Walter Reed scandal claims another bureaucrat

I see the fallout on the Walter Reed scandal is growing. Hot on the heels of the termination of General Weightman, Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey resigned today. Interesting that it comes on the heels of Henry Waxman issuing his first subpoena as a committee chairman.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Henry Waxman, D-Calif., wants to ask Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman about a contract to manage the medical center awarded to a company that had documented troubles fulfilling a government contract to deliver ice to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Unsurprisingly, the Pentagon is blocking Weightman's testimony but I'm banking on Waxman's tenacity.

Meanwhile, word has it that Gates asked him to resign because he appointed another hack to replace Weightman. That seems a little harsh for such a common practice in this administration. One wonders if perhaps Harvey was involved in those contracts or something worse and the Pentagon just wants him to quietly disappear before anybody tries to subpoena him.

I think the most interesting thing about this whole scandal is that it was generated by an actual investigative work of journalism. The WaPo did its job in spades on this one. I just hope that the focus on Walter Reed will result in a greater scrutiny over the whole VA system. We still have veterans from Bush's daddy's war and even before, that were never treated properly for the injuries they received as well.