creating countless more war injuries and profits for the bankers and the lot.

         Hell. Cant get Constitutional rights, Bill of rights, Human rights, basic civil liberties or protections, etc., recognized in Indiana. The VA’s threats have come to full fruition and at play. No decent med care, no pain meds, the state doesn’t sell sinus meds that always worked before to calling around to change or find a more competent caring MD is illegal I guess. Called Dr. Shopping and put on some law list for it. This country and Indiana has been completely flushed.

         Not a prayer locally to get other vets or concerned citizens involved. Too much fear of retaliation, not fitting in with the herds, or not wanting to get involved in anything. Well, except for more globalism, lies, and corruption.

         “https://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/you-will-not-believe-whats-in-the-domestic-terrorism-act-of-2018/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=you-will-not-believe-whats-in-the-domestic-terrorism-act-of-2018”

         The Globalists Final Solution for Humanity:
         “https://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/globalists-final-solution-humanity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=globalists-final-solution-humanity”

         Oh they are creating task forces for us.

      3. @Namnibor, @T – I found this to be quite an interesting article. Veterans file suit against 5 Pharmaceutical Co.’s for funding terrorists organizations during Iraq War (actually a protracted armed conflict).

         “https://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/10/20/veterans-file-lawsuit-accusing-big-pharma-companies-of-funding-terrorist-organizations-in-iraq/”

      4. Nutter: That takes the cake for this very early morning news. The links that follow that include Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard statements, etc., is absolutely, or should be, wake up calls for the sheep. Thanks for the link.

         I honest to God can NOT understand why the public isn’t out in the streets locally to the top demanding some quick drastic changes to needed transparency full circle. Then we that want some change, decency, to some real ethics or honor turn out to be the enemies of so many. The entire nation has turned out to be exact evil clones that can be easily found in every direction and office here locally and thoroughly, deeply, in Indiana. No escaping it all.

         I’ll have to see if that link disappears on my FB page.

      5. @T – Per Indiana, I don’t believe you folks even have access to MMJ. What a joke. The VA has decided, without consent, warning, explaining, or to monitor, to taper me off a single pain medication, one in which the only side effect that I had complained about in the past was constipation, in which I myself, without the assistance or input of how to deal with said effect, have found a way to not depend on ANY stimulant laxative. And, VA didn’t even care, not that I tell them, how I did it. They can kiss my fucking ass from all sides, up and down my hairy buttocks. Rotten to the core bass-turds they are.

      6. Nope not here. They treat pot or Kratom as Heroine. They want to make everything here illegal and be able to claim that no-one uses pain meds for long. If at all. But the vets who’s name wasn’t drawn out of the hat to be dropped from pain meds or play lab rat with, is still getting theirs with no problems. No strict demands or special contracts for them either, or the threats and nastiness.

         I have the opposite effects on pain meds like Oxy or Hydro. Codeine stops me up badly and so does anti-depressants for some reason. They don’t know. They had me on anti-depressants and other stuff and I couldn’t go for a month or more. Just told me I was full of shit and had to wait for a movement, eat more fiber, or wait until it got impacted then do surgery. Some choices. I got my pain meds back and all it took was a half of one and I went like a goose for hours. Finally. But then they wanted to play the games all over again then doubling up to the two gallon mix for colonoscopies, longer fasting days, that stopped working too. Again they didn’t know why I was so different. One said I just had a messed up metabolism.

         So that’s been another odd ball issue I have to deal with. With pain meds I am some what regular, no constipation, without I go near total consti mode and can’t go for long periods of time. When my lower spine is out it seems to shut everything down too. And no MDs can explain why or care to discuss the issue much.

      7. The whole MMJ is a scam in the first place. State approves it for med use, but insurances aren’t made to cover the costs. Then the dispensaries are known to mislead you by what they have in stock, prices are sometimes as much or if at best, a tad lower than the what someone sells for outside.

         The whole damn criteria for Cannabis is a joke. The laws need to be quickly changed, because these so-called intelligent Doctors are ignoring what I’ve known for a couple of years already. That is; there are many individuals that are stuck in the grey area of not being able to get pain relief due to the crack down of prescribing pain medications.

         Doctors don’t believe in long term use of pain medicine, nor do they accept that each person is different, nor do they want to monitor you, nor do want to rotate you to another medication when a person’s mu-receptors become too sensitive.

         When I research a thing of interest, I just don’t read a blurb here or there. Plus, with the additional stress that this puts on people by having them to endure more pain and suffering, puts a negative impact on ones Telomeres in their DNA.

         And, the whole epidemic, per Doctors knowing how to handle or what to do, reminds me about how the egg was perceived as being good or bad for you to eat. Do you remember all the back and forth that the FDA was putting out about the egg? The same thing is basically happening with the Opiate-Opioid crisis.

