The Shabby Treatment of Wounded Soldiers

President Bush is appointing a commission to investigate the quality of care at Veterans' Administration hospitals. It will be chaired by former Republican Senator Bob Dole and Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration. The shabby treatment of combat veterans at Walter Reed Hospital has been called the "tip of the iceberg" by several Congressmen. Yesterday, both military and civilian officials told a Congressional committee they were surprised at recent reports of shoddy treatment of outpatients at the Army's flagship hospital. Did military and civilian officials ignore early reports? What about other Veterans' Administration facilities? We speak with journalists, doctors and public-policy experts.