Brandon Friedman from VoteVets reports in a diary at DailyKos:

Senator Barack Obama involved himself in the VA email situation today by sending a letter to VA Secretary James Peake demanding an investigation into whether or not the Department of Veterans Affairs is under-diagnosing combat-related PTSD as a cost-cutting measure.  Obama then requested hearings on the matter and, within hours, those requests were granted by the chairmen of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees.

This move by Obama comes after VoteVets.org and CREW produced an email on Thursday from a VA official--Norma Perez--in which she advised a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist that, due to an increased number of "compensation seeking veterans," the staff should "refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out" and they should "R/O [rule out] PTSD" and consider a diagnosis of "Adjustment Disorder" instead.

The story has now been picked up by the AP, the Washington Post, CBS News, the New York Daily News, MSNBC, CNN, the Politico, and the Military Times.

In his letter to Peake today, Obama called on the VA Secretary

to launch an investigation into the incident to evaluate whether Perez was advised to send this e-mail or give this instruction at the urging of her superiors; whether staff members at the Teague Center followed Perez's advice, and if so, how many veterans were affected by incorrect diagnoses; whether officials at other veterans centers have given some similar admonitions to staff members charged with diagnosing PTSD; whether affected veterans have been given immediate re-diagnoses and; whether this is an incident or a trend through the VA system.

You can read the full text here.

As we reported earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the Bush adminstration that unless the nomination of Hans Von Spavoksy was withdrawn, there would be no FEC:

REID: I've had private discussions with Bolten, Josh Bolten. I've had many things public in nature, in fact most publicly, we've exchanged a number of letters back and forth. Here's where we are now. We have three Democrats that we are happy to have on the Federal Election Commission. They have three Republicans they're happy to have on the Federal Election Commission. We will not let one of them be approved. His name is Von Splotsky or something like that. (Laughter) So they're going to have to make a decision, they're going to have to replace him or there will be no FEC.

Today, Von Spakovksy withdrew his nomination according to TPM Muckraker:

"It is with regret that I write to request that you withdraw my nomination," Spakovsky wrote in a letter to the President today. In his letter, Spakovsky explains that Democrats' opposition to his nomination has caused a battle that has been "extremely hard on my family and quite frankly, we do not have the financial resources to continue to wait until this matter is resolved."

Earlier this year, CREW sent a letter to the the Department of Defense asking for all records related to Sioux Manufacturing. We made this request in light of evidence that Sioux Manufacturing, a company that makes Kevlar helmets, has been outfitting our nation's troops with substandard Kevlar helmets. In response, this week, CREW has received a letter from the DoD Inspector General’s office stating that there is an ongoing investigation into the matter. The letter can be found here.

This past February, The New York Times reported that Sioux Manufacturing had agreed to pay $2 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the company had shortchanged the armor in up to 2.2 million helmets for the military, including helmets used by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense, aware of both the problem with Sioux's helmets and the company's efforts to cover it up, awarded another contract to Sioux a mere 12 days before the lawsuit was settled.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today:

We are hopeful that the investigation will uncover the reasons as to why the Department of Defense is contracting with a company that produces substandard helmets for our soldiers. Again and again this administration has opted for dangerous cost-cutting measures in lieu of ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of those serving our country.

Washington Post:

A psychologist who helps lead the post-traumatic stress disorder program at a medical facility for veterans in Texas told staff members to refrain from diagnosing PTSD because so many veterans were seeking government disability payments for the condition.

"Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out," Norma Perez wrote in a March 20 e-mail to mental-health specialists and social workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center in Temple, Tex. Instead, she recommended that they "consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder."

VA staff members "really don't . . . have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD," Perez wrote.

Adjustment disorder is a less severe reaction to stress than PTSD and has a shorter duration, usually no longer than six months, said Anthony T. Ng, a psychiatrist and member of Mental Health America, a nonprofit professional association.

Veterans diagnosed with PTSD can be eligible for disability compensation of up to $2,527 a month, depending on the severity of the condition, said Alison Aikele, a VA spokeswoman. Those found to have adjustment disorder generally are not offered such payments, though veterans can receive medical treatment for either condition.

Perez's e-mail was obtained and released publicly yesterday by VoteVets.org, a veterans group that has been critical of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a nonprofit government watchdog group.

"Many veterans believe that the government just doesn't want to pay out the disability that comes along with a PTSD diagnosis, and this revelation will not allay their concerns," John Soltz, chairman of VoteVets.org and an Iraq war veteran, said in a statement.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said in a statement: "It is outrageous that the VA is calling on its employees to deliberately misdiagnose returning veterans in an effort to cut costs. Those who have risked their lives serving our country deserve far better."

Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake said in a statement that Perez's e-mail was "inappropriate" and does not reflect VA policy. It has been "repudiated at the highest level of our health care organization," he said.

"VA's leadership will strongly remind all medical staff that trust, accuracy and transparency is paramount to maintaining our relationships with our veteran patients," Peake said.

Peake said Perez has been "counseled" and is "extremely apologetic." Aikele said Perez remains in her job.

This is an outrage.

CREW and VoteVets.org released an e-mail obtained from a Veterans Affairs (VA) employee directing VA staff to refrain from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital’s PTSD program coordinator sent the e-mail below to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that due to an increased number of “compensation seeking veterans,” the staff should “refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out” and they should “R/O [rule out] PTSD” and consider a diagnosis of “Adjustment Disorder” instead:

This week, CREW sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the VA asking for all records pertaining to any guidance given regarding the diagnosis of PTSD.  The FOIA request can be found here.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today:

It is outrageous that the VA is calling on its employees to deliberately misdiagnose returning veterans in an effort to cut costs. Those who have risked their lives serving our country deserve far better. First and foremost, they have a right to expect that they receive diagnoses and treatment based on their symptoms and not on the VA’s budget. The VA should immediately reverse this and any other similar directives.

