Not so serious that he hasn’t diverted $1.6 billion out of the equipment funds for the military in Iraq to finance his Potemkin border patrol. Money quote:
The Marine Corps has seen nearly 3,500 pieces of ground equipment destroyed so far, and it has lost at least 27 aircraft in the Middle East. Every day in Iraq, trucks and Humvees age four to nine times faster than they do in peacetime because of the heat, road conditions, weight of the armor, and constant use, to say nothing of roadside bombs.
For the last three years, the Marine Corps has been cannibalizing its vehicles and weapons used in training, and draining its war reserves to keep deployed troops fully outfitted.
But they can wait. Karl Rove needs to appease the base before the election.
The Dish 