Scratching A Thirty Year Itch

In the course of thinking about Gurkhas and wondering why we (the UN? NATO?) can't send them to the Ukraine, I recalled a story about their ferocity and commitment from back in the 1982 Israeli incursion into Lebanon. I sometimes do a bit of Googling to attempt to verify my hazy memory of this story and today, for the first time ever, I got some traction:

The news of the peacekeepers’ death, reminded me a of a little-known confrontation, in 1982’s “Operation Peace of the Galilee”, between the IDF and a contingent of U.N. Peacekeeping “Gurkhas” {No, I’m not talking pickles, here}, assigned to guarding a bridge spanning the Litani River. 
        
     As the entire northern army of the IDF attacked in force, with three major thrusts along the U.N. Blue Line, the small outpost, manned by a token force Gurkha infantry was suddenly faced with an Israeli armored column of more than one hundred tanks and armored personnel carriers. 
        
     The Israeli brigade commander, mindful of the delicate international situation but also determined to fulfill his orders for a quick penetration into Lebanon, demanded that the Gurkhas step aside and let the armor column proceed across the bridge. 
        
     Three times, the brigade commander stepped forward to order the Gurkhas off the bridge, threatening to attack if they refused…and three times, the Gurkhas refused to abandon their post, subjecting themselves to certain death, rather than deny the fearless reputation of the Gurkha fighter. 
        
     Finally, the Israeli commander moved his forces a mile downstream, where his engineers erected a pontoon bridge by which the armor column belatedly crossed the river. 
        
     The vastly outnumbered Gurkhas never surrendered their position and lived to tell about it.    

That is roughly how I remember the story, although my version includes colorful language and a variety of taunts that amount to "Bring it". However! Over at Wikipedia, I see that this story has no backing anywhere. Hmmm...

Google has gotten a lot more capable, or I have, but a bit of digging found this in a UN report:

15. In accordance with instructions, UNIFIL troops attempted to prevent the entry and advance of the Israeli forces. On the coastal road, for example, Dutch soldiers planted obstacles before advancing Israeli tank column; one tank was damaged; the obstacles, however, were pushed aside, as was the Dutch guardhouse. Tank barrels were pointed at UNIFIL soldiers during the entire encounter, likewise, in the other battalion areas, obstacles were forcibly removed and bulldozed. At Khardala Bridge, a small Nepalese position stood its ground for two days, despite harassments and threats. On the morning of 8 June, their position as partially destroyed/and some 100 Israeli tanks began to cross the bridge.

That is also recounted here, and the NY Times had this contemporaneous version:

As Israeli armored columns swept through the lines of the United Nations peacekeeping forces, a United Nations spokesman in Jerusalem reported, several United Nations units were caught in crossfire. By Sunday evening, one Norwegian soldier was reported killed, a Nigerian position was being shelled by an unknown force and Nepalese troops at the Khardali bridge over the Litani River were refusing to withdraw and were being threatened by Israeli troops, the spokesman said.

Since the Nepalese Army has plenty of Gurkhas and contributes to UN peacekeeping operations around the world one might say "Case Closed!" But not so fast!

Here is a verbal history from Timur Goksel, aka "Mr. UNIFIL" and an authority on the UN role in Lebanon:

Butler: Wasn’t there something about the Nepalese contingent resisting the invasion?

Göksel: That’s a famous story, but everyone has it wrong. There was a Nepalese position halfway across the Khardali bridge east of Marja’uyun[†††]—the bridge was blocked anyway, with minefields on both sides. The Israelis came and said we want to pass to encircle the Beaufort castle and reach Nabatiya through there. And the Nepalese said “No, no, you cannot pass.” The Israelis didn’t push too hard because the bridge was right under the Beaufort castle, so they would have come under fire from the Palestinians who were defending it. So when the Nepalese said they couldn’t pass, the Israelis said okay, we’ll come back tomorrow. The Israelis did come back the next day and the Nepalese again lined up across the road and wouldn’t let them pass, and again the Israelis didn’t insist because the Palestinians were still holding out in the castle. When it finally fell after three days and the Israelis needed the bridge, they just bulldozed the UN position out of the way, cleared the mines and that was the end of the UN resistance there. But we got a lot of mileage from a PR standpoint about the Nepalese heroically standing their ground. Of course we didn’t elaborate on the circumstances—the fact that the Israelis hadn’t pushed—and it became a kind of legend about the Nepalese standing up to the Israeli army. So that was a legend that the UN created, actually. Perhaps I am bit guilty in that one.

OK, so color me duped. But I still want Gurkhas in the Ukraine.

Comments

[Tonto]

I saw that our host had a comment on the NYT's Paul Krugman's I Can Call People Names Because I'm Right and They Can't Because They're Idiots piece. The first dozen or so comments were promising, but then the Times Regulars all weighed in and the whole experience was very dispiriting.

But I was delighted to see TM in another context! Almost like when Superman appeared in Batman comics!

