Trickery: Shinseki top aide who is resigning was scheduled for retirement in 2014...

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive.” 
― Walter Scott, Marmion

Via The Washington Examiner:

"You're saying there's a suggestion that something terrible happened in Phoenix, and that's under investigation; all we know is its a suggestion," White House press secretary Jay Carney told ABC's Jonathan Karl while defending Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki during Friday's press briefing. "We should just accept allegations as true without investigating them?"

And then, news broke that one of Shinseki's top aides had resigned. “Today, I accepted the resignation of Dr. Robert Petzel, Under Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs," Shinseki said in a statement. "As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care. I am committed to strengthening veterans' trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system."

By the way, the VA announced in September that Petzel would retire in 2014 and has been searching for his replacement for the past eight months.