Obama to speak about Veterans Administration problems soon

President Barack Obama is to speak out soon about reports of healthcare delays at the Veterans Administration in an effort to underscore his determination to fix any flaws in the system. White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Monday they would "hear from him at some point on this issue soon," and other officials said he was likely to comment on it before leaving on a trip to New York state and Chicago on Thursday. Eric Shinseki, head of the Veterans Administration, has faced increasing calls for his resignation over allegations that delays in treatment at veterans hospitals could have led to otherwise preventable deaths. A top department official, undersecretary of health Dr. Robert Petzel, resigned on Friday in a move critics said was an effort at damage control.