How Bush Got Iraq War Cost Wrong

[True_Blue]

President George W. Bush is spending the political capital of his decisive re-election just as he said he would. But he is being forced to spend it where he least expected -- to fund the soaring, ongoing costs of the endless war in Iraq with no end in sight.

On Wednesday Bush took to the forum of a news conference, a format he clearly loathes and avoids more than any other president in modern U.S. history, to make the case for an additional $80 billion to fund the war over the next fiscal year alone.

By the White House's own estimates, that will boost the soaring annual federal budget deficit for 2005 to $427 billion, the greatest in U.S. history.

It was not supposed to be this way. The liberation of Iraq was to have been the war that paid for itself in spades and gave U.S. corporations the inside track on the greatest energy bonanza of the 21st century. Instead, it has become a fiscal nightmare, a monetary Vietnam that already accounts for around 15 percent of the annual U.S. budget deficit, a figure likely to only grow remorselessly into the unforeseeable future.
more....
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-05q.html

[MercutioATC]

1. But he claims he's still going to halve the deficit by 2009.

:eyes:

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. I Think You Guys Are Missing The BIG PICTURE

These guys are stealing the money! They didn't miscalculate anything.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Bingo.

They say the money is "to support the troops" but Halliburton and Bechtel executives are getting rich off our tax money.

[struggle4progress]

5. Bingo. eom

[cliss]

4. Believe it or not....

the war in Iraq will soon match our expenses in World War 1. I believe that war cost $320 billion in today's dollars.

We will soon be there. And for what?

[Skittles]

6. incompetent asshole

I am now more disgusted with the people who voted for these criminials than I am with the bush misadministration

[indepat]

7. But such a small price to pay to be made safe and further the PNAC agenda

[Demeter]

8. JUST SAY NO!

No, you can't have ANOTHER $80 billion, no, you can't start a 3rd war, with two already running, no, you can't overthrow democratically elected Hugo chavez of Venezuela, and you have to let Aristide back into Haiti, where he was elected....

It's like raising a teenager---say NO, loudly and frequently, cut off the pocket money, tell hime to get a job and provide his own support or get out!

Preferably get out.

And right now, call the cops--tough love is definitely indicated.