Ground Troops In Iraq?

Might Obama send ground troops to Iraq? It depends on the meaning of "ground". Also, "troops" and "combat". Check out this groan-out-loud trial balloon from deputy national security Rhodes:

U.S. Could Use Ground Troops to Aid Rescue of Iraq Refugees

By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and HELENE COOPER  AUG. 13, 2014

EDGARTOWN, Mass. — A senior White House official said on Wednesday that the United States would consider using American ground troops to assist Iraqis in rescuing Yazidi refugees if recommended by military advisers assessing the situation.

Benjamin J. Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser, told reporters on Martha’s Vineyard that President Obama would probably receive recommendations in the next several days about how to mount a rescue operation to help the refugees, who are stranded on a mountaintop surrounded by Sunni militants. He said those recommendations could include the use of American ground troops.

But didn't Obama just rule out the use of ground troops in Iraq? Well, yes, this is from Aug 9:

Number one, I’ve been very clear that we’re not going to have U.S. combat troops in Iraq again.

But hey hey! No one else takes his red lines seriously, so why should Obama or his advisers? Let's get back to the spin du jour from Mr. Rhodes:

But he drew a distinction between the use of American forces to help a humanitarian mission and the use of troops in the battle against militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, something he said the president had rejected before and continued to oppose.

“What he’s ruled out is reintroducing U.S. forces into combat on the ground in Iraq,” Mr. Rhodes said. He added, using an alternative name for the militant group, that the deployment of ground troops to assist a rescue was “different than reintroducing U.S. forces in a combat role to take the fight to ISIL.”

He acknowledged that any ground troops in Iraq would face dangers, even if they were there to help the refugees find a safe way off the mountain. He said that like American forces anywhere, the troops would have the ability to defend themselves if they came under fire.

That is my idea of a Commander-in-Chief! Put some soldiers on a mountain top surrounded by crazed jihadists who behead their adversaries and tell them that while, yes, there is some danger, this is not a combat mission. But they are allowed to shoot back anyway!

Whatever. My Possibly Prescient Prediction is that after outraged screams from the left (and also from the right, but at frequencies Obama cannot hear) Obama will announce that, having responsibly considered all options he is rejecting the use of ground troops for now. Whew! As to whether advisers and observers are "combat troops", well, he can hash that out with Elizabeth Warren.

SINCE YOU ASK: Back in the early days of the Good War US Special Forces embedded with the Northern Alliance to coordinate air strikes against the Taliban. I would think that US Special Forces could team up with the Kurdish peshmerga today, since they seem to be willing and able to fight. But not only does that break the "no ground troops" pledge, it might seem to put the US even more directly behind the Kurdish push for autonomy. I'm sure Barack and Johnny Nuance have this buttoned down.

Comments

[Ignatz]

If the mountain won't come Barry, Barry will send somebody else to the mountain.

[GMax]

Everything this liar says has an expiration date. Everything.

[NKinLimbo]

[email protected]:03-- to funny. But also sadly true.

[daddy]

On Topic!

One of the former Military guys that FOX has on regularly to comment on military matters was on a few days back with one of the FOX interviewers. When the discussion turned into TM's topic, (i.e.) would these guys actually be troops, armed troops, or simply advisors, the Military man said that he had been wounded in combat 3 times while being a quote "Military Advisor."

[DebinNC]

How apropos for BOzo's "national security advisor" Ben Rhodes to have an M.F.A in "creative writing".

[Extraneus]

So saving the Yazidis doesn't actually involve saving their homes or jobs or bank accounts or possessions, right? They still get ethnically cleansed out of where IS** cleansed them out of.

Where do they get saved to, btw?

[Ignatz]

The story I read, Ex, was that Kurds from Syria opened a road into Syria and the Yazidi who managed to escape entered first Syria and then traveled north and east and most reentered Iraqi Kurdistan.

