Senator says true cost of war won’t be know for some time

President Bush unveiled his war funding estimate today at the Pentagon, with a request for 75-billion dollars for Operation Iraqi Freedom, which assumes about a month of fighting. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the 75-billion sounds like “a fair figure” but recognizes it’s only an estimate. Grassley says we’ll be “opening a checking account to make money available to the defense department and we’ll have to supplement that from time to time.” He adds, “We won’t know the cost of the war until it’s over, and then maybe not for a long time.”Grassley says he is restarting his “Adopt a Soldier” program, something he created during the first Gulf War. Iowans who have a family member serving in either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Liberty Shield can contact Grassley’s office to provide a name. Anyone wishing to adopt a soldier needs to contact his office too. Grassley says the two parties are then paired up and the soldiers can be sent letters and care packages. Grassley says a dozen years ago, the program was a big morale-booster as it linked up some 15-hundred Iowa soldiers in the Persian Gulf with friendly families back home. For details, call any of Grassley’s offices or check the website at “grassley.senate.gov”.