The title of the Boston.com article spoke volumes – “Sarah Palin Might Get Scott Brown’s Job at the VA.” What? No mention of Jeff Miller?
On TheHill.com, Terron Sims II wrote on Monday a viewpoint challenging whether Congressman Miller, who stepped down this year after serving as the chair of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee – title “Non-vet Jeff Miller poor choice for for VA secretary.”
Sims is a graduate of West Point, who served in the 1st Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad and Wasit Province during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2004. He blames Miller for lack oversight of the VA.
“The Phoenix wait-time scandal happened on his watch, as did the failed Choice Act. What did not happen were any of the reforms requested by Secretary Bob McDonald, a former Fortune 50 CEO, West Point graduate, and Army veteran,” he said.
Piling on, Sims even attacks Miller for obstructing reform. “At every turn, Miller has obstructed VA reform,” wrote Sims. “He has pushed accountability solely onto the VA, but not accepted any of it himself.”
He calls out Trump – “To choose someone like Miller — someone who only criticizes the VA and thwarts progress at every turn—shows that veterans are a secondary consideration to the Trump administration.”
Ouch!
Sims doesn’t mention Palin. Her chief qualification appears to be her son-in-law’s military service – Dakota Meyer received the Medal of Honor in 2011. However, She has her critics, too.
Brandon Friedman, CEO of The McPherson Square Group, wrote a viewpoint for New York Daily News – “Sarah Palin isn’t qualified to lead VA.”
He pointed out that the VA has 330,000 employees. Alaska employs less than a quarter of that number. VA has a $180 billion annual budget. Alaska’s state budget in 2015 was less than a tenth of that.
Brandon wrote, “She doesn’t have the requisite executive experience. Period. She’s never successfully managed a venture of this scope.”
He adds, “Quite frankly, it’s insulting to veterans. President-elect Trump has said over and over that he’s committed to providing America’s veterans with the highest quality care and benefits. Choosing Palin would show that he’s utterly unserious about that.”
Double Ouch!
Does this set the stage for former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown to walk into the post? The Bostonians think so, but I wouldn’t count out our man from Chumuckla, Fla.
We should know next week.
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