NEW YORK (CNN) - Congress has launched its investigation of intelligence failures that led up to the terrorist attacks of September 11th. And Congress is preparing to spend a lot more money on intelligence, which already has a budget of about $35 billion. And we learned today that the United States has spent $17 billion so far on the war effort in Afghanistan. Now, as far as I'm concerned, that's money well spent... I'm sure you agree.

But let's be honest about what we're doing, about what it costs... and how we're going to pay for it. What are we doing? We're not fighting terror... we're fighting a particular and specific breed of terrorist. We're fighting a war against extreme radical Muslims who would try to destroy us, our society, our economy our way of life. They're called Islamists, as we've reported for two days. Not Muslims or Islamics. Islamists. They are the enemy. They are the enemy in Afghanistan, in the Philippines, Indonesia, Kashmir, Yemen, Somalia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and other countries all over the world. Islamists... a particular brand of terrorist. That may not be politically correct... but it's honest, and this is the time for honesty in all quarters of our national life. Business. Religion. Government. And Media.

Maybe especially the media.