         If I were a Physician, they’d most likely have to lock me up. But then again, that’s me, and when I know something to be true, I’ll stick my neck out, and just fucking dare them to bring it on. But, like I said, that’s me, while others pussy on out of taking a stand.

         Freedom isn’t free, you’ve got to give up something in order to gain it. And, I can’t stand the chumps that ride on the sacrifices or the doings of others, when they could of chipped in and stood beside you, when you were the one that was leading the pack for such changes.

         And, what a damn joke Indiana is. My area is better, but I’m still trying to get stabilized so that we can go back to Hawaii, where I can freely grow my particular strain that best suits my medical and social needs.

         Plus, we’ve got good friends in Hawaii (local folks), that aren’t always touchy, claiming to be in the conservative side, but act like a butthurt fucking liberal.

         They don’t lead you on, acting like they care due to the things your going through with the VA. They won’t stick in there with you, even though they first acted like they were in there with you for the long haul of your battle with this corrupt Federal Agency. Plus, they put many conditions on you, that actually contradicted what they told you in the first place.

         The VA Primary Care Providers refuse to treat my pain, spasms, and tensed up muscles located in 6 different places in my body, with medications that I’ve told them that gives me relieve from my symptoms, but will prescribe meds that don’t work, and then try to make me feel like its my fault.

         FUGGUM, they’re not helping me, they’re hurting me. So they basically trampled and pissed on, then let dry, and then rip up into small pieces to not only discard, but to burn up the part of the medical oath; to do no harm. IMO, and SMFH. So I say, FUGGUM.

      8. Nutter
         Yeah I remember the egg thing and others well. Good fats, bad fats, too much fiber – too little fiber, testosterone good – testosterone bad, butter good – butter bad, etc.

         The old standard of pain care did me good and not addicted. It was my choice, my need, my responsibility to not allow anything to get ahold of me to ruin me instead of doing the good things intended, I needed for some quality of life. Had the normal pain meds that were switched around at times along with the break-through pain meds and migraine meds I could use. That saved me tons of money going to the emergency rooms for shots that later on they would not give me enough, or what was on my scripts to cease the pain. Or to try to give me sterile water and nothing helping at all. Seemed like it. Then charge big money for the so-called ‘aid.’

         Had to look up Telomeres. Since all the fast changes in my years of normal health care and pain management I have aged fast. It makes sense. Quality of life and activities down to all time lows. Had cataract surgeries done and was told they hadn’t seen eyes or cataracts grow or age so fast. Factors, pain, bodily distractions/discomfort, etc., is now why I don’t attempt discussions or facing off with idiots in the world any longer. It’s a bitch just trying to sit and play on the computer to get things out like I’d like. Kinda lost my quick wit, focus, and persistence to finish the task at hand during situations that may be going on, or happens in a public situation. In public they get to have the advantages with the odds against me. All the scum out there know how to use some disadvantages to their advantage and enjoy doing it. That include young scum attorneys or their sons brushing up against me at meetings to knock a cane or crutch out of position, or stand in front of me giving the stink eye and won’t move until I have to change isles to get away from them before I tear their stupid eyes out or pinch their necks shut with their silk ties due to their activism, corrupt ways, or dis-respect. Then could not get a witness or vet present to come forward to be a witness to some of that crap. Too afraid to rock the local corrupt boat that runs the area.

         Yep. Still getting those harassing phone calls from Union Hospital and others too. These spiteful Marxist, activist females are the worse. Even from Duke Energy then they claim the calls are not coming from their offices but I can prove otherwise, along with the connections stemming from local politicians and VA staff, unions, the cliques. And why media ignores everything in Indiana to make it all look good.

         It’s also why I couldn’t find anyone to X-ray the broken jaw while pulling a molar the VA did. That is Indiana health care today, VA or not. The more attention I want put on the VA and vast array of other corrupt trash locally the more enemies I seem to make. Fine with me. They are exposing themselves like roaches coming out of some rotted woodwork I’ve torn out of houses before. lol But these cockroaches seem to have networks and colonies (cliques) all the way up to the White House and internationally even because of the likes of the Hulmans, Nations, Soros, Kor, Eskenazi health care systems, Bloombergs, Masonics, Schools of medicine, etc. Zuckerbugger to the likes of Bill Gates. Gates by the way is a huge stockholder in “Republic” trash disposal companies. They won’t pick my trash up in front of my house either, just more games and hassles. On crutches, cane or not, I have to take my trash down a block for pick up. So activist and attackers from that arena doesn’t surprise me either. They all flock and destroy together one way or another. It’s like a damn Stephen King novel with unions, activist, Satan like worshipers, medical boards that eat babies to foreskins taking over the planet, or should be. Lost mail, mail in the mud. I can deal with it all. Someday the worm may turn and expose them all for their antics, corruption, and BS. And hopefully they all burn in some kind of hell.

