No, really. No one.

hrough April 2006, DOD has reported about $273 billion in incremental costs for GWOT-related operations overseas—costs that would not otherwise have been incurred. DOD’s reported GWOT costs and appropriated amounts differ generally because DOD’s cost reporting does not capture some items such as intelligence and Army modular force transformation. Also, DOD has not yet used funding made available for multiple years, such as procurement and military construction. GAO’s prior work found numerous problems with DOD’s processes for recording and reporting GWOT costs, including long-standing deficiencies in DOD’s financial management systems and business processes, the use of estimates instead of actual cost data, and the lack of adequate supporting documentation. As a result, neither DOD nor the Congress reliably know how much the war is costing and how appropriated funds are being used or have historical data useful in considering future funding needs.

Now, I’m not going to bash Democrats for their inattention to this because to be honest, I’m not following which hearings are being held by whom just now, so there’s a chance “someone” is on this.

But I will bash the candidates for not coming together and having a press conference about this report. If we hadn’t experienced the last 6+ years of the Bush Administration, news like this would be shocking. We’re talking about billions and even trillions of “lost” taxpayer money, for fuck’s sake. Enough to provide health care for every child, fix all our bridges and roads, blah blah blah.

When people tell me I’m too foily and wrong believing that Hilbama want endless, if kinder and gentler, war, I remind them of this sort of report. Which is actually more commonly found than you may think, despite the utter SCLM silence on them when they are produced. “Experienced” candidates like Hilbama, who “know how government works” should make this information a centerpiece of their campaigns- after all, isn’t that the best way to reach “moderates” and “the middle?” Fiscal repsonsibility is supposed to be the magic elixir to winning them over. Well, here you go.

Edwards and the other progressive candidates have been speaking about this sort of thing, but I’ll request that Hilbama supporters come forth and offer me some read meat from their candidates about this report, and I do mean “read meat.” I’m waiting.

…and I haven’t read the whole PDF, but a friend of mine who is really good with econ and numbers n shit told me it’s “horrifying.”