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

May 1961 - President Kennedy sends 400 American Green Beret 'Special Advisors' to South Vietnam to train South Vietnamese soldiers in methods of 'counter-insurgency' in the fight against Viet Cong guerrillas.

The role of the Green Berets soon expands to include the establishment of Civilian Irregular Defense Groups (CIDG) made up of fierce mountain men known as the Montagnards. These groups establish a series of fortified camps strung out along the mountains to thwart infiltration by North Vietnamese.

Sound familiar?

[Bori]

Obama is just hoping that if he waits long enough, the Yazidi will be eliminated and so will the need to save them.

[Cecil Turner]

I don't see how you could call a forward air controller calling air strikes on enemy forces anything but a combat troop. Seems to me I recall getting a few awards myself (including a "Combat Action Ribbon") for doing precisely that in the first Persian excursion.

On the other hand, bombing enemies until the regime collapses is now "kinetic military action" rather than "war" . . . so perhaps I'm just behind on the terminology.

[Rick B]

Cecil,

You ought to see the new Kinetic Humanitarian Engagement Medal. The Flying Unicorn is simply magnificent. I think the Rainbow Skittles Cluster is a bit much though.

[DebinNC]

Not only did BOzo not intervene to prevent the murder of Mosul's Christians in late July-now, he sent this letter asking Congress to repeal "the outdated 2002 Authorization To Use Military Force in Iraq" as the Mosul massacre began.

[daddy]

Breaking News on "Settled Science" from the local rag:

Permafrost lakes are long-term climate coolers, study says

...tundra lakes that form over permafrost have been considered contributors to greenhouse gas accumulations and climate warming...But over the very long-term -- millennia, not years or decades -- these lakes have absorbed carbon and cooled the planet rather than warmed it, according to a newly published study led by Katey Walter Anthony of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Over the much longer term -- thousands of years, according to the study -- the mosses and other plants that grow in the lakes soak up large amounts of atmospheric carbon and help stabilize the climate, according to the study. And if the lakes drained, the exposed and formerly thawed lake sediments can refreeze, creating new permafrost that locks away organic material, thus preventing decay and venting of greenhouse gases and also contributing to the net cooling effect, according to the study.

[lyle]

So are these "troops troops" or just "troops"? I'm asking for The View.

[Marlene]

Bori,exactly.If you've seen the video of the harrowing helicopter rescues (by the Brits?) I don't know how much longer those people can survive.

[Soylent Red]

Put some soldiers on a mountain top surrounded by crazed jihadists who behead their adversaries and tell them that while, yes, there is some danger, this is not a combat mission. But they are allowed to shoot back anyway!

No. They won't be. They will have extremely restrictive ROEs, and they will come back an inch or two shorter from ducking the whole time they were there because they couldn't shoot back.

My guess is that this will turn out to be one or two ODAs along with some supporting logistics, and a company-plus of JAGs. Running small arms ranges and micro-managed by some JTF headed up by a DoS GG-14 who couldn't avoid the tour because he wasn't as cagey as the rest of the DoS braintrust.

IOW, I predict Shit Midas will strike again. Look how well he's done to date.

[Danube on iPad]

This crap makes me sick. If you're going to undertake an operation of that kind, just do it. For God's sake don't spend days agonizing about it for all the world to see.

[daddy]

And according to Anthony Watts, Mark Steyn has a "scorching new legal brief on the Michael Mann ‘defamation’ case"

Wish we could get the Judge in the Brett Kimberlin Trial to take this case.

[Soylent Red]

Weird. Typepad hates my acronym capitalization.

FOAD Typepad!

[Bori]

This crap makes me sick. If you're going to undertake an operation of that kind, just do it. For God's sake don't spend days agonizing about it for all the world to see.

Do they not think that ISIS can't read? Announcing it just gives them an impetus for finishing the job. Rather than wait for them to come down.

You announce the frigging thing after it is in play or finished.