         I’ll try to expand my own activism on FB. I’ll try to contact every news agency and politician out there to expose them and their lies. If I keep getting deleted or censored everywhere I will go to WordPress and elsewhere to write about my adventures with Indiana, the VA, and all the corrupt scum here to deal with.

         I hope you make it to Hawaii if that is best for you. Seems expensive and dangerous polluted sea food I read about. I am stuck. The city has refused to let me sell my own property so I could move.. three times. Then laugh about it. Then claim it’s due to zoning laws or “not wanting dirty businesses in our town anymore.” Spoken when they turn the recording of the meetings off. Yeah, the shit never ends here once we start collecting corrupt filth for enemies. Nepotism helps them. The scum at the VA really know how to use their union activist, corrupt politics/media and thugs too seemingly.

      9. @%T – Damn from what you write about Indiana, I sure hope that you can get out of that hell-hole. If you use Fb, I’d just share the articles from Bens blog, post Seymore Klearly’s articles, Crazy elf’s, 91Veteran, Namnibor, and sometimes Dennis’s, and then post additional articles of the same story from another source.

         Plus, I’d make like little statements about the VA, like; “VA could save a $millions$ if they can keep the fat tuna beasts nurses away from gossiping around the water coolers,” “Trump; you know the VA is corrupt, Federal Doctor and Nurse employees need to be fired, keeping Veterans safe.” Short hard hitting statements, believe me, Vets, love ones, caretakers, and the slow ass do nothing Politicians will get the message as well. And, especially make up statements like this, based off of your own experiences. There the best, because you know it, and your the author of the statement.

         There are many that don’t believe in using Social Media to get a message out, but that’s up to them. There are way too many success stories that say otherwise. Don’t listen to them, Vet or not a Vet. You do what you think makes a difference. And try not to loose the hope, even though at times you’ll be struggling. Just keep on keeping on.

         I do this, and it helps to relieve a lot stress, and plus, you never know who you’ll influence to do the same. Just like I’m rubbing off unto you, you’ll never know. Just do something different T, and don’t loose the passion. It all helps the movement of fixing the VA. Hope this help my Brother. God bless you T.

      10. Nutter, yeah it’s that bad here. Especially in Terre Haute, IN. That is why one of the absolute worse things going on here and has for years is … chronic censoring and total lack of transparency in local government. Then the retaliation from all quarters if a person dares to complain about anything locally corrupt, about the censoring, or not agreeing with the far left herd over any issue. Or “rocking the boat” as the old expression used to be common.

          FB is already deleting some posts from vets I see for a flash then gone, if I see them at all. That is why I even tried ads on Craig’s List to find other vets haing issues locally and witnesses for some happenings at the VA. All I got was threats and name calling. Tried that for two months. Local forums like Topix is totally controlled by the media and local politicians and council critters that play or are moderators there.

          Been doing what you said. Now that my surgeries are done, eye sight back I can kick things up into high gears now and press on. If social media continues to fail me or I keep getting BS fine. It exposes them and I have plans on signs for my vehilce declaring this town to be totalitarian and totally corrupt under a one party rule and having to deal with three major univerisities that are also huge parts of the censoring and corruption. Plus the medical community who is seemingly carrying on with the VA/union/thuggery crap.

          It does help vent and to relieve stress. About as good as going to a physical meeting group lol. I just have to do what my old body allows me to do, and go to bed and lay down when frequently needed. I get on a roll then have to cease and call break time, and maybe for a day or two to get the parts back together/in place, and pains lowered. Like now just after waking up and a few paragraphs, gotta move again, go lay down, strech out and start over again.

          I haven’t been part of the lefty herd mentality here in my younger years. Never agreed or supported all the corruption or nepotism or mafia like rule. Too late to stop now. All the scum at the VA did was just add extra layers to the state’s corrupt cake with it’s many layers.

          Yes. It helps greatly.
          God bless you and yours too and many others out here dealing with ‘stuff.’

9. And she will get FULL BENEFITS w/o having to fight for them!!!

   1. With any luck she may get the “benefit” of being taught a lesson. With the pending VA investigation into her actions. The VA can pull her benefits and make her repay her costs incurred by the European Vacation.

      Followed up by a lengthy prison sentence if the DOJ does follow up with an investigation.

10. I can’t help but snicker. The Dept of VA put this statement out:

    “https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=4011”

    Statement by VA Press Secretary Curt Cashour
    Departure of VA Chief of Staff

    Today VA announced that the department’s Chief of Staff Vivieca Wright Simpson has elected to retire following the release of a VA Inspector General investigation on Wednesday.

    VA also announced that it has opened a formal investigation into her actions identified in the IG report.

    President Trump has made clear that he expects VA leaders to hold themselves and other employees accountable when they fail to live up to the high standards taxpayers and Veterans deserve.

    VA will continue to review the IG report and its recommendations in more detail before determining possible additional personnel accountability actions.

