by TChris

A hidden cost of the war in Iraq, a cost you won't hear Republicans talk about as they run for reelection:

Nearly one in five soldiers leaving the military after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan has been at least partly disabled as a result of service, according to documents of the Department of Veterans Affairs obtained by a Washington research group. ...

"The trend is ominous," said Paul Sullivan, director of programs for Veterans for America, an advocacy group, and a former V.A. analyst. Mr. Sullivan said that if the current proportions held up over time, 400,000 returning service members could eventually apply for disability benefits when they retired.

Perhaps the president could explain how he intends to pay the war's hidden costs as he urges voters to vote Republican to save their tax cuts. The cost, of course, isn't solely borne by the taxpayer. The disabled soldiers and their families pay a price that can't be measured. Voting for "stay the course" Republicans assures that the number of disabled veterans will continue to climb.