[Cecil Turner]

I think the Rainbow Skittles Cluster is a bit much though.

Heh. Seek and ye shall find:

Not sure whether it works on a birthday cake, but I definitely don't think it's gonna add on a uniform.

[clarice]

Nice to see you, soylent!

[Threadkiller]

Do they not think that ISIS can't read? Announcing it just gives them an impetus for finishing the job. Rather than wait for them to come down.

Which came first the bug or the feature?

[Soylent Red]

Hi ya clarice.

Moving back up your way in about six weeks.

[Bori]

If you sleep with dogs, you will eventually get the fleas. From Wapo story.

“Turkey welcomed anyone against Assad, and now they are killing, spreading their disease, and we are all paying the price,” said Tamer Apis, a politician in Reyhanli, where two massive car bombs killed 52 people last year. In a nearby city, Turkish authorities seized another car packed with explosives in June, raising fears of an Islamic State-inspired campaign to export sectarian strife to Turkey.

“It was not just us,” Apis said. “But this is a mess of Turkey’s making.”

[lyle]

You've probably seen this:

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/08/13/report-simon-schuster-imprint-rejected-book-about-bergdahl-because-it-would-make-obama-look-bad/

[Dave (in MA)]

daddy,

So the warming is hiding in the cooling? Who knew?

[Bori]

TK

TOUCHÉ!

[Jack is Back (An I-95 Warrior)]

DoT,

We stayed at the Planter's Inn this time and didn't get to the Mill House to see Skippy but he's no longer in the bar but a special alcove they built for him.

CT,

Isn't a little cumbersome to have "forward" air controllers when you are leading from "behind"?

The annual and obligatory back-to-school first day photo:

[lyle]

None of us are qualified to comment on such things, Dave.

[Threadkiller]

http://www.kpho.com/story/26266462/report-white-house-didnt-ok-immigrant-releases

Low level button pushers?

[NKinLimbo]

The rogue low level bureaucrat dodge again? These Obamaniacs have no originality for excuses. Sure they make up new kinds of unlawful power grabs, but excuses? strictly old hat.

[Ignatz]

Will those Cincinnati button pushers be the DOOM* of our modern Cincinnatus yet?

*The registered trademark is implied.

[clarice]

Soylent, looking forward to that. Call if we can help in any way. Well, call anyway,

[Jack is Back (An I-95 Warrior)]

Knowing something about Turkey, there are reasons the EU was "nervous" about letting them join. The Islamicization was the biggest one. And that is where they are now. When that happens you will get a Syria, an Iraq and a Libya. The Jihadi's are sucking honey. This the biggest conquest - a nation of NATO.

Think about that and Turkey has (had) the most professional military among all Islamic ountries. God forbid.

[clarice]

Well Erdogan's first move was to imprison military leaders. Obama just fired them on dubious grounds.

[Threadkiller]

Apparently the Sheriff has had a second video of the Stewart/Ward incident for two days.

No shackles for Tony yet, but the investigation is still young.

[BB Key]

JiB, Have you seen the rainfall on LI today 11+ inches ? You left @ the right time

[Tom Maguire]

On the other hand, bombing enemies until the regime collapses is now "kinetic military action" rather than "war" . . . so perhaps I'm just behind on the terminology.

We are all coming up to speed together. Obviously, a segment of Obama's base will play along with whatever word games he chooses. But if Obama starts talking about a kinder, gentler Defense Department heads will explode.

If you're going to undertake an operation of that kind, just do it. For God's sake don't spend days agonizing about it for all the world to see.

How the hell would we appreciate Barry's brilliance if he didn't give us a few days of Hamlet first?

I wonder if - scratch that, how - he can replicate his Awesomely Inspired Afghan surge/withdrawal with a humanitarian mission. Maybe announce a one-month mission, after which any Yazidi still on the mountain will be given free DVDs of "The Leftovers""? Just thinking out loud here...

