Indeed, the 250,000 troops poised to attack Iraq with an arsenal of sophisticated weapons suggest not only a massive campaign, but also an expensive one.

Yet in spite of its detailed planning for the war and a rebuilding of Iraq, the administration continues to duck questions about how much the effort will cost taxpayers. And instead of pressing for a price tag and way to pay it, irresponsible House and Senate leaders now are rushing to pass a major tax cut the administration has requested.

By pursuing tax breaks before budgeting for a costly war, Congress is sending the nation down a path it can ill afford
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So far, administration officials even refuse to ask Congress for war funding, though some lawmakers say they expect a White House request of $90 billion to $100 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the first month of fighting will cost at least $10 billion, and each subsequent month $8 billion.

Nor has the administration broached the subject of paying for the sweeping reconstruction of Iraq that Bush pledges to undertake. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense think tank, says the cost of a five-year U.S. occupation and rebuilding effort could range from $25 billion to $105 billion.
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Supporters of an outsized tax cut say Congress would be foolish to guess how much the Iraq campaign would cost and set that money aside, given the uncertainties about how long the war and occupation will last.

Lawmakers are more foolish, though, to give out big tax breaks while ignoring more pressing financial obligations. That's like a family planning a shopping spree before it sets aside enough money to pay the food bill and mortgage payment.

For 140 years, since the Civil War, Americans have shown they are willing to make financial sacrifices to pay for the nation's conflicts. Now politicians not only claim no such sacrifice is needed for the Iraq campaign, but they also insist that the public can reap new dividends. That's a false bargain.

The cost of the war ultimately must be paid. The only question is whether the financial sacrifice will be made by current or future generations.

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