excuse me? everything at walter reed is Aok? LMFAO!!!!!

Keep right on laughing funny man....Bethesda is already on line and able to take WRH excess (since it's supposed to be WRH's replacement). That is since WRH is scheduled to close. So go ahead and yuk it up.

"It is all about numbers. Instead of getting quality care, they were trying to get everybody demobilized during a certain time frame. If you had a problem, they said, 'Let the (Department of Veterans Affairs) take care of it.'"

That "is" what the VA is for in the first place.
Did you by "any" chance at all, catch this? I'll bet you didn't.

At a Pentagon briefing this morning, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged the problem. Gates said that the high absenteeism is related to the almost non-existent Iraqi banking system in Iraq, which forces soldiers to go back to their hometowns to deliver their checks to their families.

In case you didn't know...establishing a banking system is "not" a problem for the US. That's an Iraqi only problem. So it isn't as the col thinks that they just aren't showing because they're afraid or have no confidence in what they're doing. As a matter of fact far from it. You're as bad as the col.

dremiler

You are a LIAR. I saw the report this on CNN Late Addition TODAY.

Now CNN has another article about the $850 Billion dollar trade deficit and the fact it is DESTROYING our economy. The biggest problem is with China who is also the largest foreign purchaser of our debt! Bush is the one that approved China to be added to the WTO and has expanded the FAILED Trade Policy that Clinton started. Why kind of an idiot would expand a trade policy that failed for the 8 preceding years and double the size of the trade deficit.

drmiler

You gave me something that is 2 YEARS out of date! This is 2007 NOT 2004! When you can show me where he has said it lately, then I'll believe. Until then this is BS! YOU ARE BRAIN DEAD. I just told you Mr. Walker was on 60 Minutes last week and interviewed on CNN yesterday. That is in March 2007 you IDIOT!

Drmiler:

Here is a March 4, 2007 atricle. You are a putz!

U.S. Heading For Financial Trouble?

March 4, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(CBS) When the stock market plunges like it did this week, everyone pays attention. The man you're about to meet says hardly anyone is paying attention to what really threatens our financial future. Like an Old Testament prophet, David Walker has been traveling the country, urging people to "wake up before it's too late."
But David Walker is no wild-eyed zealot. As Steve Kroft reports, David Walker is an accountant, the nation’s top accountant to be exact, the comptroller general of the United States. He has totaled up our government's income, liabilities, and future obligations and concluded the numbers simply don’t add up. And he’s not alone. Its been called the "dirty little secret everyone in Washington knows" – a set of financial truths so inconvenient that most elected officials don’t even want to talk about them, which is exactly why David Walker does.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I would argue that the most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan but our own fiscal irresponsibility," Walker tells Kroft.

David Walker is a prudent man and a highly respected public official. As comptroller general of the United States he runs he Government Accountability Office, the GAO, which audits the government's books and serves as the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress. He has more than 3,000 employees, a budget of a half a billion dollars, and a message he considers urgent.

"I'm going to show you some numbers…they’re all big and they’re all bad," he says.

So bad, that Walker has given up on elected officials and taken his message directly to taxpayers and opinion makers, hoping to shape the debate in the next presidential election.

"You know the American people, I tell you, we've been to 13 cities outside of Washington with the fiscal wake up tour. They are absolutely starved for two things: the truth, and leadership," Walker says.

He calls it a fiscal wake up tour, and he is telling civic groups, university forums and newspaper editorial boards that the U.S. has spent, promised, and borrowed itself into such a deep hole it will be unable to climb out if it doesn’t act now. As Walker sees it, the survival of the republic is at stake.
"What’s going on right now is we’re spending more money than we make…we’re charging it to credit card…and expecting our grandchildren to pay for it. And that’s absolutely outrageous," he told the editorial board of the Seattle Post Intelligencer. You have heard this before, from Ross Perot 15 years ago. You might have even thought the problem had been solved, when President Clinton announced, "Tonight, I come before you to announce that the federal deficit … will be simply zero."