[hit and run]

Soylent - if you're making the drive when heading back up clarice's way as opposed to a flight, consider setting aside an hour or four for a meal or beverage on your way through. Or better yet. Spend the night with us if you want to break up the trip.

[Jack is Back (An I-95 Warrior)]

BB,

And Southampton cannot take heavy rain because of the storm sewer situation. Gin Kane back to my street probably flooded, Happy times for the Hampton Classic Horse Show:)

[Threadkiller]

I think the DVD of Obama's choice will be Alive.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alive_(1993_film)

[Jack is Back (An I-95 Warrior)]

...Gin Lane...

Grow, damn it grow faster.

[daddy]

How do you say bend over and cough in Mandarin?

(From a company I am somewhat familiar with.)

CHINA CIQ AND EBOLA

The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola virus outbreak an international public health emergency. In response, China public health officials have stepped up their campaign to prevent the spread of this disease. As a consequence, China Customs Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) will perform random body checks, including temperature detection, for passengers/crews transiting Africa and the Middle East prior to entry into China.

Please be aware of this change and be ready to undergo extra scrutiny when laying over in China following a Middle East/Africa trip. You can also stay informed by reading the latest CDC and WHO updates located...

It's like SARS all over again! Good to see somebodies taking Ebola seriously.

[Threadkiller]

If Obama really wants a humanitarian solution to send the thugs back to the Stone Age, he can start dropping subsidized solar panels on caliphate central.

It has certainly left California powerless.

[Extraneus]

Why do our government and their media partners honor the barbarian head-choppers' grandiose names for themselves?

First ISIS, ISIL, and now just IS, the Islamic State?

Wouldn't it be smarter to make up our own names for them?

[Jack is Back (An I-95 Warrior)]

TK,

Alive was one of my favorite books ever. But this regime are not Rugby players and if they were they would be in pink.

[Soylent Red]

TK:

Try "Eating Raul."

[Threadkiller]

JiB, the Yazidi would be the unfortunate rugby players in this scenario.

[clarice]

heh, TM and TK

[miss Marple]

Extraneus, I agree.

I am still mad that we let the Chinese make us change the spelling from Peking to Beijing. We don't call Munich Munchen, so why did we bow to Chinese pressure? It is mostly eastern names, too. I think Bombay, India is something else now, too.

I prefer we refer to Isis as the Death eaters, myself.

[daddy]

A bummer for the single ladies of JOM:(

Charlie Manson is no longer an eligible bachelor.

"I am Charlie Manson's Wife," says Star Burton, who is 55 years younger than her fiancé.

...She was first attracted to Manson after reading about ATWA, Manson's environmental philosophy that stands for air, trees, water, animals.
"It's the life on the planet, you know," Star says. "The Earth is a rock and everything else on it is ATWA."

Star carved an X on her forehead a few years back "at Manson's request as a protest after he was put in solitary confinement."

But not to worry: "I've never seen him try to be manipulative. I've never seen any of that."

[Extraneus]

How about the Butt-Sniffing Pedophile Worshippers, or DBSPW?

Here they are, sniffing each other's butts.

[Threadkiller]

Wouldn't it be smarter to make up our own names for them?

I don't know if I ever mentioned my translator idea.

Whenever some ruthless ruler needs to be dubbed into English they should use the faggiest voice possible.

Give Harvey Fierstein some extra income.

[Extraneus]

The first D was for DOOMED.

[miss Marple]

Charles Manson. Ugh.

I never have understood the psychology of fixating on a murderer in prison. It is beyond creepy.

Unless she has a deal worked out with a publisher, which then takes me to all of the creepy books that get printed.

[Threadkiller]

Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "Your World With Neil Cavuto," Maricopa Co, AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio called for the Inspector General to investigate the Department of Homeland Security over the statistic that 35 percent of violent criminals who get deported and return to the Untied States to commit more crime. 