    Separately, VA announced that it has opened an investigation into allegations of email hacking. To be clear, while VA is still currently investigating these hacking allegations, we have thus far found no credible or conclusive evidence of a compromise to our email system or a user’s account.

    VA will announce a new chief of staff shortly.

    1. Always or usually a Friday and in the midst of major news happening elsewhere to further add to the smokescreen desired effect.
       Another Hungry, Hungry Hippo down, how many 1000’s to go?

    2. VA statement on new chief of staff

       February 16, 2018, 06:27:00 PM

       Statement by VA Press Secretary Curt Cashcow
       New VA Chief of Staff

       Effective immediately, VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Executive Director Peter O’Rourke will serve as VA’s permanent chief of staff, ensuring that the department works closely with the White House going forward.

       He will continue to serve as OAWP executive director until a successor is named.

       ###

       At: https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=4012

       ________________________________

       “O’Rourke has held various leadership roles with Calibre Systems, the Association of the U.S. Army, Blackland Aerospace, Strong America Now, Accenture, George Group Consulting, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.

       He received a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a master’s degree in logistics, materials and supply chain management from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology.”

       From: Peter O’Rourke to Head VA Office for Accountability & Whistleblower Protection
       Scott Nicholas 
       Civilian Agencies
       Latest News
       May 15, 2017

       At: https://www.executivegov.com/2017/05/peter-orourke-to-serve-as-senior-adviser-executive-director-of-va-office-for-accountability-whistleblower-protection/

       1. Well, he wasn’t doing anything as head of the whistleblower thing anyways. So, great, now he has two positions where his “job” is to do nothing for the VA.

       2. Well the notice of departure of VA Chief of Staff was put out at 03:53 PM EST. The notice for a new chief of staff was sent out at 06:27 PM EST.
          My My My they sure can move fast but Only When They Need SomeThing.

       3. I agree they moved fast. I also think by late afternoon yesterday, they named an interim Chief of Staff.

          Sure as hell no wait list there huh?

          I do wonder though how many nurse or doctor jobs have not been filled for months because the VA hasn’t bothered to try hiring for those jobs. I suspect they are hiring as fast as they can, but I also suspect they are picking and choosing which empty jobs get filled first.

       4. They didn’t so much as move fast as they simply relied on good ol’ gravity and that mainstay of…one turd always leads to another, because thanks to nepotism at the VA, the turds are all lined-up for generations to contribute future mayhem on non-human test subjects.

          Places an entirely new perspective on that saying of, “Plop, plop, oh what a relief it is”.

    3. Email hacking? Why not say it was little green men with big black eyes if they’re gonna be this ridiculous?

       Maybe the Russians? Well, now I betcha DOJ will get involved.

       1. Again, I doubt any DOJ investigation takes place.

          That might force DOJ to more thoroughly look at laws broken, and decide to prosecute. They already declined to prosecute Wright Simpson for altering a federal record. What else would they find?

          If the DOJ looks at anything, they would look at the IG report first and confirm what was found. If they looked any further, they would look just at her emails. Cashcow already said they have no evidence …yet… Of any hacking or intrusion into their email system.

          If they looked at just those emails sent and received by Gough, Wright Simpson and Kennedy, they would look at the full headers of those emails. Headers contain lots of information about that specific email. What server it went through, what software was used to generate the email, encryption if used, specific information identifying who the user and sender are. It would take a half hour at most.

          They would look at those headers to see if there were any indications of it being altered to show a hacker intercepted the email, changed the wording, then sent it on. All within a few minutes. If they wanted to look further, they could look at firewall logs to see if there were any intrusions, or server logs for any unauthorized users.

          They could look at many other things, but the starting point would be the IG report, and the specific emails sent and received.

          I am surprised the IG did not include the emails showing the full headers in their report. You can bet they have them.

11. I told you all of these employees have the same look. Big ol poptart belly jello dog look! Fucking disgusting! The retirement/nondisclosure agreement to cover up fraud is the kamikaze defense when they get busted!
    I wish it were legal to challenge these fuckers to a duel! ?????

12. Inside the Trump Administration’s Internal War Over the VA

    The president likes him, but the VA secretary is at odds with his own staff over policy. And the fight is spilling out into the open.

    By ISAAC ARNSDORF
    Policico Magazine
    February 16, 2018

    This article is being co-published by ProPublica.

    “David Shulkin, the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, showed up to what he thought would be a routine Senate oversight hearing in January, only to discover it was an ambush.

    Senator Jerry Moran, Republican from Kansas, was the sole holdout among members of the veterans affairs committee on a bill that would shape the future of the agency. The bipartisan bill had the support of 26 service groups representing millions of veterans. But Moran was pushing a rival piece of legislation, and it had the support of a White House aide who wields significant clout on veterans policy. Neither proposal could advance as long as there was any doubt about which President Donald Trump wanted to sign.

    Moran blamed Shulkin for the impasse. “In every instance, you led me to believe that you and I were on the same page,” Moran said at the hearing. “Our inability to reach an agreement is in significant part related to your ability to speak out of both sides of your mouth: double talk.”

