Did I hear right? 70 additional Billion this year for Iraq?

[troublemaker]

Comment heard on Aaron Brown show suggesting that amount will have to be requested this year.

If it has to be budgeted on the same timetable as last year the formal request would come around the Repub convention... not likely. Maybe they'll try to get it out of the way during August when everyone's out of town, but August of an election year isn't as dead as a usual August.

I don't see how Bush's numbers can survive any money request before the election. Sad to say, but the American people are not the most principled group. Support for Iraq went south only in direct response to the request for 83 Billion last Sept. It sucks that America's big complaint with the war is money, but that's better than no complaint at all.

[keopeli]

1. Simple: $1B per day. $365B per year.

Even suggesting $79B will do is a farce. It is mid-April and we are scaling UP, not down. The cost of the endeavor has nothing to do with how or when Bush* requests it.

Again, the media turns a blind eye. Aaron Brown should have a daily chart showing the cost in lives and treasure. It can just go up and up every day, with no relief in sight. Maybe he can promote Bush's* further tax cuts while the chart is on the screen.

[aquart]

2. Hey! Private security guards cost money!

[cliss]

3. I was just about to start a thread about how much

we've spent on this little adventure so far. I'd read it was as much as $120 billion. That was worth a thread, I thought.

Then, to my surprise, I read later on that it is now $164 billion.

Hmmmmm..... do we have a variety of figures? Maybe there's some discrepancy....? Maybe they don't really know? Oh well, what the hell's a few billion here and there.

Definitely not worth a thread.

[bonemachine]

7. It was my understanding that

We've budgeted out 200 billion, prior to the upcoming amounts that are just starting to come out, and wont finish coming out until after the election.

After that, it's anybodys guess, with a lame duck Bush, or a PNAC lite John Kerry.

[Zero Gravitas]

14. one trillion dollars

before we're done I'd bet.

The invasion cost what? $170 billion I think. Then there was the $83 billion extra & now another $70 billion, so that brings us to 323 billion by the end of the year/middle of next year. By the time we're out (one way or the other) I'd think it'll cost at least that much again if not twice that. So the total cost will be <Dr. Evil> One TRILLIOn dollars</Dr. Evil>

[the Kelly Gang]

4. Imagine the hearts & minds this amount could garner around the

world if it were spent on humanitarian aid instead of weaponary..the USA would only have friends everywere

[BeHereNow]

5. Welcome to DU Kelley Gang!

BeHereNow

[BeHereNow]

6. Don't ask questions-citizen!

Report for duty at your local Walmart.
Remember, WAR IS PEACE.
Hungry children in Amerikkka mean democracy in Iraq.
Peace and Freakdom for ALL.
The POTUS has spoken for Jeebus!
sarcasm off :9
BHN

[anarchy1999]

10. Made me laugh!

2nd time today, thanks for the humor, BHN!

[imax2268]

8. here ya go...

Cost of the War

[mebadgett]

9. A Billion $$$$$$$$$'s

A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it.

Source: http://fartimer.com/billion.shtml

[oscar111]

11. Loans, not gifts needed

Part of that money is for rebuilding iraq, i think. Such rebuilding should be as loans, to be repaid by oil to us, while our troops are still there to collect it. They have plenty of oil to pay us. One might also argue that the rest of the money, the cost of troops, ought to be paid by iraq oil... as gratitude for ending Sadaam's rule. THis point, i know, is debatable. But the first point, rebuilding cash, is less so.

All gifts to iraq come straight by cutting our own US poor's aid programs.

While i would like to give aid to iraq, ONE it is not necessary to give cash to the second biggest oil treasure on the planet... TWO such gifts sadly really do come straight from our own dem programs for our poor.

[dusty64]

12. And they will try

to hide this request until after Election day, but I don't think they will be able to. This will probably be the straw that breaks the back of what support remains for chimp's war and needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

[keithyboy]

13. Juast hang on Arab world, the US will be broken just like the USSR

The military insudtrial complex will break our spirit within and our world stature without!