"Well, those days are gone. We've gone from surpluses to huge deficits and our long range situation is much worse," Walker says.

"President Bush would argue that the economy is in pretty good shape, unemployment is down, the deficit is actually less than expected," Kroft remarks.

"The fact is, is that we don't face an immediate crisis. And, so people say, 'What's the problem?' The answer is, we suffer from a fiscal cancer. It is growing within us. And if we do not treat it, it could have catastrophic consequences for our country," Walker replies.

The cancer, Walker says, are massive entitlement programs we can no longer afford, exacerbated by a demographic glitch that began more than 60 years ago-- a dramatic spike in the fertility rate called the "baby boom."

Beginning next year, and for 20 years thereafter, 78 million Americans will become pensioners and medical dependents of the U.S. taxpayer.

"The first baby boomer will reach 62 and be eligible for early retirement of Social Security January 1, 2008. They'll be eligible for Medicare just three years later. And when those boomers start retiring in mass, then that will be a tsunami of spending that could swamp our ship of state if we don't get serious," Walker explains.

To illustrate their impact, he uses a power point presentation to show what would happen in 30 years if the U.S. maintains its current course and fulfills all of the promises politicians have made to the public on things like Social Security and Medicare.

What would happen in 2040 if nothing changes?

"If nothing changes, the federal government's not gonna be able to do much more than pay interest on the mounting debt and some entitlement benefits. It won't have money left for anything else – national defense, homeland security, education, you name it," Walker warns.

Walker says you could eliminate all waste and fraud, and the entire Pentagon budget and the long range financial projections barely change, in what's shaping up as an actuarial nightmare.

Part of the problem, Walker acknowledges, is that there won't be enough wage earners to support the benefits of the baby boomers. "But the real problem, Steve, is health care costs. Our health care problem is much more significant than Social Security," he says.

Asked what he means by that, Walker tells Kroft, "By that I mean that the Medicare problem is five times greater than the Social Security problem."

The problem with Medicare, Walker says, is people keep living longer, and medical costs keep rising at twice the rate of inflation. But instead of dealing with the problem, he says, the president and the Congress made things much worse just three years ago when they expanded the Medicare program to include prescription drug coverage. "The prescription drug bill was probably the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s," Walker argues.

Asked why, Walker says, "Well, because we promise way more than we can afford to keep. Eight trillion dollars added to what was already a 15 to $20 trillion under-funding. We're not being realistic. We can't afford the promises we've already made, much less to be able, piling on top of 'em."

With one stroke of the pen, Walker says, the federal government increased existing Medicare obligations nearly 40 percent over the next 75 years. "We’d have to have eight trillion dollars today, invested in treasury rates, to deliver on that promise," Walker explains.

Asked how much we actually have, Walker says, "Zip."

So where's that money going to come from?

"Well it's gonna come from additional taxes, or it's gonna come from restructuring these promises, or it's gonna come from cutting other spending," Walker says.

He is not suggesting that the nation do away with Medicare or prescription drug benefits. He does believe the current health care system is way too expensive, and overrated.

"On cost we're number one in the world. We spend 50 percent more of our economy on health care than any nation on earth," he says.

"We have the largest uninsured population of any major industrialized nation. We have above average infant mortality, below average life expectancy, and much higher than average medical error rates for an industrialized nation," Walker points out.

Walker says we have promised almost unlimited health care to senior citizens who never see the bills, and the government already is borrowing money to pay them. He says the system is unsustainable.

"It's the number one fiscal challenge for the federal government, it's the number one fiscal challenge for state governments and it's the number one competitive challenge for American business. We're gonna have to dramatically and fundamentally reform our health care system in installments over the next 20 years," Walker tells Kroft.

And if we don't?

"And if we don't, it could bankrupt America," Walker argues.