Jon Soltz, an Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org, added:

This is an issue I take personally. I know of many people who received a diagnosis of ‘Adjustment Disorder,’ who strongly felt they had PTSD, many of whom confirmed that suspicion with an independent diagnosis. Many veterans believe that the government just doesn’t want to pay out the disability that comes along with a PTSD diagnosis, and this revelation will not allay their concerns. It is crucial that we quickly get to the bottom of this, and ensure that misdiagnosing veterans is not part of some cost-cutting policy.

Last month, the RAND Corporation released a report that found that approximately 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and only about half have sought treatment.

It isn't often that the two major papers agree on a political issue, but yesterday, both wrote of the need for Cindy McCain to release her tax returns. CREW think so, too.

Washington Post:

For a candidate who puts a premium on transparency and ethics, John McCain has been slow and grudging in releasing tax information. He did not commit to doing so until after he had secured the nomination, and then he disclosed only two years of taxes, far less than his Democratic rivals. Mr. McCain's wife, the heir to a liquor and beer distributorship, declined to release her returns, citing -- as Ms. Heinz Kerry did -- her children's privacy. Releasing tax information entails intrusion, but, as we wrote four years ago, presidential candidates and their spouses "relinquish a significant measure of privacy. Meanwhile, tax returns provide information not contained in financial disclosure forms, such as charitable contributions and the use of tax shelters." For Mrs. McCain to say, as she did on NBC's "Today" show this week, that she would never release her tax returns, not even if she were to become first lady, is unacceptable. "This is a privacy issue," she said. "My husband is the candidate."

The candidate should get his wife to reconsider. The last thing the country needs in a new president is more secrecy.

Washington Times:

Cindy McCain refuses to release her tax returns. This is not just a questionable political decision that threatens to haunt her husband's campaign for the next six months. It is also the wrong decision. Mrs. McCain needs to change her mind and release the returns as quickly as possible. How Republican John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee who rightly fancies himself the king of transparency on Capitol Hill, and his campaign strategists can permit this open sore to fester is unimaginable.

Finally happened: 

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann announced he was quitting Wednesday during a late afternoon press conference with Gov. Ted Strickland by his side. 

"Unfortunately, the last step I must take as attorney general to resolve these problems is to resign as attorney general," said Dann as he read from a prepared statement at the governor's Statehouse cabinet office. "It is my belief that this will preserve the great work being done by the office of attorney general."

While Dann left and did not take questions from the reporters assembled, Strickland answered questions from the media.

Strickland said Dann "has come to realize the seriousness of the situation" as "growing recognition from around the state" piled up asking for him to leave.

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid held a question and answer session with progressive journalists. Reid was asked about the FEC nominations and provided a very blunt answer:

Question: [W]hat do you foresee in general with presidential nominations going forward this session and particularly with the FEC?

REID: I've had private discussions with Bolten, Josh Bolten. I've had many things public in nature, in fact most publicly, we've exchanged a number of letters back and forth. Here's where we are now. We have three Democrats that we are happy to have on the Federal Election Commission. They have three Republicans they're happy to have on the Federal Election Commission. We will not let one of them be approved. His name is Von Splotsky or something like that. (Laughter) So they're going to have to make a decision, they're going to have to replace him or there will be no FEC. And they need it worse than we do. I will also say this, Mason had an uncharacteristic trait, he was fair. And I have tried to be fair in the people I choose to go on the FEC, for example Steve Walther, he's not even a Democrat, he's an independent. He's one of the Democrats on the Federal Election Commission. I think the Federal Election Commission is important, I wish it had more power, more teeth than what it has legislatively. But it still is a lot better than nothing. And the Republicans have always hated the FEC, but now when McCain needs something, they're rushing around trying to get something done. We'll do it our way or it won't get done.

Earlier this week, CREW called for the resignation of Rep. Vito Fossella.  We also asked for an investigation into this growing scandal.  However, according to the New York Daily News, Rep. Fossella is not quitting -- and is actually considering running for re-election: 

"We think he's seriously thinking about running again," the operative said.

"He's not going to resign," former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) said on New York 1. "He can win."

State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-S.I.), a close friend, emphasized Fossella's service to his constituents.

"I don't think anyone's fought harder or more effectively for the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn over the last 11 years," Lanza said.

A Republican source added: "They're polling it, trying to take a look at what's going on. Whatever they find, then he'll make a decision on what to do."

Fossella's outreach comes amid an unexpected sympathetic backlash for the disgraced congressman, House sources disclosed.

Pro-Fossella lawmakers served up House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, a large ration of grief. The Fossella allies, led by Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.), believe he can weather the scandal and even win another term.

Boehner and Cole still think Fossella is doomed, but they have been muzzled by pleas not to pressure Fossella into a quick decision, sources confirmed.

Things are happening fast in Ohio.  The only thing that hasn't happened is the actual resignation of the embattled Attorney General, Marc Dann: 

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann clung to his job Tuesday after spending most of the day trying to cut a deal to resign. 

Facing intense pressure to step down, the 46-year-old Democrat offered to quit if Republican Senate President Bill Harris agreed to delay an independent investigation of Dann's office by Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles. But Harris rejected the offer.

Dann kept his tenuous hold on the job Tuesday as fallout from a sexual harassment scandal enveloping his office continued.

His fellow Democrats brought unprecedented articles of impeachment, while House and Senate Republicans gave fast-track approval to a bill allowing Charles to investigate the attorney general.

Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland signed the bill into law Tuesday evening.