Lieberman loves the urine man

I wonder how the Democrats who threw Ned Lamont under the bus can sleep at night.

George Bush's favorite Democrat was doing his usual babbling on Imus's show this morning and had the nerve to say that the replacement of Maj. Gen. George Weightman with Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley (a.k.a the urine man) at Walter Reed is somehow "a good first step."

IMUS: … that, particularly if you’re somebody who thought the war was such a wonderful idea, as you did, and continues to support this idiotic exercise that you — and probably you sit on some of these oversight committees…

LIEBERMAN: Yes.

IMUS: … that you would have a special responsibility to know what the hell has happened to these kids.

LIEBERMAN: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

IMUS: It’s not enough to say you didn’t know or you didn’t ask the right questions. I mean, that’s why we elected you.

LIEBERMAN: We all have responsibility. And I will tell you very personally, because I have supported the war and continue to believe that we’ve got to do everything we can to have it end successfully, I have a special responsibility. And so, you know, we all ought to be doing mea culpas.

[...]

IMUS: How do we get this fixed?

LIEBERMAN: Well, I think the first thing is to hold people accountable. And, you know, General Weightman going is a good first step. The Armed Services Committee…

IMUS: Well, it’s an absurd first step. He didn’t have anything to do with this. He’s been in charge — that’s a big scapegoat deal and you know that.

LIEBERMAN: Your questions about General Kiley are very good questions, and I’m going to ask him. Because this, after all, is the guy that was in charge for a couple years.

IMUS: Well, he’s a lying skunk. He ought to be forced to resign today, Senator.

LIEBERMAN: Of course, I don’t have that exact authority.

(LAUGHTER)

But I will tell you that — I’m on the Armed Services Committee. The Armed Services Committee oversees the medical hospitals. And a group of us on the committee are going out there this afternoon. And I am going to ask some of the tough questions that you and a lot of others…

IMUS: See if they’ll let you, Senator Joe Lieberman, walk around without being escorted by four or five of these generals who’ve known about this for years.

LIEBERMAN: Yes.

IMUS: I mean, did you read Dana Priest and Anne Hull story in The Washington Post yesterday, that General Kiley’s been up there testifying before your committee and lying to you, Senator…

(CROSSTALK)

IMUS: … lying to you and these other people. He’s lying to you.

LIEBERMAN: I agree.

Look, this is the guy that was on top of the institution. It is not — it’s a good sized hospital, but it’s not a city. And this was a building that was an important part of that. So, look, he should have known.

[…]

LIEBERMAN: Part of this, Don, was that the whole response never lived up to the increasing demand on the Army medical system or the military medical system after Iraq.

IMUS: Well, that’s not a good excuse.

LIEBERMAN: Well, no, it’s not an excuse. It’s an explanation.

Not Joe, it's an excuse and you should be ashamed of yourself for suggesting that Kiley running the show again at Walter Reed is "a good first step."

Why do I call Kiley the urine man you ask. Well, I'll let John at Americablog give you the rundown.

Are these people insane? The Army fired the head of Walter Reed today, and the new guy who's taking over until they can hire a permanent replacement is Kevin Kiley, the same guy who reportedly let a soldier sleep in his own urine, and refused to lift a finger when he was notified by the wife of a GOP congressman who had witnessed the horrifying scene.

Think John's kidding? Read the story for yourself.

In 2004, Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) and his wife stopped visiting the wounded at Walter Reed out of frustration. Young said he voiced concerns to commanders over troubling incidents he witnessed but was rebuffed or ignored. "When Bev or I would bring problems to the attention of authorities of Walter Reed, we were made to feel very uncomfortable," said Young, who began visiting the wounded recuperating at other facilities.

Beverly Young said she complained to Kiley several times. She once visited a soldier who was lying in urine on his mattress pad in the hospital. When a nurse ignored her, Young said, "I went flying down to Kevin Kiley's office again, and got nowhere. He has skirted this stuff for five years and blamed everyone else."

This is the man who's BACK in charge at Walter Reed and Lieberman thinks that having Kiley in charge is a "good first step."

Think Progress has more on the new head of Walter Reed.

Joe Lieberman has no shame...don't look at me, I voted for this guy.