Iraq as a National Security issue: reframing the debate

As a couple of previous posts have suggested, I believe that withdrawing from Iraq ought be presented as in the best interests of the United States.

Stories like this provide much of the ammunition for this assault:
U.S. war costs in Iraq up: report
By Richard Cowan (Reuters)
Wed Jan 23, 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Iraq war may not dominate U.S. news reports as the carnage drops, but a new report underscores the financial burden of persistent combat that is helping run up the government's credit card.
...
War funding, which averaged about $93 billion a year from 2003 through 2005, rose to $120 billion in 2006 and $171 billion in 2007 and President George W. Bush has asked for $193 billion in 2008, the nonpartisan office wrote.

The electorate understand $$. The current economic mess provides a nice back-drop: the Government's response to imminent recession is constrained by our engagement in Iraq.

There are many indicators of economic malaise: falling dollar, higher debt, $90/bbl oil... and simply that we keep spending hundreds of billions of $$ in Iraq - for no visible return on investment.

Getting out of Iraq is in our best interests. Sell it on that basis!

Stop the madness!