Finally, an authentic scandal: incompetence and deception at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Given what we know so far, more heads need to roll — and a criminal investigation should be launched. 
 
 Republicans have accused the Obama administration of so many faux scandals that it’s hard to recognize the real thing. Yes, the Internal Revenue Service seems to have given extra scrutiny to conservative organizations, but it gave extra scrutiny to liberal groups, too. Yes, Operation “Fast and Furious” was a mistake, but it wasn’t some kind of sinister plot. No, it doesn’t matter whether the evil people who took four American lives in Benghazi , Libya, are called terrorists, militants or simply killers. 
 
 Eugene Robinson writes a twice-a-week column on politics and culture, contributes to the PostPartisan blog, and hosts a weekly online chat with readers. In a three-decade career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s Style section. View Archive 
 
 The VA situation, however, looks more serious day by day. If VA hospitals really are falsifying records to disguise lengthy waiting times — and if veterans are dying as a consequence — then President Obama needs to bring in new management to fix the problems and fast. 
 
 White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, speaking Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” described Obama as “madder than hell” about the VA scandal. By now, we should all be used to the fact that Obama is never what you would call demonstrative with his anger, at least publicly. No frothing, no foaming, no gnashing of teeth. I take McDonough at his word that the president is royally steamed. 
 
 We also should be used to the fact that Obama is extremely loyal to the members of his team. Despite the disastrous launch of the HealthCare.gov Web site, the president declined to dismiss Kathleen Sebelius as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, allowing her eventually to leave on her own terms. 
 
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 I don’t see how he can take a similar path, however, with Gen. Eric K. Shinseki at the VA. Sebelius at least made it clear that she understood the magnitude of the problem her department faced. Shinseki thus far has failed to telegraph comprehension, much less inspire confidence. 
 
 “Any allegation, any adverse incident like this makes me mad as hell,” Shinseki told the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee last week. I doubt there has ever been a four-star general who didn’t know how to get angry, but Shinseki’s ire had to be drawn out of him. If he was seething inside, he hid it well. 
 
 Perhaps that’s unfair; perhaps he should be evaluated only on his performance at work, not on whether he emotes before the television cameras. “This is not a job,” he said at the hearing. “I’m here to accomplish a mission I think [veterans] critically deserve and need, and I can tell you over the past five years we’ve done a lot to make things better.” 
 
 The all-too-obvious rejoinder is: Not enough. 
 
 The allegation that VA officials in Phoenix cooked the books to cover up the fact that veterans had to suffer unacceptably long waiting times before they received care — and that 40 veterans died while enduring such delays — is shocking in isolation. But if reports are true that there may have been similar practices in Albuquerque and perhaps in other cities, the problems begin to look systemic. 
 
 Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said there is “solid evidence” of “a pattern, apparently, of manipulating lists, gaming the system . . . which is not just an impropriety or misconduct, it is potentially a criminal act.” 
 
 The VA’s Office of Inspector General is on the case, Shinseki told senators. But I agree with Blumenthal’s assessment that it’s time to bring in some outside help, such as the FBI, and that the investigation needs to ascertain not just whether rules were broken but whether crimes were committed. 
 
 Shinseki inherited an agency ill-equipped to cope with the tsunamis that were about to overwhelm it: the return of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and the rapidly growing medical needs of Vietnam veterans now entering their later years. 
 
 It is important to keep the VA scandal in context. Conservatives who crow that this shows government cannot competently provide health care are wrong. VA hospitals see more than 200,000 veterans a day and rank among the highest in the nation in customer satisfaction, according to surveys. 
 
 At issue is how long veterans have to wait before they can receive that care — and whether employees are lying about those waiting times, with the result that people are dying. 
 
 The solemn promises we make to our veterans cannot be broken. There’s no need for histrionics from President Obama. But he does need to clean house. 
 
 Read more from Eugene Robinson’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A. ||||| VA Scandal 
 
 Democrats can dismiss Benghazi and the IRS as pseudo-scandals, maybe, but 40 veterans have died, and where has Obama been? Totally absent. 
 
 Up to now, President Obama and congressional Democrats had thought “so-called” scandals involving Benghazi, the IRS, and Operation Fast and Furious were largely behind them. Nothing to see, just Republican witch hunts designed to embarrass the president and perhaps land blows against Hillary Clinton. But recent revelations about shoddy care at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities across the country have brought bipartisan condemnation from Capitol Hill that should worry a commander in chief whose reaction to the brewing tempest has been muted at best. 
 
 What is most surprising about the present controversy surrounding the substandard treatment at the VA, in which at least 40 veterans lost their lives while awaiting treatment, is that House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) had alerted the president to trouble nearly a year ago. In a letter dated May 21, 2013, Miller began: 
 
 Dear Mr. President: I am writing to bring to your attention an alarming pattern of serious and significant patient care issues at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) across the country. Recent events at the Atlanta, Georgia, VAMC provide a perfect illustration of the management failures, deceptions, and lack of accountability permeating VA’s healthcare system…I believe your direct involvement and leadership is required. 
 
