I just got off the phone with one of my sons and I was reading this while we talked. It pisses me off because I had a great link on this, this morning but I guess I didn't save it. Oh well! it is pretty bad and going to get a hell of a lot worse as these wars progress and they will.
One of my own sons is on the edge1 It's pretty screwed up when you want to be in combat and not with your wife and kids. Anyway I read that report this morning and we spend 29 Billion and injured vets and that is going to double in 25 years as veterans are surviving wounds that would have killed them during Vietnam and there is much more loss of limbs and mental problems.
We are pretty screwed up under this mis- Administration! While I was typing this I was listening to 60 minutes talking about gross negligent immigrant deaths, and those seeking asylum and numerous deaths in US custody along with gross abuse. We are really Nazified under this scum!

While we're on the topic of America's Satin, has everyone seen Bush's 349 scandals?

http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html

ohmigosh, Poli!
those numbers are staggering and the MSM simply ignores em!

and, several weeks ago, I posted an article that told of a 'tiger team' from the fed gov't traveling to NY state to tell workers there to cease and desist from informing veterans at their hospital how to register to receive the benefits they're entitled to.

they threatened to cut off all funding to the agencies involved so they could no longer help ANYONE if they didn't stop the practice.

so the veterans are on their own. they're depressed and feeling lost and they have to figure out how to tap into a vast bureaucracy all by themselves in order to get the help they need.

there's compassionate conservatism at work for you.

Jim, that's a profound statement: "It's pretty screwed up when you want to be in combat and not with your wife and kids"

I suspect that is playing itself out all across the military.

NCL, thanks for the link.

Hi Two Crows, that 'tiger team' story is truly sick. I will check it out.

hey, Poli--
I think the tiger team article was in Washington Post about 3 to 6 weeks ago. or maybe Huffington Post posted it. not sure.
I posted on it at PP&D tho -- several weeks ago.

hi again Poli--
found it -- I heard it on NPR. one of the most unimpeachable sources I know.

the post on PP&D is Feb 7, 08. the easiest way to find it is to type in veterans, benefits in the search bar at the top of the first page.

my wife (deb) working at the high school has lost 3 former students last week to iraq. One kid (19yrs)came by for a visit with half a leg blown off and is returning to Iraq 'cause he already doesn't know how to get back into civilian life. He says his friends are in Iraq and that's all he has now...shaking, and stumbling from the Meds he's on. Fuckin' Bullshit how we treat them.

Hi Uncledan

yeah it's total bullshit. What's worse are the Republicans in Congress cheerleading for the continued occupation of Iraq and more war with Iran who drive around with yellow ribbon magnets on their cars and never leave home without a flag lapel pin are the same ones who vote against VA Benefits.

Even McCain opposes the fully funded version of the GI Bill proposed by Sentator Jim Webb. McCain's version won't give vets college beneftis unless they serve, get this, 12 years in. McCain's rationale for opposing Webb's GI Bill which would fully fund college for vets is that he feels it would cause troops to leave the service too soon.

It's all bullshit. When they budgeted for the wars they didn't count the life time of costs associated with hundreds of thousands of vets and now they don't want to pay for it.

Apparently we learned nothing from vietnam when we just dumped vets off right out of combat and told them to get a job and live a normal life.

Same thing is happening now. We'll end up with homeless vets again unable to adjust to civilian life because they weren't give the time and support needed to make a successful transition.