Hey, it's got a red stripe like the Iraqi flag.

Time for the tale of the quotes:

First, – U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas yesterday on the latest budget-gobbling estimate for the cost of the Iraq War.

“Today, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the total cost of the Iraq War will exceed $2.4 trillion […] With almost $700 billion already appropriated, another emergency $200 billion requested, and only the promise of endless war, the dollar cost is surging into the trillions.”

Now White House press secretary Dana Perino responding Tuesday to press questions about how the attempts to combat wildfires in California being hampered by the combat role of the state’s National Guard.

“When we are a nation at war there are priorities that you have to make sure that the National Guard units that are serving – that live in California, but are serving right now in Iraq, you want to make sure that they have the equipment that they need in order to protect themselves. And so you have to weigh those priorities. But I think that there are ways that we can make sure that California has what it needs.”

This article appears in October 19 • 2007.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.