With Hurricane Katrina and then Rita’s onslaught, the eye of the nation is fixed on recovering from the aftermath. It’s interesting to wonder whether anyone remembers that there’s a war in Iraq.

I’ll bet the parents of our troops have lost less sleep over Katrina than they have wondering when their child will be coming home.

Here’s the updated cost of the war: more than 2,000 American deaths, more than 25,000 civilian deaths and $204 billion of taxpayer money, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies published Aug. 31. [read more]