Remember when America had a Decent Mainstream Press

Between the Yellow Journalism era of pre-World War One and about 1996?

Well, Canada still has it. The fact that the Toronto Star runs this story and the enabling NY Times and Washington Post and that nary a peep of it is heard on any of the three cable news networks is more than a little disturbing and indicative of why the mainstream press is now called the SCLM by we progressives.

WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush will ask Congress for another $80 billion for the war in Iraq, bringing the price tag for that invasion and ongoing operations in Afghanistan close to $300 billion, six times the original White House estimate.

The total is well beyond the estimate of $200 billion (U.S.) put forward by onetime White House economic adviser Larry Lindsey — subsequently dismissed for his forecast — and is the number Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once derided as "baloney" on network television.

Bush's request, which Congress is expected to approve next month, came five days before Sunday's watershed Iraqi elections, amidst reports that at least 120,000 Americans will remain there through the end of next year.

The White House said $75 billion of the $80 billion will go directly to military operations in Iraq, raising this year's total to $105 billion for a war that was already costing $5 billion per month.

It also conceded the spiralling costs were the result of an Iraqi insurgency that has surpassed all U.S. estimates in its size and commitment.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now costing almost half the $623 billion the U.S. spent during the entire 14-year Vietnam War, when adjusted to 2005 dollars.

The war in Afghanistan, which Attaturk did not oppose in principal, but like much else the Bush Administration has done has been hamhandedly handled and budgeted, cost about $50 Billion of those dollars.

But Iraq is going to cost much more than slated, even after $250 Billion has gone down the hole, we all know it.