Posted on 08/23/2009 9:44:49 AM PDT by jessduntno
Sen. Specter Calling for Hearings into End of Life Guide for Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs is under increasing scrutiny this week after it was revealed a controversial end of life counseling pamphlet may be revived and distributed to veterans.
The guide called "Your Life, Your Choices," was originally suspended under the Bush Administration, but it is apparently being brought back by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jim Towey, a former Bush Administration official, brought the revival to national prominence this week with an article in the Wall Street Journal, which outlined his criticisms of the booklet. When asked about the guide on Fox News Sunday, Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) said "I think consideration ought to be given right now to suspending it pending hearings." Specter, who sits on the Veterans Affairs Committee, says that there are questions that need to be answered about the booklet.
Towey called the pamphlet a "hurry up and die" message to troops, making this into another large end of life care issue. Assistant Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Tammy Duckworth, said that the manual is under review and that it has not been "officially reinstated." She said that it is "simply a tool" used to care for the veterans.
The most controversial section of the guide is titled "What makes your life worth living?" and asks the veteran to look at scenarios and rate whether it is worth living. Among the questions scenarios: "I am a severe financial burden on my family" and "My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family." Here is a link to the "Your Life, Your Choices" guide;
http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your_choices.pdf
YO Benedict Arlen...
too LATE, you’ve crawled into that bed...now lay in it.
They want this same type of verbiage given to all senior citizens.
The thought process abd beliefs of the architects of this plan make this clear. This is no surprise...the people are just catching on now and the slumbering giant is stirring...and he's waking up hopping mad.
this pamphlet was created during the clinton years and now brought back by Obama. No wonder why people are concerned about death panels
“Last year, bureaucrats at the VA’s National Center for Ethics in Health Care advocated a 52-page end-of-life planning document, “Your Life, Your Choices.” It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA’s preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes. After the Bush White House took a look at how this document was treating complex health and moral issues, the VA suspended its use. Unfortunately, under President Obama, the VA has now resuscitated “Your Life, Your Choices.”
Who is the primary author of this workbook? Dr. Robert Pearlman, chief of ethics evaluation for the center, a man who in 1996 advocated for physician-assisted suicide in Vacco v. Quill before the U.S. Supreme Court and is known for his support of health-care rationing. “
“YO Benedict Arlen...
too LATE, you’ve crawled into that bed...now lay in it.”
now wait a minute! wait a minute! wait a minute!
Obama, despite the misinformation coming from his administration, has made “hurry up and die” the basic plan for our veterans.
The “hurry up and die” plan is what President Wee Wee will impose on all Americans, just as he has done with veterans, should health care reform be adopted. Anyone who is honest with themselves knows it.
That old skank Specter should be the first one to demonstrate the concept.
I have a best friend, sixty years we’ve been friends. He’s a Vet and I truly resent this crap being sent to him. After all these years his paintings are selling for big bucks. Useless eater? Hardly.
Only sickos would suggest this stuff to a Vet.
How can anyone look at this pamphlet, issued for a single (mostly heroic) slice of the American public, and not know full well that it will be expanded to the general population? That it was devised under Clinton, retired under Bush, and reinstated under Obama should be all anyone needs to know.
Geez, this is going to go over like a fart in a diving bell. Maybe Spector is the only one inunder the diving bell!
The End of Life booklet is probably a prototype for the one Mengele Emanuel and the Muslim Messiah would distribute to all seniors in the USA.
GHOULS!
WALLACE: I want to ask you one last question. If you feel...
DUCKWORTH: Sure.
WALLACE: ... so strongly about the value of life, although the disclaimer is on there, this document, “Your Life, Your Choices,” is still on the V.A. Web site.
Secretary Duckworth, while it’s supposedly being revised, it’s still up there. Can you promise us that this will be taken down today?
DUCKWORTH: It is still up there with the disclaimer that it’s under revision and do not use it. It cannot...
WALLACE: It doesn’t say don’t use it.
DUCKWORTH: Let me, Chris...
WALLACE: But why have it up there at all? Why not just say...
DUCKWORTH: Chris...
WALLACE: ... we’re going to take it down?
DUCKWORTH: Because we are bound by federal law. It was developed with federal research grant monies, and most of our — all of our programs that were results of federal research grants are online for people to use for research purposes.
But we very clearly tell all of our veterans, “Please use any type of a tool that is most suitable for you and your loved ones,” and you can certainly — there are many great ones out there, including Mr. Towey’s, if they want to go spend the $5 for it apiece.
V.A. makes ours available for free. The checklist that we’re actually using is a completely different checklist from this one, because this one has been taken off for revision.
WALLACE: Well, it hasn’t been taken off. It’s being revised, but it’s still on the Web site.
Secretary Duckworth, we want to thank you. We want to thank you for giving us the V.A.’s response. And we also personally want to thank you for your service to our nation.
DUCKWORTH: It was my pleasure to be here. Thank you.
WALLACE: If you want to read the V.A. book for yourself, you’ll find a link at our blog, foxnewssunday.com. And we will stay on this story of end-of-life counseling for our veterans.
Their oaths to "Uphold and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic..." were jokes as well as crimes against every living American, and every American who has shed his blood, lost his limb, or died keeping America strong and Free.
They are usurpers and deserve to be stripped of all authority and, where appropriate, incarcerated. Those among them who have committed Treason against our Nation during a period of Wartime, or who have given aid and comfort to The Enemy during Wartime, should receive swift Due Process under the Law, and then be publicly hung.
Their perfidy must not go unpunished, lest it encourage further future mischief from other similar malcontents and their ilk. Justice delayed is justice denied.
;-/
The only thing Specter is really concerned about is the end of his own political life. This guy is the consumate political chamelon—he’ll assume whatever color is expedient for him.
I would like to see one of these “guides” written for politicians. Those buffoons just don’t know when to give it up.
The facts are now coming out that Bush had stopped distribution. I thought it was a bad idea even in the fact of some on here saying it was a good thing. Government has no part in decisions like this. Is the VA rationing care under the ZERO Administration?
You go first, Spector.
The Specter of failure is all about this shriveled up liar.
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