And, burried by the torture news, this nugget:
 

The Bush administration told Congress yesterday it would seek an additional $25 billion to finance military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, breaking its pledge to resist such a move before the November presidential election.
-Boston Globe

Not that I think we don't need this money, as long as it's spent on body and humv armor, soldiers saleries and medical care, but I think this request (almost certainly too little) shows a couple of things.

1.) The 78 Billion W asked for was meant to carry us easily past the election before he'd need to ask for more. This means, conservatively, they lowballed it by 25 million. Which means that even as recently as the last request, they totally didn't get the reality of Iraq. You KNOW they wouldn't have asked for more if they didn't totally have to.

2.) It means the public outcry the W. be at least a teensy bit more honest about the cost of Iraq has gotten loud enough for the administration to hear it. That too me means it's pretty damn loud.

25 billion could help improve stuff like the shitty US health care system or produce jobs or bite down on corporate crime.

What makes the US healthcare system so shitty?

In a word? Access.