What's the Price of Rose-Colored Night Vision Goggles?

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost the Pentagon some of their wish list for new weapons.
The Government Accountability Office has found costs for new weapons spiraling out of control -- and competing for dollars with the wars. From the Washington Post:

The major weapons systems being developed and produced by the Defense Department will require $1.6 trillion to complete and $335 billion over the next five years -- money that may not be available because of the continuing cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO found some weapons were pitched with unrealistic price tags to begin with -- sometimes 30% - 40% below what they would end up costing. (WaPo)

The Cost of War

The Iraq War will cost us taxpayers $3 trillion dollars.

That's "trillion" with a "T."

That's $12 billion a month.

That's a lot of debt your grand kids will have to pay off.

Linda Blimes and Joseph Stiglitz did the math for an op-ed in Sunday's Washington Post. Their sum comes up a lot higher than the $60 billion the Bush administration promised before Baghdad fell.

The problem is with the hidden costs:

• Money to help future veterans


• Re-equipping a depleted military


• Hidden costs in the Defense budget

Then there's the $500,000 each family receives when a service member is killed in combat. Close to 4,000 so far.

And there are hidden costs hitting our economy, like the massive debt we've run up borrowing money for the war and the family members who've had to leave the workforce to take care of a wounded relative. (WaPo)

You're On the Bus or Off the Bus -- No One Rides in the Door

All aboard the Topsy-Turvy Bus.

Ben Cohen -- the "Ben" of "Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream" is takin the bus cross country toward New Hampshire Iowa.

It's part of a campaign urging presidential candidates to move spending from defense projects to programs helping families and communities. The bus is a project of the Priorities Campaign, headed by Cohen -- wearing the green jacket in this AP photo. (AP via Yahoo)