Shinseki faces bipartisan criticism during Hill hearing on vet health care scandal

Lawmakers accused Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki of failing to act on repeated warnings about problems with the veterans health care system, as the embattled secretary vowed to take "all actions necessary" to fix the problems during a contentious hearing on Capitol Hill. 
"Any allegation, any adverse incident like this makes me mad as hell," Shinseki said Thursday. 
He addressed lawmakers in his first testimony on Capitol Hill since allegations that delayed health care led to patient deaths were made public. Early in the hearing, he faced heated bipartisan criticism that his department is falling down on its vital obligation to care for America's veterans. 
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. -- who represents the state where the scandal broke -- said the problems have created a "crisis of confidence." 
"We should all be ashamed," said McCain, a Vietnam veteran. 
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who has called for the secretary's resignation, accused Shinseki of being in "damage control" and not taking the action that is necessary to correct the system. 
The scandal at the Phoenix division involved an off-the-books list allegedly kept to conceal long wait times as up to 40 veterans died waiting to get an appointment. Officials were accused of cooking the books to hide the fact that veterans were waiting more than 14 days, the target window. 
VA facilities in South Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Washington state have also been linked to delays in patient care or poor oversight. An internal probe of a Colorado clinic found that staff had been instructed to falsify records to cover up delayed care at a Fort Collins facility. 
Shinseki has urged officials to wait until an inspector general report is completed, as he orders a separate review, but lawmakers voiced concern that this would only lead to further delays. 
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the allegations "deeply disturbing." "We need more than good intentions," she said, calling for "decisive action." 
A top Republican also questioned when senior leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs learned that lower-level workers were "manipulating wait times" for veterans' health care. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., ranking Republican on the panel, said that the allegations have been surfacing for a while, and information on the problems was available to the secretary a year and a half ago. 
"Why were the national audits and statements of concern from the VA only made this month?" he asked, adding that the delayed health care has resulted in "patient harm and patient death." 
Shinseki's testimony is the first since the burgeoning scandal broke on allegedly deadly health care delays in the VA system. He is facing calls for his resignation as well as demands that the VA immediately improve the way it treats America's vets. 
Shinseki said the controversy "saddens" him. In his written statement, he said the department "must do better." 
Under questioning from senators, Shinseki still defended the overall management of the VA, calling it a "good system" and claiming that cases where workers were manipulating wait times "isolated." 
Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in his opening statement, urged Shinseki's critics to wait until more details are known, acknowledging the VA health care system has "serious problems" but questioning whether it even has enough resources. 
"There has been a little bit of a rush to judgment," he said. 
Meanwhile, the chief watchdog for the VA will testify Thursday that it must immediately focus on delivering quality health care in order to save lives.
In prepared remarks obtained by Fox News from a congressional source, VA’s acting Inspector General Richard J. Griffin said: “The unexpected deaths that the OIG continues to report on at VA facilities could be avoided if VA would focus first on its core mission to deliver quality health care.” 
The two officials, along with representatives from a host of veteran advocacy groups -- including The American Legion, which has called for Shinseki's resignation -- were testifying before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. The scandal started with allegations of patient deaths due to long wait times at a Phoenix VA medical center, but new reports are emerging almost daily of problems elsewhere. 
Shinseki stresses that he has already placed three employees at the Phoenix VA center on leave over the allegations that as many as 40 veterans may have died because of delayed treatment at that hospital. Further, he ordered an inspector general investigation into the matter and a nationwide review into scheduling policy.
Griffin is expected to cite deep flaws in the organizational structure of the VA that need to be fixed. In his prepared remarks, Griffin cites seven recent reports that demonstrate problems hindering the VA’s ability to provide quality health care coverage.
Examples include a September 2013 report on a VA hospital in Columbia, S.C., which found thousands of patients had their appointments for colon cancer screenings delayed. He says it found that more than 50 patients had a delayed diagnosis of colon cancer, and some later died. Another report from October 2013 discusses a facility in Memphis, Tenn., where three patients died due to improper emergency room care.
Griffin will say a review of these and other examples concluded that the VA needs to improve its system for implementing standards nationwide, saying the VA has become a network of hospitals that differ greatly from each other while attempting to accomplish the same goal.
“It is difficult to implement national directives when there are no standard position descriptions or areas of responsibility across the system,” Griffin plans to say.
Griffin says it is time for the VA to conduct a review of its systems to determine if there are changes that can be made to improve.
In discussing the current state of VA health care, Shinseki cites numerous examples of ways he says the VA has improved care over the past five years, including improving and expanding care access, working to end veteran homelessness and improving access to mental health services. He says the VA is actively working to improve patient wait times. 
The White House has stood behind Shinseki amid calls for him to resign. President Obama announced Wednesday he is assigning his close adviser Rob Nabors to the VA to work on a review focused on policies for patient safety rules and the scheduling of patient appointments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Eleanor Clift stands by claim US ambassador not ‘murdered’ in Benghazi