 A year on from Chairman Miller’s letter, the revelations of substandard care, neglect, and waste seem to have magnified, rather than been reduced. For a president who seems to have endless amounts of time to talk about the miseries of those living on the minimum wage, Obama’s seeming indifference to the severity of the problems faced by our returning veterans seeking care at VA facilities is shocking. 
 
 Late last week, CNN’s Jake Tapper grilled White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on the lackluster attempts by the administration to address mismanagement issues—if not criminally negligent behavior—at the VA. What I found revealing about the interview is the exchange where Tapper questions whether Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is up to the task at hand given that Miller warned the president a year ago about serious allegations of misconduct at the agency: 
 
 Jake Tapper: How many stories like this, how many letters like this, how many dead veterans do you need before someone asks the question within the White House maybe this guy isn’t the best steward of these veterans? 
 
 Denis McDonough: The question, Jake, is are we doing everything we can every day to get the veterans the care and opportunities that they… 
 
 Jake Tapper: … But you’re not, this letter was sent a year ago and you guys ignored it. 
 
 Thus far, President Obama and his team have regarded the scandalous treatment of veterans seeking care from the government over which they preside as a political hiccup rather than an indefensible breakdown in competent management that has led to the deaths of at least 40 veterans. Late last week, McDonough assured us that Obama is “madder than hell” about the VA fiasco. 
 
 Please. We’ve seen the president show genuine flashes of anger toward the GOP in general, the Supreme Court following rulings he disagrees with, and anyone else who has the temerity to disagree with him on anything. In the present case Obama has largely been silent, absent, and behind closed doors—content to let Secretary Shinseki and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney bear the brunt of the growing storm in the media. 
 
 What is most shocking to me about the VA tempest is that it repeats a pattern of conduct we’ve seen from the president and his administration. Obama ran for president and asked Americans to hire him for another term based on his leadership skills, temperament, and ability to produce results. Instead, we’ve seen the president and his team evade responsibility (and with a tiresome frequency) for areas in which they are directly responsible, parse words in an attempt to mislead, and otherwise duck long enough for the political storm of the moment to pass over for sunnier days ahead. 
 
 Not this time. Americans of all political persuasions stand in solidarity behind those brave men and women who don the uniform to defend us from those who seek to harm our country and our allies. My Daily Beast colleague Jacob Siegel exclusively revealed that the VA facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico is only the latest hospital to keep secret waiting lists—and to destroy documents revealing criminal misconduct. ||||| Story highlights Obama accepts VA secretary's resignation, says Shinseki doesn't want to be a distraction 
 
 Shinseki says his commitment to veterans drove his decision to resign 
 
 The move comes after months of reports about problems with the VA medical system 
 
 Eric Shinseki resigned Friday as the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, leaving behind the daunting task of repairing a broken health care system that has left thousands of veterans at risk as they wait for medical care. 
 
 Shinseki's resignation concluded a firestorm of criticism and growing calls for him to step down following revelations of sometimes deadly delays for veterans waiting for care at VA hospitals, allegations exposed by CNN in a series of exclusive reports. 
 
 Details of the delays were first exposed by CNN last November in an investigation into two VA hospitals in the Southeast. Since then, CNN's reporting has expanded to include numerous other VA hospitals, culminating with details about secret waiting lists at the Phoenix VA that may have played a role in the deaths of 40 veterans. 
 
 President Barack Obama went before reporters at the White House minutes after meeting with Shinseki, saying the retired Army general told him "the VA needs new leadership" to address widespread issues that were chronicled in new reports this week. Obama said Shinseki "does not want to be a distraction." 
 
 JUST WATCHED New details about Shinseki resignation Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH New details about Shinseki resignation 02:07 
 
 "That was Ric's judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans, and I agree. We don't have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem," Obama said. 
 
 Calls for Shinseki's resignation snowballed in recent days from across the political spectrum -- Republicans and Democrats, as well as veterans' advocacy groups -- because of the misconduct . 
 
 In a farewell message to VA employees, Shinseki didn't address the scandal specifically but did say he resigned with veterans' interests in mind. 
 
 "My personal and professional commitment and my loyalty to veterans, their families and our survivors was the driving force behind that decision," he said. "That loyalty has never wavered, and it will never wane." 
 
 Shinseki says 'situation can be fixed,' but not by him 
 
 Earlier Friday, Shinseki announced steps to address the VA shortcomings, including removing senior leaders in the Phoenix VA medical system , eliminating performance awards for VA leaders in 2014 and wait times as a metric for evaluations and accelerating care to veterans. 
 
 He also apologized to veterans and Congress, but declared: "This situation can be fixed." 
 
 But Shinseki won't be part of the solution. 
 
 He went to the White House to present Obama with findings from his internal audit of what was happening in the VA system, including that many audited facilities had "questionable scheduling practices" that signaled a "systemic lack of integrity." 
 
