That's Paul Bremer channeling Carl Sagan in describing the amount of money it's going to take to rebuild Iraq.
If you read only one article today, read Peter Slevin and Vernon Loeb's summary of their interview with Paul Bremer. Not only have we gotten ourselves into a military and political mess in Iraq, we're in a financial mess, too. A sample:
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds foreign aid, said the administration appears to be "essentially out of funds" for reconstruction and has appeared hesitant to give a swift accounting of what else is needed. "They erode their support when they don't have their act together or don't level with us," he said in a telephone interview.posted by dack