EDITORIAL: Hillary minimizes VA problems for political gain

The widespread incompetence and corruption within the Department of Veterans Affairs is irrefutable, uncovered by 138 separate nonpartisan investigations. This is important to remember during campaign season, when candidates will say anything — regardless of the facts — if they think it will help them raise money and win election.

No 2016 candidate is more dedicated to this approach than Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Not only has the VA has neglected our veterans through routine delays in processing their disability and compensation claims, it has also put them at risk by making them wait months for appointments and then covering up the excessive wait times they've had to endure. And the VA's record when it comes to building hospitals is just as bad, as the average VA construction project typically runs an average of 35 months late and $360 million over budget.

None of these facts, however, stopped Mrs. Clinton from putting her political ambitions ahead of the plight of our veterans. On MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" last month, Clinton said the problems at the VA are overblown and "not as widespread as it has been made out to be." She accused Republicans of unfairly targeting the VA as part of a bigger "ideological agenda." "Now nobody would believe that from the coverage you see, and the constant berating of the VA that comes from the Republicans, in — in part in pursuit of this ideological agenda that they have," she said.

"They try to create a downward spiral, don't fund it to the extent that it needs to be funded, because they want it to fail, so then we can argue for privatization."

This editorial page has argued — repeatedly — for the privatization of the VA because our veterans deserve better. And members of Mrs. Clinton's own party agree that the VA is failing veterans everywhere. President Barack Obama is on record as saying "the misconduct has not been limited to a few VA facilities, but many across the country," and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., challenged Mrs. Clinton's comments last week, saying "the VA scandal has nothing to do with partisan politics and everything to do with systemic failure, negligence and lack of accountability." In fact, legislation to increase VA funding, allow veterans to exit the VA system to obtain private care and more quickly fire problem problem workers had wide bipartisan support.

Mrs. Clinton is minimizing one of the greatest recent failures of the federal government when the Obama administration — which she was part of — for years did nothing to address it. That she prefers lobbing partisan attacks over holding the bureaucracy accountable says everything about what kind of president she would be.