Sarah Palin Reportedly Running to Take VA

The woman who unsuccessfully ran for vice president on the ticket of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain in 2008 may soon be in charge of the agency tasked with taking care of America’s veterans.Several news reports indicate former Alaska governor and Republican VP pick Sarah Palin has been in discussions with the Donald Trump transition team in recent days to become the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs.[caption id="attachment_9095" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

(Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr)[/caption]A Palin aide told ABC News that the conservative firebrand had told Trump her “megaphone … can be used in a productive and positive way to help those desperately in need.”Earlier reports indicated former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, a 30-year Army vet, had been in talks with the Trump camp about the job.

The reports on Palin don’t come out of left field, as the former governor has made veterans’ issues a major subject of her speeches across the country. In 2015, Palin addressed the massive Conservative Political Action Conference with a 30-minute speech devoted entirely to military and veterans issues.“This bureaucracy is killing our vets,” Palin said of the VA in her CPAC speech. “They wait for months, they wait for years to get treatment at the VA, and they’re losing hope. The VA’s mistakes and coverups have cost the lives of over 500 vets in the last four years — and that doesn’t account for those who took their own lives.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY1ReKPhYHIThe Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest U.S. government agencies, with over 300,000 employees and a 2017 budget of $187 million.Palin’s oldest son Track served in the Army with a combat tour to Iraq and her daughter Bristol is married to Medal of Honor recipient and former Marine Dakota Meyer.More from We Are The Mighty:Actor Joe Mantegna Is Pushing Hard For Veterans' Issues On 'Criminal Minds'DoD denied benefits to a veteran's widow over a wrong checked boxThe Crazy Time When Soldiers Stopped Fighting Each Other In WWI To Celebrate Christmas Together