When you vote...: Iraqi Dead May Total 600,000+

When you vote, keep in mind that a team of American and Iraqi public health researchers has estimated that more than 600,000 civilians have died in violence across Iraq since the 2003 American invasion, although the number is an estimate, not a precise count, and researchers acknowledge a margin of error that ranges from 426,369 to 793,663 deaths. (NYTimes). Or the civilian body count may be as "low" as 49,000. (Iraqi Body Count). 600,000 or 50,000 (and counting), either is a measure of the tragic human toll of the Republican Party adventure in Iraq. The gap between the estimates is itself evidence of the chaos Bush and his congressional allies have created in the Middle East.

For an analysis of the reasons behind the discrepancy between the two estimates, read Michael Thieren's Deaths in Iraq: how many, and why it matters at openDemocracy.