Has the government adequately prepared people for the long-term consequences of war?
WYDEN: I do not think so. Are people prepared to make a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar commitment? Well, people ought to understand that’s what’s being discussed here. In Oregon, there are not enough funds for schools, seniors, and transportation and infrastructure. SMITH: President Bush has done an excellent job of taking his case to the American people. An estimate of the costs will be forthcoming in the upcoming defense supplemental appropriations request. He has made it clear that the U.S. and the world will be more secure with regime change in Iraq. WU: No. The president has not prepared the American people for the trade-offs we will have to make in education, health care and our economic health to pay for the war. The president has not told the American people how the war will increase the threat of terrorist attacks on the United States. WALDEN: Yes. Those who believe that the public does not understand the potential costs of a war do not give the American people enough credit
