ANOTHER POLITICAL HACK

This time it's James Nicholson, the head of the VA.

Congress plans emergency funds for vets health care
Tue Jun 28, 2005 8:29 PM ET
Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As U.S. war injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan mounted, Congress on Tuesday hurriedly crafted legislation to provide around $1.5 billion in "emergency" funds for veterans' health care programs stretched thin by combat and aging veterans of past wars.
The effort came after the Bush administration acknowledged that it had significantly underestimated veterans health care funds needed for the fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1.
"The bottom line is there is a surge in demand in VA services across the board," Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson told a House panel.
As recently as April, Nicholson told the Senate that veterans health care programs had adequate funding, but he told a House Appropriations subcommittee the Veterans Administration had assumed it would have to take care of 23,553 patients who are veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan based on 2002 estimates, before the Iraq war started.
That number has now been revised to 103,000, more than four times higher, he said.

Now, just what are Nicholson's qualifications?

Prior to his nomination, Mr. Nicholson served as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, a position he held since 2001, where he became a well-known advocate in Rome for the elevation of human dignity, giving special emphasis to human trafficking, religious freedom, starvation and bio-tech food, HIV-AIDS, and international terrorism. (Patronage position)

He practiced law in Denver, specializing in real estate, municipal finance and zoning law. In 1978 he founded Nicholson Enterprises, Inc., a developer of planned residential communities, and in 1987 he bought Renaissance Homes, which became an award-winning builder of quality custom homes.

In January 1986, Mr. Nicholson was elected committeeman from Colorado for the Republican National Committee (RNC). In 1993 he was elected vice-chairman of the RNC, and in January 1997, he was elected chairman of the RNC, where he served for four years, through the elections of 2000.