A longtime political pundit under fire for claiming the American ambassador to Libya was not "murdered" in Benghazi is standing by her claim he died of smoke inhalation.
"I'd like to point out that Ambassador (Chris) Stevens was not 'murdered;' he died of smoke inhalation in that safe room in that CIA installation," Eleanor Clift, a columnist at The Daily Beast, said Sunday on "The McLaughlin Group."
While Clift may be technically correct in light of reports that Stevens died from smoke inhalation, she was criticized because the ambassador died as a result of a fire ignited during a terrorist raid on the Benghazi consulate on Sep. 11, 2012.
She stood by her comment Tuesday during a radio interview.
"I was taking issue with the sort of glib use of the word 'murdered,'" Clift told radio host Steve Malzberg. "My point is that it was a very chaotic event. The CIA was involved, which is why there was a lot of confusion initially, and that all the questions that this special committee is raising have been asked and answered in previous investigations."
Malzberg asked if she would feel the same way if it was her relative. She replied, "I would say he died of smoke inhalation."
Author and columnist Pat Buchanan, who was on the Sunday show's panel, reportedly said he was "stunned cold" by her remarks.
The attack on the consulate in the Mediterranean port city has been a political rallying cry since just weeks before President Obama’s re-election. With the launch of a new House investigation, Benghazi is shaping up as a byword of this fall's midterm election and the presidential race in 2016, especially if former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the ballot.
"I was just trying to add a little bit of complexity, and I'm going to stick with what I said," Clift said. "I realize this causes a lot of emotion."

VA watchdog to tell Senate committee unexpected deaths 'could be avoided'

The chief watchdog for the VA will testify Thursday that it must immediately focus on delivering quality health care to avoid unexpected deaths, as VA Secretary Eric Shinseki prepared to testify he would take “timely action” if warranted. 
In prepared remarks obtained by Fox News from a congressional source, VA’s acting Inspector General Richard J. Griffin will say, “The unexpected deaths that the OIG continues to report on at VA facilities could be avoided if VA would focus first on its core mission to deliver quality health care.”
For his part, Shinseki will tell the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs he will take “timely action” if allegations of patient deaths due to long wait times at a Phoenix VA medical center are proven true.
The hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Thursday is being held discuss the state of health care coverage at the VA.
According to the prepared remarks, Shinseki will note he has already placed three employees at the Phoenix VA center on leave over the allegations that as many as 40 veterans may have died because of delayed treatment at that hospital. He will state he ordered an inspector general investigation into the matter and a nationwide review into scheduling policy.
Shinseki will say that the allegations are unacceptable, and if proven true by the investigation the agency will take “responsible and timely action” to remedy the situation.
“I am personally angered and saddened by any adverse consequence that a veteran might experience while in, or as a result of, our care,” the remarks say.
Griffin will follow Shinseki’s testimony with an assertion that there are flaws in the organizational structure of the VA that need to be fixed. In his prepared remarks, Griffin cites seven recent reports that demonstrate problems hindering the VA’s ability to provide quality health care coverage.
Examples cited include a September 2013 report on a VA hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, which found thousands of patients had their consults for colon cancer screenings delayed. He says it found over 50 patients had delayed diagnosis of colon cancer, and some later died. Another report from October 2013 discusses a facility in Memphis Tennessee, where three patients died due to improper emergency room care.
Griffin will say a review of these and other examples concluded that the VA needs to improve its system for implementing standards nationwide, saying the VA has become a network of hospitals that differ greatly from each other while attempting to accomplish the same goal.
“It is difficult to implement national directives when there are no standard position descriptions or areas of responsibility across the system,” Griffin will say.
Griffin will say that it is time for the VA to conduct a review of its systems to determine if there are changes that can be made to improve.
In discussing the current state of VA health care, Shinseki will cite numerous examples of ways he says the VA has improved care over the past five years, including improving and expanding care access, working to end veteran homelessness and improving access to mental health services.
He will say the VA is actively working to improve patient wait times through a number of ongoing and future actions.
“There is always more work to do, and VA is focused on continuous improvement to the care we provide to our nation’s veterans,” the remarks say.
The hearing is the first time Shinseki will appear before Congress after a series of scandals rocked the agency. In addition to Phoenix, VA employees in Wyoming and North Carolina have been suspended over allegations of misconduct.
The White House has stood behind Shinseki amid calls for him to resign. President Obama announced Wednesday he is assigning his close adviser Rob Nabors to the VA to work on a review focused on policies for patient safety rules and the scheduling of patient appointments.