 The President acknowledged that scheduling issues didn't rise to the attention of Shinseki, whom he praised as a man who "has served his country with honor for nearly 50 years." 
 
 At the same time, Obama said that he and Shinseki agreed that a shift in leadership was necessary. 
 
 For now, Sloan Gibson -- a Shinseki deputy -- will head the VA until a new secretary is named and confirmed. 
 
 "Part of that is going to be technology. Part of that is management," the President said. "But as Ric Shinseki himself indicated, there is a need for a change in culture within the VHA, and perhaps the VHA as a whole -- or the VA as a whole that makes sure that bad news gets surfaced quickly so that things can be fixed." 
 
 Breaking open the scandal 
 
 Problems in the VA system date back decades, but CNN's reporting of long waits at VA hospitals brought the issue into national focus at the end of 2013. 
 
 An April report by CNN in which sources said 40 veterans died at a Phoenix VA facility that used secret waiting lists to cover up the problem prompted angry calls for action. 
 
 The VA has acknowledged 23 deaths nationwide due to delayed care. 
 
 CNN also obtained an e-mail written by an employee at a Wyoming VA clinic that said staff was instructed to "game the system" to make the clinic appear more efficient. 
 
 A preliminary inspector general's report made public Wednesday described a "systemic" practice of manipulating appointments and wait lists at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Phoenix. 
 
 According to the report, at least 1,700 military veterans waiting to see a doctor were never scheduled for an appointment or were placed on a waiting list at the Phoenix VA, raising the question of just how many more may have been "forgotten or lost" in the system. 
 
 In a recent USA Today opinion piece, Shinseki ordered VA officials to contact each of these veterans "in order to bring the care they need and deserve." 
 
 The latest report by the VA inspector general's office and Shinseki's auditors indicated a link between employee bonuses and covering up patient wait times. 
 
 There also have been calls for a criminal investigation into fraudulent record-keeping to cover up delays at VA hospitals. Obama said Friday that would be up to the Justice Department, which has been collecting information but has not launched any investigation. 
 
 Shortly before he resigned, Shinseki told a veterans group that he was shocked by the inspector general's report, especially the prevalence of wait lists for veterans needing medical care. 
 
 "That breach of integrity is irresponsible, it is indefensible and unacceptable to me," he told the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans just before heading over to his final meeting with Obama. 
 
 "I said when this situation began weeks to months ago and I thought the problem was limited and isolated because I believed that. I no longer believe that. It is systemic," he said. 
 
 At the same time, the VA chief of more than five years said that others had misled him. 
 
 "I was too trusting of some, and I accepted as accurate reports that I now know to have been misleading with regard to patient wait times," he said. "I can't explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our health care facilities. This is something I rarely encountered during 38 years in uniform and so I will not defend it because it's indefensible, but I can take responsibility for it and I do." 
 
 Whistleblower: VA was 'way too focused on ... good numbers' 
 
 As the accusations mounted -- including the latest one in which Reps. Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania claimed 700 veterans had been placed on a primary care waiting list for doctor appointments at the Pittsburgh VA center, with some waiting since 2012 -- so too did the pressure on Shinseki. 
 
 Politicians largely applauded Shinseki's resignation on Friday, even as they said that the VA needed to do more than put new people in his place to resolve its shortcomings. 
 
 "The denial of care to our veterans is a national disgrace, and it's fitting that the person who oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs has accepted responsibility for this growing scandal and resigned," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement. 
 
 Meanwhile, a VA whistleblower who told CNN about the problems at the Phoenix facility said Friday he was saddened by Shinseki's resignation under such circumstances. 
 
 "The VA administrators got way too focused on having good numbers and they forgot the most important mandate, the reason we all work at the VA -- to take care of veterans, to save their lives and give them good medical care," Dr. Sam Foote said. 
 
 "The next secretary's biggest challenge will be to get that refocused and make sure the number one job is taking care of veterans - not worrying about their bureaucratic careers," Foote added.
– Columnists on both the right and left are fuming about reports of secret Veterans Affairs hospital delays said to have resulted in 40 deaths. Both Ron Christie and Eugene Robinson note that while issues like Benghazi and IRS targeting may have been "witch hunts," this is a genuine scandal, and President Obama needs to take action. Writing at the Daily Beast, Christie points to a year-old letter from the House VA committee chair warning Obama of the problem. If the president is "madder than hell" over the crisis, as his chief of staff says he is, then why aren't we seeing that anger? Robinson, writing in the Washington Post, believes the president is privately angry—after all, he rarely shows anger publicly. But Robinson also believes that "more heads need to roll—and a criminal investigation should be launched." Obama may be a loyal boss, but VA head Gen. Eric Shinseki hasn't even shown real "comprehension" of the issue, and it may be time for him to go. Meanwhile, officials need "outside help, such as the FBI," to take a look at the situation and determine "not just whether rules were broken, but whether crimes were committed." Click for Robinson's full piece; Christie's is here.