Kerry Goes Headhunting at VA

Within hours after the Veterans Affairs Department admitted that an employee had taken home data on millions of veterans that was later stolen, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., had already reached a verdict in the case: Heads must roll. "There’s no more personal and private information than a veteran’s medical information," Kerry said yesterday. "This is no way to treat those who have worn the uniform of our country. Someone needs to be fired, the perpetrators need to be caught, and the security system at the V.A. needs to be massively overhauled."

But as egregious a security violation as this was, if allowing theft of medical information is the crime, the VA employee in question appears to be innocent. The records that were taken included names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers, and possibly disability ratings for some veterans, but not medical records, says VA Secretary Jim Nicholson.