The President announced that he would seek $196.4 Billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the fiscal year beginning October 1, which is an increase from his previous announced $141.7 Billion. This is the same President who recently vetoed a program to increase the children's health insurance program that was paid for by an increase in the tobacco taxes. The Republicans in congress up held his veto.
Now it is time for congress to end the war with a date certain for a safe withdrawal of our troops and no longer fund the war beyond that date. Congress should also pass legislation for the Defense Department to draw up plans for the safe withdrawal of our troops by that date certain. The nation can not trust Mr. Bush to act properly or Presidential concerning this issue.
The war in Iraq is costing the U.S. over $10 Billion a month and total of over $500 billion since it began. And more important than the cost of money, there is of course the cost of lives, all over WMD that did not exist. It should also be noted the President has never intended to have a plan to pay for this war except to mortgage our children and grandchildren's future.
It is past time for congress to step in and put a stop to Mr. Bush's madness. Our country, our people, and especially our men and women in uniform are paying a harsh price for Bush's reckless behavior and incompetence.
What we will begin to see now is the all to familiar spin of Mr. Bush. He will direct people in his administration and our military leaders to go on the offense and tell the American people how wonderful everything is going in Iraq. He and other Republicans already are using the "support our troops" or be branded as "unpatriotic" ultimatum. Republicans can not be allowed to tell the American people that those who are against the war are "unpatriotic". It is a lie and it's wrong.
The only thing for certain about this unnecessary war is that in the final analysis, when all is said and done, Iraq will be aligned with Iran and the billions of dollars spent by the U.S. because of Bush's policy will have gone for naught.
In the last few days we have seen the President plead with Turkey's prime minister Erdogan not to invade Iraq in pursuit of the PKK rebels who have been attacking Turkey. Bush said that action would destabilize Iraq-----Bush should know since his own order to invade and occupy Iraq destabilized both it and the Middle East.
Make no mistake about the fact that the war itself proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was an unnecessary war over WMD that did not exist. Saddam was a threat to no one except his own people. George Bush knew those WMD did not exist. I will cover that story in a future commentary. In the meantime brace yourself for the coming spin for the fifth straight year about this war.
