VA head Eric Shinseki and Press Secretary Jay Carney resign

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has resigned the growing VA scandal as charges of mismanagement, falsification of records and systemic problems at veterans health facilities continue. Also, press secretary Jay Carney resigned and Josh Earnest named replacement.

Jay Carney insults NPR reporter over question President Obama announced that he accepted Shinseki’s resignation “with considerable regret” after meeting with him on Friday morning. Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson will serve in the post temporarily until a permanent successor is announced, Obama said.

The President called Shinseki a “very good man” and a “champion of our veterans,” noting that he accepted the resignation because the secretary believed his continued tenure had become a “distraction” from attempts to fix the department’s woes.

“In Ric’s judgment, [he felt] he could not carry out the next stages of reform without being a distraction himself,” Obama told reporters. “My assessment was, unfortunately, that he was right.”

Obama personally announced another change Friday afternoon with a surprise interruption of Carney’s daily news briefing, saying that the White House aide told him back in April that he wanted to move on.

“Jay has become one of my closest friends and is a great press secretary and a great adviser,” the president said. “He has good judgment. He has good temperament and he has good heart.”

Principal deputy press secretary Earnest, 39, will replace Carney at the podium in the White House Briefing Room, the president said.

“His name describes his demeanor,” Obama said of Earnest. “Josh is an earnest guy and you can’t find just a nicer individual, even outside of Washington.… He is of sound judgment and great temperament. He is honest and full of integrity.”

Among the latest in the VA scandal is the news that deceased veterans’ bodies were left in the morque unclaimed for lengthy periods of time. More HERE

Eric Shinseki VA Affairs testify congress

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