It is all about the numbers.

Could not have said it any better myself. The following is from mcjoan on DailyKos, June 24, 2006. The article is quoted in its entirety. This is not my favorite etiquette, but the words are just right. Posting a link might or might not work later. Enjoy Sedalia

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It's a number. Not quite 2,500, but just as significant.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Sunni groups complained Saturday that one of their top religious leaders was detained by American troops in Tikrit for several hours, while the U.S. military said three soldiers from the same division were killed in separate incidents.

The deaths of the three soldiers from the Multi-National Division in Baghdad raised to 15 the number of U.S. servicemembers who were killed or were found dead this past week. One soldier was killed Saturday and the other two Friday.

A soldier was killed Saturday by a bomb during a foot patrol south of Baghdad. On Friday, one soldier was killed by a roadside bomb and the other in a "non-combat incident" that was being investigated.

Some other numbers to ponder: 2,516 American soldiers dead; 91 journalists dead; 42,889 Iraqi citizens confirmed dead, by one estimate; $320billion spent so far, and to what end? Because the end is what we have to be talking about now.

The clear reality is that there is not a plan for an end. "Stay the course" is not a coherent plan. "We'll stand down when they stand up" is not a plan, it's a soundbite. Staying in Iraq until the next administration is in office is a sort of plan, at least as far as Bush personally is concerned--a plan to push the problem off on the next guy.

The 2,516 deserve better than that, as do we all.

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