PAYGO- How to end the war

Forget timelines and drawdowns and defunding the troops. The answer to getting the troops out of Iraq and remaining in the political sunshine is PAYGO = Pay As You Go.

We are paying in lives on a daily basis, but that doesn't seem to deter war lovers. I think MONEYis how you get the attention of fencesitters on the republican side. Voices will be raised if IRAQ is equated with TAXES.

We've got to speak their language.

We've been having the wrong argument. We should agree to everything and anything the republicans want, with the caveat, we pay for it now.

Fiscal responsibility trumps supporting the troops anyday with republicans. (Or so they say. Nevermind that troublesome book Mr. Greenspan just put out.)

Mr. Bush can roll back his taxcuts or make up a new WARTAX. It doesn't matter to us. We just won't continue to OK supplementals. The war must become part of the annual budget, and it must be paid for. That extra $50 billion Bush is asking for. Fine. He can have it. But only on the condition, it's paid for. Let's tax all those ill-gotten corporate gains being made at our expense.

We could have universal healthcare, social security paid for, $500,000 billion invested in alternative energy sources, freedom from the the threat of Chinese refusal to buy our debt, $10 billion invested in AIDS research, New Orleans rebuilt. The list goes on and on.

We can never win the "cut and run" debate, or the "defund the troops" debate.

We can win the "Let's pay for it" debate.

Even if the troops are not out of there tomorrow, not leaving this war to be paid for by our kids and grandkids is a step towards making things right.

Call your senator, representative, and presidential candidate. Ask him/her to demand this war be paid for by the people waging it. It's your Patriotic Duty.