Spoils of war

"Intense combat in Iraq is chewing up military hardware and consuming money at an unexpectedly rapid rate -- depleting military coffers, straining defense contractors and putting pressure on Bush administration officials to seek a major boost in war funding long before they had hoped."

But it appears the Bush administration has no plans to go to Congress for a supplement to the budget for the fiscal year that began last October...at least not until January of 2005 -- well after the November elections.

"Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, charged that the president is playing political games by postponing further funding requests until after the election, to try to avoid reopening debate on the war's cost and future.

"Weldon described the administration's current defense budget request as 'outrageous' and 'immoral' and said that at least $10 billion is needed for Iraqi operations over the next five months.

"'There needs to be a supplemental, whether it's a presidential election year or not,' he said. 'The support of our troops has to be the number one priority of this country. . . . Somebody's got to get serious about this.'"

Yes, it's an election year. But this latest bit of stubbornness is certainly par for the Bush course in Iraq. Despite unexpected levels of violence, don't change plans. Changing plans, asking (directly) for more money, would only further underscore the mismanagement of this whole operation.

Here's a suggestion: clamp down on the CPA and rein in the graft, corruption, and crony capitalism that is now rife in Iraq. Marketplace has an excellent report.

Of course, this is an administration well-versed in the healthy benefits of greasing a palm or two.