That throbbing in the back of your head -- that's not your imagination.

That was the Senate passing a new supplemental spending bill for over $100 Billion to cover the costs of the war and hurricane relief.  That's right.... another 100 Billion dollars!   Before we invaded, people were claiming the whole war AND occupation combined would cost less than a 100 billion dollars.  So how did we get stuck turning $100 billion into just  another down payment? I realize all the money will not be going to Iraq, but come on... H.R. 4939 is the fifth "emergency" appropriation passed by congress since we invaded Iraq and we still don't know what happened to the money we already spent.   Am I the only one who feels like a mugging victim , slowly regaining consciousness and wondering, "How the hell did we get here?"

Right now the latest installment in an apparently never-ending series of off-budget-down-payment-without-oversight-emergency-appropriation bills is heading for the Senate floor.  The total bill is $106 Billion.  This omnibus bill is for Iraq and Katrina relief.  

In case you missed it, "emergency" was one of the adjectives.    We have been at war in Iraq for 3 years and no one has ever submitted a budget for the effort.    In fact, I don't think anyone has submitted an honest accounting for any of the money spent either.    I could understand the need for one "emergency" appropriation, but three years into a campaign that is slated to last indefinitely?   Some might consider that poor planning.    Others might consider it a great opportunity too good to pass up.    Consider this example from a recent Washington Post article:

Mississippi's two U.S.   senators included $700 million in an emergency war spending bill to relocate a Gulf Coast rail line that has already been rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina at a cost of at least $250 million.