As the war in Iraq continues in its 5th year, we continue to see the costs of the war here at home.

President Bush and his advisers promised that the human and financial cost of the war in Iraq would be minimal, but every day we see new examples of the war’s true cost.

Sadly it is often the case that the families of our brave military men and women serving in Iraq are hit hardest with the costs of the war in Iraq. As of this writing, over 52 Iowans and people with close ties to Iowa have died in Iraq from combat, illness or accident, causing tremendous hardship and immeasurable pain for their loved ones whom often now must confront all life’s challenges alone. Hundreds of Iowa families, whose loved ones have returned, must work doubly hard to ensure that their wounded heroes get the proper medical care.

President Bush