How Much More?

The newest projection of the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan show that the the two conflicts could cost $2.4 trillion. It is also important to take into account that this analysis was done by a non-partisan group, the Congressional Budget Office. Here is a quote from CBO Director Peter Orszag:

"It's clear under analysis that the nation is on an unstable fiscal path ... with the higher debt and interest costs."

Congressman Rahm Emaneul weighed in on the situation on Hardball on MSNBC:

"America's future is being held hostage by the cost of the war."

So with the newest projections, I must ask: How much more? How much more money for this needless war? How much more are we going to spend acting as a police force in a foreign country instead of helping our own people? If there was no war in Iraq, we would have a budget surplus right now. We could have the social security problem largely fixed. We could have provided healthcare for every American. Or how about this----we could have spent the money actually fighting terrorists.

There is no excuse for this. Americans for generations will be forced to pay the price for this war. Enough is enough. And it's not just the Democrat's fault. What happened to the so called "fiscal conservatives"? Why is it that the only two presidents to balance the budget in the past 50 years, were Democrats? Why is it that two of our most conservative Presidents, Reagan and Bush, wrecked the economy by adding billions of debt? The Republicans have got to jump on board with the American people and the Democrats and vote to bring this war to a safe end. America can not afford this war any longer-----not the cost and certainly not the lives of our brave men and women. So I say with more urgency than ever: this war must end. If Bush and the GOP don't, it is the duty of us to elect a President who will end this war.

***On a side note, my thought and prayers go out to all those affected by the wildfires in Southern California. I can't help but feel that the recovery effort would be much easier if California had its National Guards(who are serving in Iraq). It seems more and more everyday we are seeing the unnecessary costs of this war in all aspects of American life.***

Clinton: "Absolutely" Would Give Up Some Power

Many Democrats have greatly criticized the power grab made by the Bush Administration. The Bush administration has given itself power that is arguably unconstitutional and the conservative Supreme Court and the GOP Congress of the last 7 years have done nothing about it. The next President, Republican or Democrat, will have to, in my book, relinquish some of the power that the Bush administration claims belongs to the office of the President. The Constitution and the law must be reinstated. The fear I have, is that if someone like Rudy gets elected, the powers of the President will grow even more than the Bush administration. This neocon philosophy is one that is dangerous to America and its people and the Constitution. That is why I was very pleased when Sen. Clinton strongly addressed this issue on Tuesday:

“There were a lot of actions which they (Bush-Cheney) took that were clearly beyond any power the Congress would have granted, or that in my view that was inherent in the Constitution."

Asked whether she would “actually give up some of this power in the name of constitutional principle,” Sen. Clinton answered, “Absolutely.”

Kudos to Sen. Clinton for leading on yet another issue. For those who still question why she is so far ahead in the polls, it is because of things like this. No matter how much Obama and Edwards say "change", they have yet to step up as Clinton has and answer questions directly and clearly. It's not enough to say that the Bush administration has done wrong. Obama and Edwards need to be clear of what Bush and Cheney have done wrong and they have to address all of those issues. And even more important, they need to say what they'll do when they get in office, to fix it. While Obama is supporting a known homosexual basher, Clinton is leading on the issues that matter to all Americans. That is why she is leading in the polls and that is why she is likely to be the next President.