    There were gasps in the hearing room. It was an astounding rebuke for a Trump appointee to receive from a Republican senator, especially for Shulkin, who was confirmed by the Senate unanimously.

    Clearly ruffled, Shulkin hesitated before answering. “I think it is grossly unfair to make the characterizations you have made of me, and I’m disappointed that you would do that,” he said. “What I am trying to do is give you my best advice about how this works.”

    Moran dug in. “I chose my words intentionally,” he said. “I think you tell me one thing and you tell others something else. And that’s incompatible with our ability to reach an agreement and to work together.” Moran then left the hearing for another appointment.

    The exchange exposed tensions that had been brewing for months behind closed doors. A battle for the future of the VA has been raging between the White House and veterans groups, with Shulkin caught in the middle. The conflict erupted into national headlines this week as a result of a seemingly unrelated development: the release of a lacerating inspector general report on Shulkin that found “serious derelictions” in a taxpayer-funded European business trip in which he and his wife enjoyed free tickets to Wimbledon and more.

    The underlying disagreement at the VA has a different flavor from the overhauls at a number of federal agencies. Unlike some Trump appointees, who took the reins of agencies with track records of opposing the very mission of the organization, Shulkin is a technocratic Barack Obama holdover. He not only participated in the past administration, but defends the VA’s much-maligned health care system. He seeks to keep the organization at the center of veterans’ health care. (An adviser to Shulkin said the White House isn’t permitting him to do interviews.)”

    A lot more to this excellent article at: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/16/trump-veterans-affairs-va-david-shulkin-217013

    ________________

    Also need to point out that the big software company Shulkin is going to get rich with is Cerner which is headquartered in Kansas. The same state that Senator Jerry Moran represents.

13. Wow it just gets better and better, more crooks competing who’s the better IDIOT, Simpson shouldn’t be allowed to retire and be given a pass, in the meantime seems these folks tend to forget why they were put in charge of important positions, they lack discipline, leadership and pretty much anything that would improve the livelyhoodof our Veterans, nail the bastards and send them to prison, that’s my take

    1. Nice verdict. But the question is how do we accomplish that dream. Perhaps, the best we can do is to start talking about how to: First, unite, one for all and all for one. Let’s declare we are neither a Democrat or Republican or Independent. Comes election we count as one vote and vote for the most favorable actor acting for our best interest. Second, learn, yes absolutely learn particularly the rule of law which is fundamentally necessary. Third, fight back Lastly but hopefully not Win a legal battle against these government servant who failed to do their job at our great expense. I ask everyone to contribute a solution to promote our common interest.

14. Me thinks “Sampson” may have pushed the pillars.

15. Ben- What happened to my post from yesterday (February 15)? Gone poof. Something went kerplunk and totally screwed up. Nice one.

    1. If censored, wouldn’t be the first time, and others have said much worse on your blog. Only threat is giving Veterans additional power that they need, or some other asinine bullshit, that the overseers of judicial segments are holding back from for their own doings, greed, or self-serving purposes. SMFH.

16. As things heat up for Shulkin on his road to become a Billionaire.

    ________________________________

    House balks at $10 billion price tag for VA-Cerner EHR project

    VA Committee Chair Phil Roe was also concerned that the amount doesn’t cover maintenance or the cost to update the infrastructure necessary to accommodate the new platform.

    By Jessica Davis
    February 16, 2018

    “As the time draws near for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to sign its EHR contract with Cerner, Congressional members are growing increasingly concerned over not only the $10 billion price tag, but that the agency will need to keep the legacy system in place, perhaps indefinitely.

    “While the EHR modernization effort is necessary, it is very expensive,” House VA Committee Chairman Phil Roe, MD, R-Tennessee, said during the Thursday hearing on the VA’s 2019 budget requests.

    “The contract with Cerner alone has a price tag of about $10 billion and that doesn’t even include the costs of updating infrastructure to accommodate the new EHR, implementation support or sustaining VistA up until the day it can be turned off,” he continued.

    In fact, Roe is concerned that the VA’s legacy EHR may never be completely gone.

    “After visiting Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, recently, I’m not even sure you can ever turn VistA off,” Roe said.”

    Full Article At: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/house-balks-10-billion-price-tag-va-cerner-ehr-project

    _______________

    So to purchase the new system at $18 Billion they also have to continue Vista. Continuing to pay maintenance and for upgrades on both systems. But the big catch not mentioned yet. Who is going to pay for the new computer systems that will be required to run both systems? or the costs of training and the additional personnel required to maintain both systems?

    I guess that will be our job as taxpayers.

17. So Simpson was the sacrificial turd tossed off the V.A. Titanic’s poop deck in this steaming soap opera about yellow balls?

    I’m still a bit confused.

