Now, Gov. Patrick has the veterans upset.
Gov. Deval Patrick has bumped the state’s top veterans affairs adviser from his Cabinet, reversing a policy put in place by his predecessor and infuriating vets at a time of war and scrutiny over treatment of returning soldiers.
The governor’s newly reorganized Cabinet includes eight department heads, but not the secretary of the Department of Veterans Services, a position that was elevated to Cabinet level under former Gov. Mitt Romney.
The change comes as thousands of Bay Staters fight in Iraq and a major scandal unfolds over the treatment of veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
“We are irate,” said Jake Comer, a Quincy veteran and former national commander of the American Legion. “We fought for this. (Patrick) should continue to have this be a strong Cabinet position.”
UPDATE: Another scandal for Patrick? Plus, more from Abigail Thernstrom.
SECOND UPDATE: More from Scott Allen Miller, the Boston Phoenix, the Boston Globe , Dean Barnett, Michael Graham and Red. Mass. Group.
THIRD UPDATE: More from Steve Bailey, Frank Phillips, Wizbang and Casey Ross.
