Iraq cost: $14.1 million an hour

WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley is trying to get Nevadans to think more deeply about the financial costs of the Iraq war.

The lives lost are well known -- more than 4,000 U.S. military personnel, and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

In dollars, here are the numbers:

The U.S. spends $3,919 every second in Iraq.

That is $235,160 a minute, $14.1 million an hour.

“In the time it takes to read this,” read a recent email blast from Berkley’s office, “we’ve spent $10,000 in Iraq.”

The military’s top commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, returns to Capitol Hill this week to deliver news many in Washington don’t want to hear. The war will not be ending any time soon.

Democrats don’t have the votes to pull the troops out. Nor are they willing to simply cut off funds. Now they are trying to gather votes by arguing that staying in Iraq is unaffordable when the United States has so many other pressing financial needs.

Republicans dismiss these arguments as desperate, criticizing efforts to link the costs of war to the nation’s economic woes. Pulling troops out now, the House majority leader said this afternoon, would demean the memories of those who have lost their lives.

Berkley, though, presses on with Democratic talking points at the ready, firing off a missive in advance of Petraeus’ visit.

“On Monday, the U.S. will spend $340 million in Iraq,” this afternoon’s email said. On Tuesday $340 million will be spent. On Wednesday another $340 million. And so on.