    1. I didn’t read or don’t recall enough of the report to know how the trip initially came about, and how Shulkins wife got added to the mix.

       However it came about, Shulkin wanted his wife along and should have just paid for her travel. Perhaps Shulkin asked whether Uncle would pay. Who knows.

       In my opinion, the end result was Wright Simpson took action to try get his wife’s travel paid. She was told no initially, then claimed Shulkin would get an award, which would allow his wife to travel with. She emailed the approving official with false information, and the approving official emailed back saying she had enough detail to approve paying for his wife’s travel. Wright Simpson seemed to do whatever was necessary to get approval.

       I still think it is fishy the actions he did take, and did not take at the time questions first came up.

       Again, the IG report is really incredibly detailed and provides much more detail on actions taken than what have been reported.

       1. 91Veteran,
          Shulkin was supposed to win an award for something. That’s how it began.

       2. CE, I know that was what was portrayed, but he never was going to get an award.

          Wright Simpson was trying to figure out how to get Shulkins wife’s travel paid. She emailed Gough about something possibly happening with the embassy in Denmark. Gough emailed back and said they were working on a dinner in his honor at the embassy. Wright Simpson forwarded that email to Kennedy, but changed Gough’s wording to suggest it was going to be a special recognition for Shulkin.

          His wife could only have her travel paid if an award was going to be presented to Shulkin.

          Kennedy accepted what Wright Simpson sent as enough to approve his wife’s travel.

          The IG seemed to compare emails of what Gough sent, and what Wright Simpson forwarded to Kennedy. If I recall correctly, the IG said even a special recognition dinner would not be enough to approve Shulkins wife’s travel under the law.

          Wright Simpson changed Goughs wording to say it was a special recognition. Kennedy believed Gough wrote the words and approved the travel.

          If I wanted a prescription paid for and I asked the desk clerk to email me what was needed, then I changed that email to claim the desk clerk said I should get the prescription and forwarded it to the pharmacist and got the prescription, I am altering what the desk clerk said. I am getting the prescription through fraud by changing an official record, which is the email from the desk clerk.

          Edited to add: CE, what I meant about Shulkins wife being added to the mix is that I don’t know why Shulkin wanted to take her along on official travel. It appears this was a boondoggle trip from start to finish. Shulkin wanted to go to Europe, so they made excuses for him to go. He wanted his wife to go and Uncle to pay for it, so they made more excuses for her to go.

       3. So, basically, Simpson is the [only] one who committed travel fraud!?
          I got a sneaky suspicion there’s more people involved in this corruption than just Simpson!

          And, you’ll notice I did use the word “POSSIBLE” on an award!

          I believe EVERY PERSON at ALL VA’s who’ve been accused of anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, should be FIRED!!!!!!!!

          #shulkin-fuckyou – your a liar and a thief. You should go to prison!

          #afge-fuckyou – you cover-up for VA employees. You’ve been deemed “the most corrupt Union in America”!

          #atmostvso’s-fuckyou – since the early to mid 1990’s, Clinton’s Royal Reign, you’ve pitted yourselves, against the people who had supported you! ie; Veterans!

          #atmostvaemployees-fuckyou – you’ve helped in the cover-up of others! Therefore, y’all don’t deserve any pity or protection against what’s coming down the pike!

       4. No CE, Wright Simpson was the only one who was caught. Shulkin is just as guilty. It is the TRAVELER who us responsible for making sure their voucher is accurate when it is signed.
          Its like signing your tax return. Even if H&R block filled out your tax forms, the person signing the form is responsible for the accuracy.
          He wanted his wife to go. He directed Gough to work with his wife to set up a sightseeing schedule, which was misuse of federal resources having him work on personal things instead of the agency mission. The IG report shows he spent a LOT of time working to appease her demands.
          Kennedy likely knew what was going on, but she was smart enough to force Shulkins staff to put in writing what was needed for her to cover herself.
          Wright Simpson knew what Shulkin wanted, and acted to make it happen rather than telling him his wife’s travel was not allowed.
          Wright Simpson and others made travel changes costing the government even more money, but did not have good justification for those changes. I believe one of his security detail had almost $5000 in other charges that were not properly explained, such as over $2000 in parking.

          Whether Shulkin is getting taken out in a coup or not, I have read enough news articles over the years to know that if someone is being targeted, they often look at travel records first. The military really likes to look at travel records as an excuse or to find a reason to nail someone.

          Shulkin should have known better. His actions suggest he was playing fast and loose with the rules. That makes me wonder if he plays fast and loose with other rules, with contracts, or directs underlings to do things he should be doing, and they do things the way they want.

          I can’t in good conscience bitch about the VA being corrupt in not paying a veterans travel pay, and then make excuses for Shulkin wasting $122,000 on a bullshit trip.

