The Jump Blog

I’m as sentimental as the next guy (and probably moreso unless the next also happens to be a sodden Irishman with a penchant for sad songs, depressing literature, and old movies) but I am not at all upset about the vote to close Walter Reed. Why? Because it is not going to happen. But one wouldn’t know that if all one read or listened to was the mainstream press who are grabbing on to a household name that most American’s know, and most veteran’s have a soft spot for.

The MSM has been blowing the hysteria horn all day long about the closing of Walter Reed (Cases In Point) in an effort to stir up sentiment against the Bush administration among the veterans and American public.

What one won’t find out unless one bothers to read past the third paragraph of any of these stories is that Walter Reed isn’t being closed. That’s right. It ain’t gonna happen. Walter Reed is being moved to the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, which has more modern equipment and facilities. The move will cost a third of what it would cost to upgrade Walter Reed to a similar state and will provide better care for our soldiers for less money which means that we can treat more soldiers, sailors and airmen better. When the move is complete the new facility will be named what? That’s right.

Walter Reed.

So, if the news stories wanted to be accurate then they would be screaming:
“Bethesda Naval Medical Center To Close”

And even that is stretching it. In fact both are staying open and they are going to colocate in order to give our service people better care at a cheaper pricetag under the same historic name.

Is that really anything to get worked up over?

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