The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

While Senator Sam Brownback may talk like a fiscal conservative, his continued support of the War in Iraq shows that he is no spendthrift. The Guardian reports:

The real cost to the US of the Iraq war is likely to be between $1 trillion and $2 trillion (£1.1 trillion), up to 10 times more than previously thought, according to a report written by a Nobel prize-winning economist and a Harvard budget expert.The study, which expanded on traditional estimates by including such costs as lifetime disability and healthcare for troops injured in the conflict as well as the impact on the American economy, concluded that the US government is continuing to underestimate the cost of the war.

How has Brownback suggested we reduce the financial cost of the war? Don’t buy the new state any garbage trucks:

Brownback also said he supported President Bush’s request for $87 billion for military operations and reconstruction of Iraq, but that half of the $20 billion earmarked for reconstruction should be in the form of loans to the country instead of grants.

“Iraq has the potential for a strong economy in many sectors and the availability to repay this,” Brownback said.

He also said the budget request probably could be pared down by $2 billion by eliminating such items as construction of human rights memorials and the purchase of garbage trucks at $50,000 apiece.

Somehow I don’t think cutting garbage trucks from the budget will make up $1 - 2 trillion. Sam Brownback is more than willing to mortgage our future on a war that we were led into by a lie. He is no fiscal conservative.