    2. Well at least she did get to go on the European Vacation with the Shulkins before getting flushed.

18. If a chicken coup had four doors instead of two would it be called a sedan?

    1. The fox doesn’t care how many doors when it’s so much more fun to burrow right into the midst of things.

19. Concerned Veterans of America has always advocated for the dismantling of VA health care and benefits. If Kussman gets the top spot at VA we’re all going to be doomed. But we’ve always been doomed at the VA anyway.

20. I don’t know what you are saying here Ben. It appears you are saying Leinenkugel orchestrated a coup to take out Shulkin, or maybe Shulkin is trying to claim that, but the facts don’t point to that based on Leinenkugels email, what you write here, or the anonymous letter which is a whole other can of worms.

    Maybe I am missing something.

    I read Leinenkugels email as explaining something (poor leadership by Shulkin???) to some person named Cam, but it is not clear what. The email is dated December 4th, so I am not sure how that ties into Shulkin getting taken out today. Perhaps the email was in response to the anonymous letter to the IG last November. The WaPo article first reporting Shulkins trip was last September.
    Things are not adding up between the September WaPo article and the November anonymous letter. It looks like someone was trying to spill the beans before they wrote their letter to Missal.Yes, that letter may have led to Leinenkugels email in early December, but his email doesn’t suggest that compared to the letter.

    So…the letter. It very much looks like either the letter was intentionally written to include certain mistakes like it was coming from some lower level clerk, or it was written by a lower level clerk that had significant insider knowledge and access to material.
    The letter misspelled Vivieca’s name as Vivieva in one section, and then refers to the Crown Prince of Denmark as “Crowne”, and does so more than once.
    The letter uses “we”, as if it were a group effort to put this together. It also includes reference to Shulkins pay, which suggests detailed insider knowledge.
    The list of contacts at the end is strange, in that it lists several that have gotten into serious trouble at VA, which suggests this letter is orchestrated payback.
    Ocker- former Manchester director relieved while Shulkin was on his trip.
    Rubens- we all know about her.
    Hamlin- wasn’t he the DC director fired for losing equipment and not maintaining supplies?

    Other parts of the letter suggests long historical knowledge of the VAs dirty laundry. Specifically Francis Murphy, and the consulting contracts thrown her way.
    I have personally met Murphy years ago when she was the top VA doctor on Gulf War Illnesses, before she was promoted to her VA Environmental Sciences position. She was Susan Mathers little flunky.That such a lying nitwit could rise to that level is shocking in itself. That she parlayed her VA position into making piles of money from the VA is not surprising.

    Finally, you have the very interesting listing of those given a courtesy copy at the end. The list is a mix of left wing media contacts and left and right wing politicians known for raising hell if it suits them.

    We know the politicians, the others are:
    Alter: left wing journalist
    Belton: editor in charge at something called The Root.
    Fandos: junior reporter for the NYTimes covering DC.
    Gomez: somebody working at Keybridge Communications. It looks like a PR shop.
    Ogrysko: media person with Federal News Radio.

    They also list Danny Pummill and Linda Halliday. Hmmm. This starts to look like insiders are pissed off at former hacks held accountable.

    Shulkins claim of hacking is ridiculous.

    The IG report is one of the most detailed reports I have ever seen written. 97 pages of very detailed, to the point information that is not at all like the incredibly vague bullshit they usually write when they are covering up for someone. The report includes texts, emails, pictures of the $1500 travel books, etc.

    The emails they include suggest very strongly that Gough sent an email to Wright Simpson saying they are working on the dinner. Wright Simpson forwards the email to Kennedy who has to approve Shulkins wife’s travel. Wright Simpson changed the wording of what Gough wrote in his email before forwarding it to Kennedy.

    I agree this may be a coup. But I don’t think it involves Leinenkugel. Leinenkugel could likely go right to Trump and tell him what us going on without the palace intrigue.

    I believe it is a coup of insiders who are pissed off at how some have been held accountable. I also believe the VA IG office is more than happy to help this coup along by providing such a detailed report.

    Regardless of whether it is a coup, or whether Leinenkugel is behind it, Shulkin opened himself up to all of this by his actions.

    1. I am combining the email with a different news report and insider intel.

       1. Ben Krause why can you please try to convince the Senate Side of the Veteran Affairs Committee passed a New Disabled Veterans Benefit Law if a Disabled Veterans collected 100 percent service collected get the the G4 implants for free because if a Disabled Veterans don’t get the G4 implants for free it definitely caused other Health Care Issues Thanks for your help hopefully and Stay Healthy and your Family and your Staff.

       2. Arnold they do have the do it yourself kits available. Have you tried that route?

       3. Thanks for the explanation Ben. I read Leinenkugels email a few times trying to figure out what I was not seeing.

21. Who the hell spells it “Crowne” Prince anyway? Looks like that report got hacked and he dumb asses left an “e” in it. This is enough for me!

    I am gonna go take a shite and leave it at that.