Arpaio said, "Three-thousand people in my jails, committing serious crime here illegally, we turned them over to ICE and 35 percent keep coming back, how do you figure that out? Either they're let out on the street or they keep coming back again. This is my third letter to the Department of Homeland Security, they always send me a Mickey Mouse form letter." 

"I'm going to address it to the Inspector General of Homeland Security," he continued. "I want a complete investigation. I have all the statistics, come on down. I will help them, and I want to find out what's going on for years. I'm getting a little bit impatient on what the government is doing, smoke and mirrors."

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/08/13/Sheriff-Arpaio-IG-Must%20-nvestigate-DHS-Over-Violent-Criminal-Illegals-Being-Released

[Extraneus]

Great idea, TK. Speaking of which, isn't it interesting that nobody has ever had the guts to broadcast a translation of what these people are told in their mosques? Nobody has gotten in and recorded a Friday night sermon, just to illustrate what their preachers tell them when they think nobody else is listening?

Surely it's a message of peace and love for all mankind, like what the Pope talks about on Christmas. Let's hear it.

[Threadkiller]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/us-military-team-lands-mt-sinjar-iraq-assess/story?id=24968686

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

My homo ex roommate has been shocking me with what he's been linking on Zuckerberg lately. First there were the anti illegal immigrant screeds (he lives in Scottsdale and doubtlessly is closer to the scourge). Then came the pro Israel links (not surprising per se but he spent many years in the education factory of Montgomery county; I think our only issues was my ridiculing him for working for a union with a kollidge degree. I'm sure you're shocked by that exchange). Now today came some on financial responsibility that are downright conservative.

Well done, 404.

[Extraneus]

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Universe, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful! Master of the Day for Judgment! You alone do we worship and You alone do we call on for help. Guide us along the Straight Path, The path of those whom You have favored, Not the path of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray. Amen.

[cameras and microphones]

Imam, who has earned Allah's anger? Does Allah want something bad to happen to them? Does he want his believers to help him take out his anger on these people? How could they do so such that Allah would be most pleased?

[Threadkiller]

CNN has reported that they knew boots were on the ground for the last 24 hours but managed to keep their mouth shut.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Ext,

I think it was reported during Slick's time in office that what the PLO stated in English was very different in whatever Arabic dialect the palis use. Whoever reported that was surely reassigned.

[Threadkiller]

General George Johnson, on CNN, is giving some clarity to the definition of "boots on the ground."

Apparently that happens when troops near the 200,000 mark.

[narciso]

Didn't Carlh's Jhonson, do that type of expose, before the mooonbattery set it

[narciso]

It's the Python sketch about the New British Army realized:

http://minx.cc:1080/?post=351152

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Except for the Rather expose I tended to ignore Bike Boy's posts, which varied between generally sappy music, banal photographs and back patting for his code "fixes" which made IT production support problem logs look like great literature.

[Extraneus]

Quran (2:191-193) - "And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief] is worse than killing...
but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)"

Quran (3:151) - "Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority".

Quran (4:74) - "Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward."

Quran (4:76) - "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…"

Quran (4:89) - "They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks."

Quran (4:95) - "Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward,-"

I think we know what that special reward is. [wink, wink]

[Threadkiller]

Wolf Blitzer responded "what is combat?" to his jeopardy panel of experts as they described America's current involvement in Iraq.

Can't fool Wolf anymore?

DOOM.

[Extraneus]

Quran (5:33) - "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement"

Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"

Quran (8:15) - "O ye who believe! When ye meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not your backs to them. (16)Whoso on that day turneth his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a company, he truly hath incurred wrath from Allah, and his habitation will be hell, a hapless journey's end."

Quran (8:65) - "O Prophet, exhort the believers to fight..."

Quran (9:14) - "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace..."

Quran (9:30) - "And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!"

Quran (9:38-39) - "O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place."

Quran (9:123) - "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness."

