a "small price" ... for whom?

courtesy of brendan @ brendancalling.com:

if someone you love died in iraq, don’t expect sympathy from john boehner’s office a new jersey family paying "a small price" [ohio house republican] john boehner, playing golf after reading john boehner's outrageous comments that our dead troops are a "small price to pay" to stop al qaeda in iraq (you know, the terrorists that weren't there until we destroyed iraq's civil society), i knew it was time for another phone call. but i didn't want to do my usual complaining thing: instead, i decided i would pose as a bereaved relative of a dead soldier. blitzer: how much longer will u.s. taxpayers have to shell out $2 billion a week or $3 billion a week as some now are suggesting the cost is going to endure? the loss in blood, the americans who are killed every month, how much longer do you think this commitment, this military commitment is going to require? boehner: i think general petraeus outlined it pretty clearly. we're making success. we need to firm up those successes. we need to continue our effort here because, wolf, long term, the investment that we're making today will be a small price if we're able to stop al qaeda here, if we're able to stabilize the middle east, it's not only going to be a small price for the near future, but think about the future for our kids and their kids. unfortunately, his dc office won't speak to anyone calling from outside ohio, so i called his cincinatti office at (513) 779-5400. "hello," i said, "my name is brendan skwire. i'm calling because my cousin had his head shot off in iraq and i was wondering if representative boehner [always, always pronounce it "boner"] thinks that was a small price to pay?" "that's not what he said sir," said the woman on the other end of the line." "yes it is," i replied, "i have it righ —" "THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID," she repeated in all capital letters. "with all due respect ma'am, my cousin had his head shot off, leaving behind a widow and two children, one of who is an infant, and you're ARGUING with a grieving relative? i read what your boss said." "that's not what he said. what he MEANT was that given all the money we've spent so far the deaths of our soldiers is a small price if we want to win ..." it was unbelievable. this dumb cluck actually thinks we stand a shot at winning in iraq, never mind reducing human beings to nothing more than a matter of dollars. i wanna play poker with this idiot. "'win'? excuse me, but everyone except general petraeus thinks we're losing, including the gao and including petraeus's own boss admiral fallon at cent com." "sir, it's a small price to pay ..." and then the shouting match began "do you have any class?" "it's not what he meant" "my cousin lost her" "NOT WHAT HE "husband, has no idea how she's going" IT'S NOT WHAT HE MEANT "to pay for childcare or how" IT'S NOT WHAT HE "she's going to raise the kids alone, and is out of her mind" ITS NOT WHAT HE "with grief. and you call this a small price to pay?" "it's not what he meant sir." "oh, ok then. so it's a small price to pay. how many of john boehner's kids are signed up for iraq, can you tell me that?" big pause. VERY big pause. "I can't tell you that sir." "mmm, i'll bet," i replied. "you know WHY you can't tell me that? BECAUSE NONE OF JOHN BOEHNER'S KIDS ARE SIGNED UP FOR IRAQ. NOT ONE. when do the boehners pay THEIR small price?" "sir, i have to go now." "and the worst part of this is, you spent half this conversation talking over me, arguing with someone who's lost a family member in the war your boss supports. that's real classy." click. she hung up the phone. a dollar says she doesn't have any children in iraq either. the party family values, my ass: try the party of immoral sociopaths and criminals.

the long goodbye

(courtesy of steve brodner at mother jones)