The War is THE Issue: Losing a Battalion a Month and $250 Million a Day

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Gen. Barry McCaffrey, U.S. Army (Ret) on the Iraq War on Friday's Hardball:

... The place is a mess. It`s going in the wrong direction. There are thousands of Iraqis being killed or injured each week. *We`re losing a battalion a month killed and wounded*, 500, 600, 700 soldiers and marines and we`re spending $7 billion a month and it`s going in the wrong direction."

... There were 563 wounded and 39 killed in action last month, for god`s sake. This is not an arguable point. We`re losing a battalion a month killed and wounded in Iraq. 22,000 killed and wounded during the war."

Meanwhile, the death toll of Iraqis in their raging civil war has risen to more than , averaging about 100 deaths per day, with untold numbers wounded. Let's keep standing in the middle of that chaotic sectarian violence. Sure. That will help.

We can talk about issues to do with the environment, economy, education, healthcare, labor, energy or justice but before we can do anything to address problems in those areas, we must get out of Iraq.

To date there are more than THREE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS in known war costs.

We are spending about TWO HUNDRED FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS A DAY for the war.

With that kind of outlay, there's nothing left to spend on any other priorities, period. And it will stay that way unless we get out of Iraq and start running the finances of the government with some reasoned sanity. We are in dire need of more checks and balances on the neocon wet dream. If we allow the Republicans to continue running the entire government, nothing will change. I repeat, nothing will change.

To have any chance of changing course we need at least one House of Congress, and preferably both the House and the Senate. That's why the upcoming mid-term election is so incredibly important. We need to demonstrate how strongly the nation wants change. Republicans don't represent change. They mean more of the same, without regard to the consequences we'll be paying for years to come.

If we don't get out and vote to oust Heather Wilson in favor of Patricia Madid for Congress in November, we're part of the problem, not the solution. I can't say it any plainer.

Volunteer, donate, get more info: Madrid for Congress.

Register to vote: Bernalillo County Clerk or visit the NM Secretary of State website to get contact info for your County Clerk.

Talk to your friends and neighbors.