No wonder Bush thinks the idea of going off to serve in the army in Afghanistan sounds romantic and exciting. It’s because, 4,000 casualties in Iraq notwithstanding, the person with the biggest burden in the whole Afghanistaan/Iraq thing is … the President. Or so says Dick Cheney.

[The casualty count] obviously brings home I think for a lot of people the cost that’s involved in the global war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. It places a special burden obviously on the families, and we recognize, I think — it’s a reminder of the extent to which we are blessed with families who’ve sacrificed as they have. The president carries the biggest burden, obviously, He’s the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm’s way for the rest of us.

Granted, comparing pictures of Bush in 2000 vs 2007 shows how the office has aged him, as it does all its inhabitants (another reason to worry about McCain). But while not glibly minimizing whatever Bush has felt, anguished over, been burdened by (but never “regretted”) in his decisions to take us to (and keep us in) war, to say it’s “obvious” that he’s had the “biggest burden” is a huge slap in the face to those who have died, been crippled, been traumatized, been injured in ways it will take decades to resolve, if ever — not to mention the impact on their families, their spouses, their children.

“Biggest burden” indeed.

Maybe if Bush had decided to enlist in a service branch during Vietnam that actually was being sent off to the war, he might have had his fill of romance and excitement, “confronting danger” and “making history.” Then he might not have had to shoulder that “biggest burden” after all.