White House's Response

Clintons seek to show new vigor amid age worries

(Bailey) Will she be the first president elect to get a face lift??

CLINTONS SEEK TO SHOW NEW VIGOR AMID AGE WORRIES It’s a big day in the campaign of 2016 Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Her loyal defenders spent most of Tuesday pouring out their fury on Karl Rove for remarks Rove made about her health and fitness for office. If she wins, Clinton would be 69 when she took the oath of office, older than every president other than Ronald Reagan. A Republican strategist and Fox News Contributor pointing out that Clinton’s 2013 bout of ill health, subsequent cranial blood clot and odd therapeutic eye ware at the height of the Benghazi scandal shouldn’t cause such consternation. But Democrats have long had a Rove bugaboo, ascribing many dark arts to the architect of George W. Bush’s two presidential victories. But its more than just hating Rove. It’s that he spoke to the fear pulsating in every Democratic nerve ending: What if she can’t run? Without a seemingly viable alternative, it would be lights out for the blue team.

Dem 'disarray'? Florida House candidate drops out, Conyers kept off ballot

Democrats suffered a double blow after their choice candidate in a Florida House race suddenly dropped out and longtime Michigan Rep. John Conyers apparently failed to qualify for the primary ballot in his state. 
Republicans, looking to defend their majority in the House this fall, seized on the developments as a sign that Democrats are in "disarray" in the mid-terms. 
"Whether it's this situation [in Michigan], or Democrats finding out today they have no candidate in the Florida 13 competitive seat, House Democrats are watching any remaining hopes of making Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House again evaporate before their eyes," said Daniel Scarpinato, spokesman with the National Republican Congressional Committee. 
In Michigan, Conyers is expected to appeal the decision after Wayne County Clerk Kathy Garrett said the Democratic congressman didn't get enough signatures to appear on the Aug. 5 primary ballot. He could still run as a write-in candidate, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee voiced confidence that Conyers will ultimately win re-election. 
But in Florida, the party for the moment appears to be left without a candidate after Ed Jany, an independent running with Democratic support against Republican Rep. David Jolly, dropped out. 
The decision by the Marine and former police officer comes days after The Tampa Bay Times published a story questioning whether he padded his education credentials on his resume. 
In a statement, Jany made no reference to that report, and cited difficulty balancing the campaign with professional work he was doing in Brazil. 
"In my professional capacity, I am responsible for coordinating some of the Command and Control for Security at the World Cup in Brazil this year, something I committed to doing some time ago," he said in a statement, according to The Tampa Bay Times. "I wrongly assumed that I could maintain my professional work requirements while running for office, just as I was able to work full-time as a police officer while pursuing a full-time education and balancing my military service in the past." 
DCCC Executive Director Kelly Ward issued a brief statement on the decision. "We respect and appreciate Ed Jany's ongoing efforts to continue serving his country and wish him the best in his future endeavors," Ward said. 
But the development undoubtedly stings for Democrats, whose candidate Alex Sink narrowly lost to Jolly in a special election in March for the Tampa-area House seat. They have another chance to win the seat in the fall, but it's unclear whether the party will rally behind a new candidate. 
The NRCC described the latest development as an "epic failure." 
Each party has about two-dozen House seats in play this year, according to political analysts. That makes for an uphill battle for Democrats to close the GOP's 34-seat majority. 
In Michigan, Conyers' situation is not unprecedented. In 2012, another Michigan congressman, Republican Thad McCotter of suburban Detroit, didn't make the ballot because a staff member turned in phony signatures or ones from old petitions. 
Conyers was at risk because officials believe several people who signed his petitions do not appear to have been registered voters or had registered too late. 
Federal court actions, meanwhile, are taking aim at the requirement that petition collectors be registered voters. The ACLU has filed suit to change state law. 
Conyers' opponent in the primary, the Rev. Horace Sheffield III, said Garrett should be commended for her stand. 
"I appreciate it -- with knowing the relationship and respect she has for the congressman," Sheffield told The Associated Press on Tuesday evening. "I also respect that she did what the law called for her to do." 
Sheffield, 59, said his campaign manager, Richard Jones, filed the challenge after learning that at least two people hired to get signatures for Conyers were not registered at the time to vote in Wayne County. 
Conyers was elected to the U.S. House in 1964 after winning the Democratic primary by 108 votes. 
Since then, he routinely has won re-election -- often with more than 80 percent of the vote -- and became the senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which he helped found. 
His closest call came in the 2010 general election. That year Conyers received 77 percent of the vote. It came at a time Republicans swept offices across the state, including Rick Snyder's election as governor. The election also came just two months after Conyers' wife reported to prison to begin a three-year sentence for corruption. 
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UCLA prof says stats prove school's admissions illegally favor blacks