    1. I noticed that too Dennis. As if they were sipping some Crowne Royal when they were typing it up.

    2. I don’t joke when I say I worked with illiterate people at the VA. I mean, even with spell check they still f- it up!!!

22. “Shithead Shyster Shulkin” should be heading off to prison!
    @shulkin-fuckyou!
    @afge-fuckyou
    @allvaemployees-fuckyou

    Did I miss anyone?

    1. Sorry Elf, but you did forget the VSOs. Although the VSOs leadership all work at the VA as employees and are members of the AFGE. While drawing salaries for their VSO leadership positions while drawing paychecks from the VA.

       1. OK,
          @vso’s-fuckyoutoo

       2. I vote for Ben. At least he is actually, and has done something, in full view of all. Using all those others with “ties” or being associates haven’t stood up to anything, or been known for doing anything, period.

          And any picks or replacements should be heavily vetted, be vets, be disabled, and know for fighting against the status quo and mob rulers to scum like Jeff Sessions.

          I tried the CVofA many times. No replies or concerns from them or their “associates.” So what the hell will a “Kussman” do??? Tried them several times while they were on Faux News wanting vets to call in and email them via Faux or the CVA clown that got a job on Faux as another lying mouth piece.

          One long list I can think of. Hell, like Congress.
          “https://govbanknotes.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/congress-introduces-new-set-of-bills-to-limit-the-right-to-seek-justice-against-major-corporations/”

       3. Remember this shit: VSO Exec Pay Shocker: Veterans Outraged disabledveterans.org/2013/04/24/vets-outraged-over-veteran-organization-exec-pay/

    2. You missed the VSOs

    3. Don’t forget the useless vinyl fender magnet patriot fat fuck give a shit average every day give a flying fuck citizens who were more than happy and chicken shit to send another generation off to a useless and pointless fucking war. And then hang the poor fucks out to dry when they get home. Fuck a bunch of yellow ribboned flag-wavers.

       Hey – Lets go watch America’s Got a Talented Dancing Fatty Bachelorette Racing Around a Fucking Island Trying To Keep Up With a Tranny FatDashian.

       Fuck this country. Fuck these people. A bus-load of piglets get mowed down and the hogs don’t even look up from their fucking trough. Just another day in the sty.

23. Can I recommend that the VA attorney who defended the VA against me step down too? I believe she did enough to even be disbarred.

    They are all scum, garbage, idiots, criminals…and I’m being polite when I say that.

    So what if this manatee wants to take a hit. Her stepping down is nothing. I’m sure she’ll retire with full benefits or something. What about Shulkin?

24. What a piece of crap, Russians! If this idiot did some actual work, there would be little to complain about and would not care about this stupid trip. The VA needs a person to run, oversee and train people. This man does zero and doesn’t care, every story that come out shows he’s a dirtbag. He should be inspecting hospitals, just another POS

25. Drain the swamp my ass. These fucking federally protected crooks are backstroking out of the swamp all the while keeping their pensions high and dry on their fat puss guts.
    FUCK VA, FUCK AFGE and FUCK SHULKIN

    1. Well warhorse, I 2nd your comments..I just typed a complaint “reply” in this website only to have it blown off for unknown reasons. To complex for me to even think about tryingto reconstruct. Im also a “fuckee” by Knoxville Ratings Bureau7 and even by my so called NSOs at DAV/NC Winston Salem. They have totally blown me off and forcing me to try to obtain help from RepForVets, Tampa, FL at this late date.. I hold near zero hope I will ever even be heard at a “F9″ hearing and less hope that even if i suvive to that elusive hearing that I will ever receive any back pay and monthly comp.

       We are, WWARHORSE” merely CANON FODDER, for the likes of Shulkin, and those homophobis, racist VA fed Judges who have been couagt emailing disgusting quips among severl other VA Judges. The canons areloade, ready to fire our cadavers in to orbit with the Tesla roadster just sent around the universe..see ya out there my fellow Vet and may God Bless you

       Bruce Nelson ([email protected])
       Banner Elk, NC

       1. Understood Brother Bruce, all to well. I’ve been fighting these fucks at VA since ‘95. In the past seven years I’ve been stonewalled to the point that I retained an attorney. As of 2014 my appeal was listed as being sent to “the board” to be heard by a BVA judge. As of 14 Feb 2018 I still have no date for this hearing to take place.
          As Veterans, we are nothing to those pieces of shit that occupy the house, senate and the White House. We only matter come election time, whenever there’s a photo op or a speech to be given. Then we’re paraded around like canines at a dog show. God bless you and your family Bruce, keep fighting the fight brother.

          FUCK VA, FUCK AFGE and FUCK SHULKIN

    2. I’m snickering at the image of some fat manatee backstroking out of the swamp.

       1. Want to bet this backstroking manatee Simpson is not going away from Fed. Gov’t. as easily as they may think. I am wagering a lawsuit will come from this and it will be based entirely on loose evidence Simpson was disrespected.
          Wait for it…

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