Planning the Budget for 2 Countries at Once -NYT

[Rose Siding]

Joshua B. Bolten, the White House budget director, never imagined that one day he would also be the budget director of Iraq.

But that is what his job amounts to in this strange Washington autumn, when a man who oversees the federal government's $2.3 trillion annual budget is spending huge portions of his time arm-twisting Congress into coming up with the $87 billion that President Bush wants over the next year for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the money is to go to securing and rebuilding Iraq, with the unstated goal of pulling out at least some American troops before the 2004 election.

Or, as Mr. Bolten put it last week, the $87 billion "is to return the country rapidly to Iraqi control."

Mr. Bolten was speaking at a Washington institution, the weekly Sperling breakfast with reporters at the St. Regis Hotel, where the stately surroundings gave off a whiff of imperialism. Under the chandelier, over scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, on a gorgeous fall morning in the capital, Mr. Bolten found himself discussing decisions about people in remote precincts who, at least for now, are the subjects of American power.

Nonetheless, Iraq seemed far less a jewel in the crown than a money pit, with Mr. Bolten in the role of the man who started out renovating his kitchen but ended up rebuilding the whole house.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/13/national/13LETT.html?pagewanted=print&position=

[saigon68]

1. Iraq seemed far less a jewel in the crown

It's a smelly turd in a plugged up toilet !!!!

[leetrisck]

2. I would think 3 countries - there

is the forgotten Afghanistan. The America tax dollar is now supporting 3 countries and "Slimy Shrub" keeps saying to the American people - "we want you to have more of "your" money." Whose money does he think is paying for this? Also, I would very much like to see a complete breakdown of the $65 billion that is supposed to be going to the troops - yeah, sure, just bet it is.

[saigon68]

3. They won't get squat

Maybe an R&R between a couple of deployments.

[Don_G]

4. And A Bill For Their MRE's?