Public universities in California are barred from using race as a factor in admitting students, but a UCLA professor who once served on its admissions oversight team says he has proof they do it anyway.
While the first round of admissions consideration is handled fairly, African-American students are nearly three times as likely to make it out of the "maybe" pile than equally-qualified white students, and more than twice as likely as Asians, according to Tim Groseclose, a political science professor at the school and author of a new book titled, “Cheating: An Insider's Report on the Use of Race in Admissions at UCLA.”
“UCLA is using racial preferences in admissions,” Groseclose, who made his case using data from 2006-2009, told FoxNews.com.
After a first look results in most applications being either accepted or rejected, a handful of senior university staff sift through those marked for further consideration, according to Groseclose. That’s where the alleged bias happens. He found black applicants were accepted at a  43 percent rate in the second round, while whites were accepted at a 15 percent rate and Asians at an 18 percent rate.
"All of the cheating was done by the senior staff,” Groseclose said.

“UCLA is using racial preferences in admissions.”- Tim Groseclose, UCLA political science professor

And race outweighs socioeconomic status, according to Groseclose. For instance, black applicants whose families had incomes exceeding $100,000 were about twice as likely to be accepted in round two as Asian and white kids whose families make just $30,000 and had similar test scores, grades and essays.
UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez told FoxNews.com that the school “will not address specific assertions made by Prof. Groseclose,” but said “UCLA believes its admissions process to be fair, transparent and consistent with state law.”
Additionally, Vazquez pointed to a study on the issue that it commissioned, which was done by UCLA Sociology Prof. Robert Mare.
“An independent review of UCLA’s holistic review admissions process released in 2012 found no evidence of bias,” Vazquez said in an emailed statement.
But Groseclose said the report cited by Vazquez found that if admissions were truly race neutral, “245 more North Asian applicants would have been admitted, which would be almost a 9 percent increase…  121 fewer black applicants would have been admitted… [a 33 percent decrease].” It also found that whites and Hispanics benefited at Asians’ expense in the admissions process.
The university’s alleged law-breaking goes back to 2006, when students protested and demanded higher minority enrollment. Shortly after that, Groseclose said, the university’s chancellor met with him and other members of the university’s admissions oversight committee and urged them to find a way to increase diversity.
The next year, black enrollment nearly doubled. Groseclose, wondering if the university had illegally based admission on race, asked if he could look at the detailed admissions data. Administrators refused to give him the data for a year, but eventually turned it over after he invoked a state law that gave him a right to see the files.
Groseclose has posted the data on his website.
Groseclose believes there is a strong case for a lawsuit to be filed by people who think they were discriminated against, but says UCLA is hardly unique.
“I think this is common – not just the racial preferences, but also the lying,” he said.
While California is one of eight states that do not allow race to affect admissions decisions, the rest do. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court held that states are free to prohibit the use of racial considerations in university admissions, upholding Michigan’s constitutional amendment banning affirmative action. But advocates say achieving racial diversity in student bodies is critical.
“I support affirmative action because engaging with racial diversity during the college years enhances student learning and prepares students for citizenship in a diverse democracy,” Julie Park, assistant professor of education at the University of Maryland and author of the book “When Diversity Drops,” told FoxNews.com.
“I also support it because student merit is more than just SAT scores,” she added.
But others say affirmative action backfires.
“When students’… level of academic preparation is substantially lower than that of their classmates, a wide range of unrebutted, peer-reviewed research shows that they learn less,” Richard Sander, author of “Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It's Intended to Help,” told FoxNews.com.
Groseclose agrees, but acknowledges that the position is unpopular in California. He has since decided to leave for a job at George Mason University in Virginia, beginning this summer.
“Within academia, there are just certain things you must say are true, even if you know they're false," he said. "Academia needs a major shakeup.”

