Unplugged: A "Death Book for Veterans"?

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: Washington Unplugged

On today's "Washington Unplugged," former Bush adviser Jim Towey defended his growing campaign over an end-of-life planning book distributed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Towey said the pamplet, which was first published in 1997 and is called "Your Life, Your Choices," pushes veterans "towards a discernment of whether their life is worth living or not." He called the VA's text "tilted and biased" and said it was written by a prominent assisted suicide advocate.

Last week, Towey sparked the controversy with an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal titled "The Death Book for Veterans."

"It seems to me that for the VA and government which has a financial stake in the end of life…It seems to me that the government should be a heck of a lot more neutral," he told CBS News' Nancy Cordes. "It should not be involved in biasing the discussion towards a hastened death."

He also said his campaign against "Your Life, Your Choices" is completely independent of his push for the VA to buy and use his advanced care publication. Towey is the founder of the not-for-profit Aging with Dignity, which sells "Five Wishes," a manual with the same intent.

Also appearing on the show, Marcus Baram, a news editor at the Huffington Post, called the hoopla surrounding the book a "manufactured controversy" noting that the text has been around for over ten years and has similar guidance to other advanced care planning documents.

"It's got support of veterans groups. It's got support from interfaith groups and it seems like no one has really complained about this until Mr. Towey," he argued.

Towey dismissed claims by the VA that the "work book" has not been recently publicized, noting that as of Tuesday morning it was available on their Web site.

In defense of the VA, Chaplain Juliana Lesher said the 52-page document in question is "is not the official position of the VA."

"This is just one of many options that could be given to a veteran. This is clearly just an educational work book," Lesher said. "It was never intended to be the decision making tool for veterans."

Watch the full episode above. "Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.

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by agj2662 August 26, 2009 9:46 AM EDT: I am retired military and a disabled Veteran who work for the Madison VA Hospital in WI. I have worked with Chaplain Juliana Lesher, the Hospice & Palliative Care Team Doctor(s), Nurse(s), Chaplains and Social Workers who deal with the end of life crisis of Veterans and their families on a daily basis. This notation of Jim Towey?s ?Unplugged: The Death Book for Veterans? is not in the Hospice & Palliative Care Team immediate line of work in caring for the Veterans and their families, especially when the Doctor(s), Nurse(s), Chaplain(s) and Social Worker(s) are with the families as their loved one expires. The Madison VA does two memorial services every year around Memorial Day and Veteran?s Day honoring the life of Veterans. These memorial services serves as a reflection of the Veterans military and personal life, but most importantly, the memorial services serve as a spiritual healing and counseling service for their families and loved ones too. Jim Towey?s book and comments are only for his personal (political and financial) gain. The real issue should be about the millions of Veterans who are undergoing hardship cases everyday about not being able to afford the health care that they need now or pay for their medical services and prescription drugs due to today?s economic crisis.; Reply to this comment

by kansas1946 August 25, 2009 9:47 PM EDT

He also said his campaign against ?Your Life, Your Choices? is completely independent of his push for the VA to buy and use his advanced care publication. Towey is the founder of the not-for-profit Aging with Dignity, which sells "Five Wishes," a manual with the same intent.
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LOL. I was wondering why this guy was raising stink years after this publication has been in use, and BINGO, there is is. He is pushing his own book. Well, after all, he is a "former Bush advisor." Frankly, I think that says all that needs to be said on the matter.

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by ToolMangler1 August 25, 2009 10:54 PM EDT: "LOL. I was wondering why this guy was raising stink years after this publication has been in use,"

And people wonder how Palin got the info she tried to blame on Obama, LOL LOL The Shrub has another feather in his hat, Clean up the VA backlog via euthanasia. Palin should have kept her mouth shut. Now everyone will find out the truth..


by ama2009 August 25, 2009 9:22 PM EDT: Check out this video where AMA physicians answer patient questions about health system reform and debunk some of the myths that are still out there. www.hsreform.org <http://www.hsreform.org>; Reply to this comment

by bassinapple August 25, 2009 6:15 PM EDT

Sarah Palin stood alone defending the elderly and disabled. She was mocked and ridiculed... and she was right.

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by Ed_Stone August 26, 2009 5:48 PM EDT: Have you even LOOKED at the book?

http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your_choices.pdf

I do estate planning. This is a fine resource. Palin deserve ridicule for talking about something without checking the facts first. I'm afraid you do to.