Paul Rieckhoff: Walter Reed: What You Can Do About It (HuffPost)

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Paul Rieckhoff


03.07.2007
Walter Reed: What You Can Do About It (9 comments )

In the last few weeks, we've seen a sea change in media coverage in this country. For once, it was the war that pushed Britney Spears' latest stupidity out of the news cycle - and not the other way around.

Of course, cable news coverage of the Walter Reed scandal (or there lack of) was embarrassingly bad - by one count, Fox devoted 12 times more coverage to Anna Nicole Smith.

But after four years of war in Iraq, most of the media seemed to realize it was time to cover the real stories, not the trials and tribulations of the famous-for-being-famous. The bottom line: the plight of wounded veterans is finally getting the attention the issue deserves, and it is about damn time.

Unsurprisingly, the American public's furor over this issue got Washington moving faster than I've seen in years: hearings at Walter Reed, new legislation in Congress, two generals relieved of duty, and the appointment of two bipartisan and independent investigatory panels. It all sounds good, but what does this mean for the long term?

Not much, if Washington doesn't follow through. There is some great bipartisan legislation that would address some of these issues - but right now, it's just sitting in Congress. ....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff/walter-reed-what-you-can_b_42916.html