Quran (17:16) - "And when We wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein; thus the word proves true against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction."

Quran (48:29) - "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves"

This is the origin if the "Allah is most merciful!" b.s.

[Extraneus]

Ok, I'll stop now. We know what they preach. Most people have no idea, even 13 years after 9/11.

[anonamom]

CH, I think I shared the story of my totally-in-for-the-Ds Jewish friend who has finally come to understand that the MSM--CNN to be exact--isn't covering the Gaza-israel situation fully or accurately.

There is hope for change!

[Captain Hate]

anonamom, it takes some people longer than others to grow up and be conservative. Our generation took Peter Pan much too literally when it came to the Lost Boys.

[Captain Hate]

Ext, the MFM has been complicit in obscuring what they preach.

[Extraneus]

I'd be interested to know if our military men who have spent time in the Muslim lands are educated enough to explain what this is really about when the time comes. There are hundreds of thousands of such men, and they will be hard to silence.

[Captain Hate]

I can picture Iggy behind the wheel of one of these beasts right now:

http://jalopnik.com/the-707-hp-dodge-charger-srt-hellcat-the-worlds-most-p-1620758434

[daddy]

OT

I'm wandering thru the Ala Moana mall in Honolulu looking for lunch. On the floor above there is an Apple Store on one side of the walkway and immediately across from it is a MicroSoft Store. The Apple Store is slightly bigger but not by much.

The MicroSoft Store had 7 sales guys in blue t-shirts and I counted 13 customers.

The Apple Store had 20 sales guys in blue t-shirts and I quit counting at 50 customers.

I was surprised Microsoft had so many customers.

[DrJ]

Man, it has been ages since I've been at Ala Moana. I'm sure it has changed a lot.

Is there still a small store on the bottom level that sells (mainly) Japanese ceramics and kitchenware? It was cramped, but sold pretty decent stuff for a good price.

[Danube on iPad]

Cheese-eating surrender monkey speaks:

"French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has a message about Iraq for Barack Obama: Get back to the White House and do something. ´I know it is the holiday period in our Western countries,´ Fabius told a radio interviewer Tuesday in France,´ but when people are dying, you must come back from vacation.´ Full-time workers in France are guaranteed a whopping five weeks of paid vacation every year, making his plea all the more urgent. Obama is on a family and golfing holiday in a ritzy neighborhood of Martha´s Vineyard...."

[Ignatz]

Don't know if this has been linked, but anything that demonstrates Al Gore and Bill Nye are so dumb "they're not even wrong" is worth relinking.

[Jane]

Capn'

I'm not sure I read your post right because I've had a couple of drinks. But gays are natural conservatives. And we should take advantage of that. The left tries to drag them away with the issue of gay marriage, but for a great many of them that is not the main issue in their lives. They are like us.

[sbw]

Soylent: My guess is that this will turn out to be one or two Odas,

So I'm looking up "odas" and "oda's" and I run across Eiichiro Oda and his "One Piece" manga, which I know nothing about, but just might have to look at after reading the "One Piece" wiki entry.

I had to laugh that "The crew soon meets the navy admiral Aokiji, who reveals that Robin was involved in searching for Poneglyphs, which are stones with markings left by an ancient civilization to reveal the missing 100 years of history that the World Government had erased

That nasty world government again.

"One Piece has received wide critical acclaim, primarily for its art, characterization, humor and story." Maybe after I finish Aubrey/Maturin I’ll start reading about Monkey D. Luffy and see if I like manga.

[centralcal]

Oh dear.

Greta Van Susteren ‏@gretawire 1m

This is a @foxnewsalert - Pentagon now says rescue of Christians on Iraq mountain not "likely" #ISIS #Iraq

[Ignatz]

707HP.
0-60 in 3.7 seconds
204 mph top speed

It's definitely faster then the original CH, but it has to lose two doors and gain a manta ray mouth to be a real Charger. :)

[daddy]

I'll go hunt around in a few minutes DrJ, but I wouldn't be surprised as like normal it's as packed with Japanese folks as Kyoto.