Tea Party-backed candidate Sasse wins GOP Senate primary in Nebraska

Tea Party favorite Ben Sasse won the Republican nomination for an open Senate seat in Nebraska Tuesday night, after a heated and costly primary battle that drew heavy national attention.
Sasse, a university president, was able to hold off former state treasurer Shane Osborn and dark horse candidate Sid Dinsdale, who had begun to surge in recent weeks. Sasse grabbed 49 percent of the vote with Dinsdale finishing second and Osborn finishing third, according to preliminary returns.
"We were never doing this because we need another job," Sasse told supporters Tuesday night. "We were only going to do this if we were going to talk about big bold conservative ideas."
The win makes Sasse a huge favorite in November's general election, where he'll face Democrat Dave Domina, an Omaha attorney. The winner will replace Republican Mike Johanns, who didn't seek a second term.
Sasse, the president of Midland University, had steadily gained the backing of some of the most influential conservative groups and figures. His victory is a huge win for the Tea Party, as the movement has struggled to gain traction this year in the primaries.
Osborn had the backing of allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and ran an aggressive campaign. Further scrambling the race, Pinnacle Bank President Dinsdale had sought to capitalize on the Sasse-Osborn fight and had climbed in the polls.
In recent weeks, big names gravitated to Sasse's side, including Sarah Palin and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Sasse also has the backing of the Club for Growth, the Tea Party Patriots, the Senate Conservatives Fund and FreedomWorks.
"Ben Sasse won this race because he never stopped fighting for conservative principles," said Matt Hoskins, executive director of the Senate Conservatives Fund, which spent more than $1.2 million to help Sasse.
Cruz said Sasse's win "is a clear indication that the grassroots are rising up to make D.C. listen."
Sasse focused on his conservative credentials, opposition to abortion, support for gun rights and goal of repealing and replacing the health care law.
In one 30-second ad, Sasse's two young daughters, Alex and Corrie, talked about how much their dad opposed the Affordable Care Act. "He wants to destroy it," said one daughter. "He despises it," said the other.
However, Sasse advised former Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt's firm as the group reached out to businesses and organizations in 2010 to explain and implement the new law. Osborn recently began running a 30-second TV ad linking Sasse to writings and speeches from several years earlier commenting on elements that would become part of the law firmly opposed by most Republicans.
Outside groups and the candidates have spent millions on the race in which the GOP winner is widely expected to prevail in November. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party's campaign operation, remained neutral.
The Tea Party movement has struggled in earlier contests, with their favored candidates losing to establishment favorites in Texas, North Carolina and Ohio.
Looking ahead to upcoming primaries, the Tea Party's chances to upset incumbents have been diminishing in Kentucky, Kansas, Idaho and Mississippi.
In Nebraska's GOP primary for governor, Omaha businessman Pete Ricketts narrowly defeated Attorney General Jon Bruning. Term limits prevented Republican Gov. Dave Heineman from running again.