Why is he being promoted? Because as the commander in chief is an expert in failing upwards, and rewards others who do the same. He surrounds himself with other incompetent people to complete his task of complete chaos and destruction. Really, it's quite spectacular when you think about it. Like watching two trains collide head-on.... or planes crashing into a building, or levies breaking and flooding cities. This is the legacy and metaphor of the Bushists and their amazingly destructive tenure.

"I am the Decider." -- Bush

"The system failed you," Bush told the patients and staff.

Bush never admits he's in command when shit goes awry. He's in charge, until he's confronted with his own lack of responsibility for things, then it's "the system" that failed the patients, not him.

The bastard. I hope he rots in hell.

I pretty much live in the VA system.

The incidents you illustrate are common. It's tough enough when you've got family to push your chair around and to make sure paperwork is filled out correctly. But as you pointed out, there are some kids in those places who have no one. They are lonely and sad, as you said.

That's why it is important to reach out to these soldiers and make sure they are getting proper representation. I don't know what any civilian individual or organization can do to help an active duty soldier at a DOD hospital. They are still under the control of the Pentagon and protected from well-meaning civilians who might want to help.

But once a soldier is discharged, he's in the hands of the VA. That's when help becomes available if you know where to look and how to ask for it.

As much as I despise the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars for their pro-war, pro-Bush stance, these organizations are first and best place a veteran can go to receive help with navigating the VA labyrinth. All the vet has to do is sign a limited power of attorney over to the VFW or the American Legion and one of their advocates will become the vet's legal spokesman to the VA.

These guys, I've found personally, are bulldogs. They know the VA rules and they know the tricks to file for disability and keep the paperwork moving. They really do go to bat for the veteran. It may take a year or more for a vet's claims to be adjudicated, but eventually they usually come through with the financial and medical support the vet needs. It's just a long, frustrating and often lonely journey through the system. It's made less frustrating and less lonely when the vet knows where and how to get help.

In addition to the American Legion and the V.F.W., there's the VA's own Veteran's Outreach Centers all over the country. While it may seem like anybody who's on the VA payroll must not be trusted, the Vet's Centers are different. These people, the psych counselors, the benefits counselors, they are all there to help the vet and they do a great job.

Finally, there is the veteran's own Congresspersons and state representatives. I know, I hear a lot of stories about how they won't help the veteran. But I've found it's simply not true. Congressmen can make life hell for people within the VA who won't do their jobs. Sometimes just one phone call from a U.S. Congressman is enough to scare the shit out of them. They will get moving on your claim in a hurry.

Thanks for continuing to report on how our wounded soldiers are getting treated.

Mr. Benjamin,

that was a good article, but you had so many editing mistakes, it was difficult to get through and take you seriously. did you finish this late night without a final look through? what kind of english is:

"Two years and a half years after the task force's report..."

c'mon, i expect more from a professional journalist, not these sorts of school-boy errors. but otherwise, the content was good and the reporting is necessary. thanks

I have followed presidential politics from Kennedy to Bush 43. And this president's hiring practices seem to focus entirely on political loyalty. Mr. Bush, more than previous presidents, seems to surround himself with "yes men". Remember that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tried to resign twice before the November 2006 elections. The voters decided Rumsfeld's fate for the "Decider". So I'm not surprised that Bush wants to promote the Walter Reed Task Force Co-Chair. He rewards political loyalty and resists firing these people even when they demonstrate incompetence.

Why doesn't it surprise me that Walter Reed has had problems that is why the administration wanted to cover it up by closing its doors.

It probably explains why people from New Oleans weren't sent to occupy a nearby closed army base, which would have made sense. It's the credit card mentality -- when it doesn't work don't bother to fix it and have people concerned work on it; just fire everyone and try to build something newer, bigger, brighter for lots more money, that doesn't work either.

Rumsfeld decided to close the doors instead of making things right.

Can someone please let me know where I can pick up one of those count down calendars?? I cannot wait to see an end of this administration.

I have been carefully following all the news about Walter Reed and the VA as I have a brother heading for Afghanistan. All I can say at this point is that I hope and pray that he does not require any care at Walter Reed or even the VA upon his return. The military health care system has been broken for years and nothing that Bush is doing is going to fix it. I used to work as a civilian clerk-typist in the medical field and even then it was broken. They did not have enough qualified doctors to take care of the patients they had at that time which included dependents, retired military, and active duty military. Due to the incompentence of some of the doctors, the hospital was getting sued for malpractice at least a couple of times a year if not more. Now that hospital does not even have an emergency room despite being a basic training base and it sends even active duty military to civilian hospitals in town. And, let's not forget the retired and dependents who are forced to use civilian doctors despite being entitled to military medical care. I have said I would never send a sick snake to that hospital and I mean it.