You’re probably expecting to hear from someone who disagrees with the comptroller general’s numbers, projections, and analysis. But hardly anyone does. He is accompanied on the wake-up tour by economists from the conservative Heritage Foundation, the left-leaning Brookings Institution, and the non-partisan Concord Coalition. The only dissenters seem to be a small minority of economists who believe either that the U.S. can grow its way out of the problem, or that Walker is over-stating it.

"The Wall Street Journal for example calls you 'Chicken Little,' running around saying that the 'sky is falling, the sky is falling,'" Kroft remarks.

"Unfortunately they don't get it. I don't know anybody who has done their homework, has researched history, and who's good at math who would tell you that we can grow our way out of this problem," Walker replies.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke validated much of Walker's take on the situation at congressional hearings this year, and so did ranking Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee. Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota is the Chairman.

Sen. Conrad thinks David Walker is "providing an enormous public service."

Asked if he agrees with Walker’s figures and his projections, Sen. Conrad says, "I do. You know, I mean we could always question the precise nature of this projection or that projection. But, that misses the point. The larger story that he is telling is exactly correct."

Conrad acknowledges that most people in Washington are aware how bad the situation is. "They know in large measure here, Republicans and Democrats, that we are on a course that doesn't add up," the senator tells Kroft.

"Why doesn't somebody do something about it?" Kroft asks.

"Because it's always easier not to. 'Cause it's always easier to defer, to kick the can down the road to avoid making choices. You know, you get in trouble in politics when you make choices," Sen. Conrad says.

Asked if he thinks taxes should be raised, the senator says, "I believe first of all, we need more revenue. We need to be tough on spending. And we need to reform the entitlement programs … we need to do all of it."
But he admits he doesn't think there's a consensus for raising taxes.

"Any politician who tells you that we can solve our problem without reforming Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is not telling you the truth," Walker told an audience at the University of Denver.

Over the next year, the nation’s top accountant will be traveling to the early primary states, telling voters that we need to begin raising taxes or government revenues and put a cap on federal spending if we want to maintain our economic security and standard of living.

"If you tell them the truth, if you give them the facts, if you explain this in terms of not just numbers but values and people, they will get it and empower their elected officials to make tough choices," Walker argues.

Asked if he knows any politicians willing to raise taxes or cut back benefits, Walker says, "I don't know politicians that like to raise taxes. I don't know politicians that like to cut spending, but I think what we have to recognize is this is not just about numbers. We are mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren at record rates, and that is not only an issue of fiscal irresponsibility, it's an issue of immorality."

I don't recall arguing with you at all. As a matter of fact I tend to ignore you. I was commenting on something drmiler posted. I only read the Col's posts for a bit of comic relief.

dremiler You are a LIAR. I saw the report this on CNN Late Addition TODAY. Now CNN has another article about the $850 Billion dollar trade deficit and the fact it is DESTROYING our economy. The biggest problem is with China who is also the largest foreign purchaser of our debt! Bush is the one that approved China to be added to the WTO and has expanded the FAILED Trade Policy that Clinton started. Why kind of an idiot would expand a trade policy that failed for the 8 preceding years and double the size of the trade deficit.

Don't call me a liar, you a**hole. You wouldn't know the truth if it hit you in the face. To borrow a line from ID.......Comptroller General....

Clinton appointee + Hilary Clinton running for President = says enough by itself

And if you saw the article, then "why" can't I find it on their website? Or better yet why can't you just provide a link?

And just for the record....just what does the comtroller general have to do with Iraqi troops? Could it be that finding yourself on the losing end of an arguement, once again you change the subject?

drmiler

If you say that CNN did not carry the story I posted in this Blog you are a LIAR!

And just for the record....just what does the comptroller general have to do with Iraqi troops? Could it be that finding yourself on the losing end of an argument, once again you change the subject? Just another example of POOF what I posted is true. YOU ARE AN IDIOT that never looks at the facts just what your twisted mind wants to believe.

Why not answer the question?

