Why The Iraq War Goes Ignored

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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A new Pew Foundation poll shows more than one-third of the American people are closely following this campaign. I'm not surprised; this campaign is creating interest in a way that we haven't seen in years.

But here is what really bothers me: Twice as many people, 12 percent, had more interest in the death of movie actor Heath Ledger than were following developments in Iraq.

Only 6 percent said they were closely following the war news. Only 28 percent knew the U.S. death toll on the war has now risen to nearly 4,000.

There are reasons. The elections and the shaky economy and the fact the war zone is quieter now has pushed the war off TV and the front pages, and for many it has become "out of sight, out of mind."

With an all-volunteer military made up of only one-half-of-one-percent of us making the sacrifices in this war, it's easy for the rest of us to forget war still goes on.

Certainly, there have been few reminders from the campaign trail. John McCain says it is still winnable. But he hasn't said what winning it will take.

The Democrats haven't said much beyond we have to withdraw at some point. As long as Iraq is relatively quiet, the candidates would rather not talk about it (It puts people in a bad humor). But it is still there.

And we can't ignore it forever. It won't let us.

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E-mail Face the Nation.
By Bob Schieffer

[jasper1932]

Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are not veterans and not qualified to be Commander-in-Chief of the military. Senator Clinton''s husband in an interview with Tom Brokaw stated "I Loathe the Military" He was at that time and it seems to be so demoralizing to those troops you are to command. I am sure that Senator Clinton''s philosophy is similar. Both of the candidates are adamantly spouting the democratic party''s leadership challenge. "Cut and Run" To me they are telling our present and any future enemies that the United States don''t have the fortitude to stand and fight for what we believe in. Most of those protesters are the one''s who have no committment to the principles that this country were founded on and therefore have no patriotic sense of responsibility. We must stand up against those who wish to destroy us. Let us not forget the Lebanon Marines, USS Cole, Twin Towers, foreign embasies, World Trade Center. Heavy forbid the day we become so complacent that we don''t see those who may walk up to our doors and "bang". Yes I am a veteran of the Korean War and our son served a tour in Iraq. He beleived in his mission and their purpose even the two Senators don''t.

[kansas1946]

We are SICK of the war in Iraq. Many of us didn''t support the action in the first place, and even less support it now, but it doesn''t make any difference. We have an evil administration in place, with a seriously mentally deficiant president, who though the "mission was accomplished" four years ago. He won''t listen to anyone, will fire any general that disagrees with him, acts like everyone but his cronies are liars, so why worry about Iraq until someone with a brain moves into the Whitehouse????

[noloyalisti]

The difference between traffic deaths and the invasion/occupation of Iraq was that the invasion/occupation was illegal, preventable and based on lies.

It was also for direct benefit of the neo con men and their benefactors the oil companies and other multi-national war profiteers. We are the stupid pawns in a grand experiment in economic imperialism.

[opin8ted]

Frankbowers needs to get his head where he can see the sunshine. GWB doesn''t control the U.S. media here in the U.S. Yes, there are media elements attached to our military in the middle east who are limited in their story line. This is necessary due to idiots such as Geralod Rivera who publicly announce the location and grid coordinates of our military troops in the field. The media in the U.S. only answer to one thing. MONEY THROUGH ADVERTISING. Therefore, they print what sells, and unfortunately, the war isn''t a hot ticket right now.

[dlwells2]

Thank you Mr.Schieffer for reminding people that we are a nation at war. As a mom of an Army Scout the war is upfront, personal and horrifying. It angers me when news commentators, reporters, editors, etc ignore the fact that we are at war, 3,990 soldiers have lost their lives, the nation is borrowing money to fund this fiasco. Thank you for remembering and thank you for you on target comments.

[octavianfdlr]

Why shouldn''t the press ignore such large numbers? Even Bob Schieffer is ignoring the even more astronomical numbers of people who have died in traffic accidents right here at home during the same time period.

Bob Schieffer: how about doing an Op/Ed piece on traffic deaths right here in America? This is how we are using the oil that (allegedly) our soldiers are fighting to bring home!

[frankbowers]

Why did any one think any thing different would occur gw bush and dic cheney have kept the news off the stations. Just like today I am wathing the 5:30 CBS national news and it announce in 5 seconds or less thet two more died in Iraq and in less than 15 seconds to the lady who killed another 36. You act as if the war is not going on. I remember well when Vietnam was going on and I had just gotten home from the FAR EAST and it consumed at leat 20 mionutes of the 30 news cast not just once in a while but 7 days a week and on the sunday mornig shows it was on each and ever major news cast then they were but 4 there in Houston, but they covered the war and today they treat it as a 15 second commercial how sorry this gw bush is not allowing the news of the most important thing to the families of the military women and men he is using as foder for his personnel war for revenge for his dad (I might say the parol officers as well as the mexican laraza folks)
i know the flag drapped coffins are not seen and I know they are coming in by the hundreds. Perhaps when Hillary gets into office that much will change and the news will be allow if Murdock the Owner of all the news stations except BBC and PBS from way down south, allows it as it will look bad on gws bush and dic his friends and he does own themn too much for allowing him to buy all the stations, and he does own the majority of them and will allow what he wants only America to see be seen.
Frank Bowrs

[clovisbuford]

Obama''''s foreign policy on the high road, Vet_SK? The guy has done more to agitate our ally Pakistan than any other leader in our country. Even our president is not that daft. Remember when Obama basically announced that he would invade Pakistan? "zfunk1 not that this post is on toipic , but if you want to talk about securiyt and worrrying about nukkes it was the pakistanis ,their secret service and scientists selling the nuke technology to every tin pot country with a few hundred million to spare , not saddam. errr I f our president no matter whio its is saw a chance to do a surgical strike wheterh it was inside the border region of pakkistan or jsut theother side in affghanistan iwould hgope they would take a shot at it . If we had kept our eye on the ball at tora bora this whole conversation would probably be moot .

[usbrit-2009]

I don''''t think it was ever about WMD, it was always about removing Saddam

Posted by tbweb

So you admit that we were lied to. I was all in favor of going after Al Quaeda in Aghanistan. The only reason cretin-in-chief can even spell Iraq is because Saddam insulted daddy. The only reason he got to be cretin-in-chief is because Cheney promised him he could get his own back by invading if he were president. If WMD were available to Saddam and he was as bad as C-ic-c and his neocon buddies said, don''t you think he''d have used them the momment the first Marine toenail crossed the border? No, the reason for the war was lies from Square 1. Barak had the vision to vote against it, Hilary went along with the common herd. Now, the whole situation is such a fu**ed up mess, maybe we have to stay longer then the public wants. But I for one don''t believe we''re any better off because of the sad sacrifices of our troops and the Iraqi population.

[aldee41]

Gee, I really would like to keep track of how many lives and how much treasure the American people have lost in the Carlyle Group War but I have been really busy lately accumulating enough money to buy gas and feed the kids. I''m selling my Bear Sterns stock today to meet my suddenly increased mortgage payment and if there is anything left over I will buy a big bag of rice and a full tank of gas for the SUV and take a day off from my second job to catch up on the Iraq news. Sorry I have been letting the country down. Thanks King George the Usurper for all yuo do.