i think it is important not just with respect to ric shinseki, but the v.a. and say that each and everyday the v.a. do outstanding work and put everything that they have got to making sure that the veterans, benefits and services that they need. i do want to close by sending out a message out there that there are millions of veterans getting really good service from the v.a., and good treatment from the v.a., and i know it, because i get the letters from the veterans asking me to write the letters of commendation or praise to a doctor or nurse or faci facility that couldn't have given them better treem. so this is a big system with a lot of people in it that care about the stret rans -- about the veterans' treatment. and so there has been a host of issues like homelessness, and mental health treatment, and some vets who could not get services, because of agent orange disability or other disabilities, but there are a number of people in the v.a. doing a great job and working hard at it. but it does not excuse the po possibility that number one, we were not doi

nobody cares more about our veterans than ric shinseki. with him to solve the problem. >> republicans fended off threats from the tea party. >> tea party favorites lost in all of the most important republican races. >> in kentucky mitch mcconnell cruised to victory. >> alison grimes is barack obama's candidate. >> as kentucky's next united states senator, i'll answer to the people of this state. i will speak for myself, and no kentucky woman, mitch mcconnell, will sit on the back bench. >> now for the bombshell lawsuit against the nfl. >> the lawsuit claims doctors gave players painkillers to hide serious injuries and keep them on the field. >> the fbi is considering the relaxing the policy on marijuana smokers. >> one of our challenges we face is getting a good work force, at the same time when young people's attitudes about marijuana are leading more and more of them to try it.

people of integrity -- i think in both the cases of secretary sebelius but certainly in the case of ric shinsekit the same irony. the -- same priority. is how to best deliver on behalf of the folks who have been let down. >> she had so much knowledge about what had gone wrong that you cannot afford to lose that. ins somebody with 3 months the bishop of the department have the capacity to attack the problem quickly now -- in the leadership at the department have the capacity to attack the problem quickly now? >> there is technology that he will have to learn and deal with. but the nature of the problem that has surfaced and has been the cause of this attention is one that we can start tackling withoutay, and completely transforming the system we can immediately make some progress. my first step is everybody who is out there waiting, get them an appointment. if we need more doctors, let's figure out how to get some doctors in there to make sure they are getting the help that they need. what we want to make sure of then is that even if it is still , how do we make sure there is no slippage between

shinseki. and some of the commencement addresses from around the country. speakers include secretary of state john kerry and u.n. ambassador rice samantha powell -- u.n. ambassador ric samantha powell. >> c-span, created by america's cable companies 35 years ago and brought to you as a public service by your local cable or satellite provider. on "ther guest communicators" this week is craig silliman. senior vice president for verizon communications. he has been with the company since 1997. a lawyer by training. our nations largest wireless communications company. also in the broadband business. thank you for being our guest. isning me for questioning paul kirby, senior editor at "tele-communications report." we are delighted to have you with us. week, a group of your peers from various parts of telecommunications were asked about what you thought was the number one policy priority for this city in telecommunications. your response was -- spectrum, spectrum, spectrum. talk about the three institutions that have response ability for that. i will ask you for our audience to give a report card on how those three institutions are doing, and why it is so important. >> let

shinseki, whom he met with right before the presser. people are out for blood. the president's not having it. >> i know that ric's attitude is, if he does not think he can do a good job on this and if he thinks he's let our veterans down, then i'm sure that he is not going to be interested in continuing to serve. at this stage, ric is committed to solving the problem. >> the tone of those statements, no forced resignation, calls for a longer term slower investigation, is already getting heat. particularly from top republicans. john mccain just said, quote, his remarks are wholly insufficient in addressing the fundamental systemic problems plaguing our veterans' health care system. but here's the thing, president obama's approach is systemic. one of the frustrations people seem to have with the remarks is he chose to focus less on the blood letting and more on the longer term inadequacies in health care. the president is sending his deputy chief of staff to phoenix to start a broad review of the veterans health administration. part of what we now know an even larger investigation of 26 va facilities nationwide. nb

ric take a truly remarkable action in public remarks. he took responsibility for the conduct in those facilities and apologized to his fellow veterans and to the american people. in a few minutes ago, secretary shinseki offered me his resignation. with considerable regret, i accept it. served hisi has country with honor for nearly 50 years. he did two tours of combat in vietnam. he left part of himself on the battlefield. he rose to command the first cavalry division, served as army chief of staff, and has never been afraid to speak. hesecretary of the v.a. presided over record investments in our veterans, an enrolling two million veterans to health care, making it easier for the post-traumatic stress, and hermetic ring injury to get treatment, improving care for women veterans, and at the same time he reduced veteran homelessness and help more than one million veterans, service members, and families pursue their education under the post 9/11 g.i. bill. commitment to our veterans is unquestioned. his service to our country is exemplary. i am grateful for his service, as are many veterans across the country. he has worked hard to investigate and identify the problems with access to care, but as he tol