MasonM

I was answering the question of drmiler see below:


Reply By: drmiler Posted: Sunday, March 18, 2007
drmiler

TRY CNN WOLF Blitzer Late Edition! It was on about 30 minutes ago.


Sorry but I have searched the "entire" CNN site and (yes I'm a registered member) found nothing to back up your claim. So until I can see it....I think it's BS! And like Mason said it "must" be so even without corroborating reports from ANY other source.

And as far as this goes...

How did you like the Comptroller General article I posted that you requested?


I'll tell you the "same" thing I said on your other thread:You gave me something that is 2 YEARS out of date! This is 2007 NOT 2004! When you can show me where he has said it lately, then I'll believe. Until then this is BS!

MasonM and Drmiler

How did you like both the 2004 and 2007 comments of the Comptroller General? Since the 2004 article we have added over a Trillion more dollars of debt. Face it-- Bush is destroying this country and the harm he has done will last long after his term in office has ended!

No, as usual you didn't actually answer the question. You are very good at satire. Perhaps you should write a play or perhaps a satirical comics series.

Nothing is being "destroyed".  Why do people on the left have to be so dramatic and emotional?

As I said......

Comptroller General....Clinton appointee + Clinton running for President = typical democratic rheotric.

Any person who goes around using the phrase "tax cuts for the rich" is a democrat by nature.  Purely political.

Island Dog

If you are saying the information presented by the Comptroller General and the GAO is not correct you are NUTS. Thus is the investigative arm of Congress and has 3,000 staff. They have shown that regardless of politics they know the facts unlike most of you people that stupidly support Bush and what he is doing to the U.S. I was wondering how long it would take for one of those that support Bush to attack the Comptroller General and GAO. You are really living in a dream world!

In addition the article from 2007 says that the CURRENT Fed Chairman, a BUSH appointee, has CONFIRMED the analysis of the Comptroller General. WHO wants to attack him?


Any person who goes around using the phrase "tax cuts for the rich" is a democrat by nature. Purely political. NO IT IS THE TRUTH!!!!!!

MasonM

If the subject matter were humorous we could all just laugh and move on. The reality is that what the Comptroller General in documenting is reality and will impact all of our lives in the future. The debt and our ability to meet our countries obligations will be in our face every day. If we do not keep the commitments to the 78 Million Baby Boomers there will be a disaster for the country. To keep those promises will require MASSIVE tax increases or cuts in things we simply can not cut and keep our country operating. This is no Comic Book Issue-- I wish it were!

Look at what the Iraqi People Think:

Poll: Fear, Anger, Stress Grip Iraqis
March 19, 2007 8:09 AM EDT
WASHINGTON - The optimism that helped sustain Iraqis during the first few years of the war has dissolved into widespread fear, anger and distress amid unrelenting violence, a survey found.

The poll - the third in Iraq since early 2004 by ABC News and media partners - draws a stark portrait of an increasingly pessimistic population under great emotional stress. Among the findings of this survey for ABC News, USA Today, the BBC and ARD German TV:

-The number of Iraqis who say their own life is going well has dipped from 71 percent in November 2005 to 39 percent now.

-About three-fourths of Iraqis report feelings of anger, depression and difficulty concentrating.

-More than half of Iraqis have curtailed activities like going out of their homes, going to markets or other crowded places and traveling through police checkpoints.

-Only 18 percent of Iraqis have confidence in U.S. and coalition troops, and 86 percent are concerned that someone in their household will be a victim of violence.

-Slightly more than half of Iraqis - 51 percent - now say that violence against U.S. forces is acceptable - up from 17 percent who felt that way in early 2004. More than nine in 10 Sunni Arabs in Iraq now feel this way.

-While 63 percent said they felt very safe in their neighborhoods in late 2005, only 26 percent feel that way now.

The major cause for this sharp reversal in Iraqi attitudes is the continuing violence - bombings, attacks by roving gunmen and kidnappings - that has overwhelmed the country since the U.S. invasion four years ago this week.