DoT, Who does that Frog think he is talking like that to a winner of The Nobel Peace Prize?

[Ignatz]

--But gays are natural conservatives.--

How so?

[PD]

Sound familiar?

It does. Quagmire.

[DrJ]

daddy, I'd actually be surprised if it still is there. It has been the better part of 20 years since I've visited the Islands, and these sorts of stores tend to turn over.

[Captain Hate]

But gays are natural conservatives. And we should take advantage of that. The left tries to drag them away with the issue of gay marriage, but for a great many of them that is not the main issue in their lives. They are like us.

Well some certainly are, ie Tammy Bruce and maybe my friend; but the numbers aren't on our side when looking at the entire subset.

[PD]

re: Oda

Presumably this was O D A (all caps), but Typepad is doing weird things with all-caps words. (We're seeing "Isis" for I S I S, for example.)

And I'll guess that "Oda" means "operational detachment ALPHA" (last word all caps), a US Army Special Forces team. At least this is what it means in First In (Gary Schroen), which I just finished reading. Fascinating account of the CIA's early teams sent into Afghanistan post 9/11 to get things going against the Taliban.

[Captain Hate]

but it has to lose two doors and gain a manta ray mouth to be a real Charger.

Dear God, I just noticed the back doors. Does not compute. I definitely like the 11 second quarter mile with street tires. That is some serious muscle.

[Ignatz]

In case you are looking for more bad news or more to worry about; James Woolsey on the likelihood of an EMP.

It was estimated it would cost $2billion to protect the grid in 2008 (which seems awfully low) but guess how much Barry's trillion dollar "stimulus" spent on protecting us from a real catastrophe. I knew you knew the answer.

[daddy]

Pentagon now says rescue of Christians on Iraq mountain not "likely"

Too bad they aren't Muslims.

It also brings to mind an incident of Obama misunderstanding the Biblical text a few years back and mocking Republicans for "Not being their brothers keeper".

[Soylent Red]

SBW:

ODA = Operational Detachment Alpha

It's the basic unit for SF internal defense missions.

[Danube on iPad]

My closest gay friend is a devout Episcopalian and deeply conservative.

[Jane]

--But gays are natural conservatives.--

How so?

Lots of entrepreneurs and very hard workers. Most have no interest in the excuse "I'm gay", they just want to blend in. The democrats have tried very hard to make them capitalize on being "special" but I don't see that as a natural inclination, and it is certainly not what they want for their kids.

[Captain Hate]

Again, I'm not saying that there aren't conservative homos; at least a couple of them have commented @ AoS (not Malor) and they are as conservative as it gets. I just don't think the numbers are there. Maybe they are; it's not a large subset. But the mouthiest of them, except for Tammy who came from the left, have been coopted by the left. GOProud were a bunch of leftist plants who Malor lied about.

I think an opportunity exists for the GOP if they'd ever start acting intelligently and sever their big business fixation, which I don't think will happen.

[Bori]

CH and Iggy,

There is a 2-door version more to your liking.

http://jalopnik.com/im-amazed-i-didnt-die-driving-the-hellcat-on-track-1609828407

[Jane]

The numbers would be there if our side didn't do everything it can to make them feel completely unwelcomed. And I'm talking about our generation. If we throw that away, we throw future generations away as well.

The thing to remember is it is NOT about gay marriage. So many conservatives identify gays that way and it is shooting yourself in the foot.

[miss Marple]

Our priest one time told us about Corinth, the Greek city that St. Paul visited and wrote letters to the church there.

Corinth was a pluralistic society. All sorts of religions which co-existed without fighting, sort of a live and let live society.

I really think we need to return to that model. If your religion is what a you think is superior, then you should attract followers by setting an example and being welcoming.