[Ignatz]

Hate to go OT right off the bat but;
Fires are interesting things. Part of our family's ranch burnt back in 1960 or so. Since then nothing.
Then last year our 160 acre piece got partially cooked in the Rim Fire.

Now the King Fire east of Sacramento has already fried my dear brother's 160 acres he received in our partition and it's also about 1/4 mile from a 160 piece I fortunately sold a few years back on the west side of the fire.
Over 11,000 acres, 5% contained and in one gawdawful canyon; well actually several gawdawful canyons.

If you ask me does part of me laugh at my brother's misfortune; the answer is no.

All of me does.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

LOL Iggy; thanks for sharing.

[Paul Zrimsek]

Send the Highlanders to the Ukraine instead. Use 'em while you got 'em!

[NK]

Tonto-- would it be possible for you to copy and paste in this thread TomM's comment to the Krugman abomination?

[Eric in Boise]

A member of the Moron Horde™ might respond thus:

You want: Gurkhas
You'll take: Gherkins
You'll get: Burqas

[rich@gmu]

evening all.

[rich@gmu]

is this software being difficult again?

evening all.

[rich@gmu]

lol ...

[Danube on iPad]

The British Army has had a brigade of Gurkhas for centuries, even though Britain and Nepal are not connected in any way. That brigade has fought with great distinction in India and in both World Wars. They are legendarily courageous, tenacious and implacable.

[jimmyk]

but then the Times Regulars all weighed in and the whole experience was very dispiriting.

Yeah, I was tempted to comment there, but when I read the first few comments (didn't see TM's) I decided what's the point of wading into that morass. Something about lying down with dogs and fleas.

[rich@gmu]

Hope that fire isn't anywhere near DrJ ... sounds awful.

[DrJ]

rich,

We have some smoke in the air -- yesterday was pretty awful -- but are quite a ways from the fire.

This time. There'll be more. The fire season has started in earnest.

[rich@gmu]

Didn't see TM's comments either. Saw one of their "Top Picks" ... "More Jobs, Not Bombs".

Great.

[miss Marple]

I always think the comments isn the New York Times sound like people who think their brilliance will get noticed and they will get a job with the paper.

Either that or they are written by Times reporters.

[rich@gmu]

Hope it stays clear of you.

[Soylent Red]

Ukraine? Shit...send the Ghurkas to Irag, and let them do what Ghurkas do. Payback's a bitch, bitches.

I used to eat at the British DFAC from time to time when I was passing through KAF (they had good desserts.) One day, your gentle narrator was minding his own business and finishing his pudding, when in stroll six Ghurkas from 1st Ghurka Rifles, khukri knives and all. They passed through KAF from time to time on their way to FOB Bastion in Helmand Province.

They scared the shit out of me, and I was on their side. Only thing that comes close to their level of fierceness is the Maori guys in the NZ SOF.

During WWII the Ghurkas were so feared by the Japanese that the self-appointed masters of Asian martial honor would drop their weapons and haul ass screaming at the sight of a khukri charge.

[Soylent Red]

I always think the comments isn the New York Times sound like people who think their brilliance will get noticed and they will get a job with the paper.

Brilliance doesn't get you a job at the New York Times, as has been demonstrated.

[DrJ]

rich,

Thanks for the concern, but the King fire is about 15 miles away. We should have no problems with this one.

[Jane]

What the hell is TM talking about?

[rich@gmu]

surprised our host hasn't linked this yet

REHAB FOR SUGAR ON INCREASE...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/15/addiction-recovery-weight-gain-nutrition/

brb ... gotta get my fix.

[Skoot]

#BesmirchAndAnnoy

[lyle]

Not pickles, Jane. That's all I know.

[rich@gmu]

more grist for Porchlight's "they are making a come back". one would think they would be more thoughtful regarding JournoList v.2 and not be quite so obvious.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/off-to-the-races/what-could-go-wrong-for-gop-20140915

>>>Perhaps the biggest untold story of this election is how so many Republican and conservative donors, at least those whose last name isn't Koch, have kept their checkbooks relatively closed.<<<

Mission Accomplished.

[rich@gmu]

more grist for Porchlight's "they are making a come back". one would think they would be more thoughtful regarding JournoList v.2 and not be quite so obvious.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/off-to-the-races/what-could-go-wrong-for-gop-20140915

>>>Perhaps the biggest untold story of this election is how so many Republican and conservative donors, at least those whose last name isn't Koch, have kept their checkbooks relatively closed.<<<

Mission Accomplished.

[rich@gmu]

now the dreaded double post.

[rich@gmu]

more Cook ...

>>>In midterm elections, if Democrats can crank up the turnout among young, female, and minority voters, then their chances of success this year increase.

Thus, if things go awry for Republicans on election night, some of the same factors that went wrong for them in 2012 will have been repeated.<<<

but we have DATA now ... that was all that was wrong in 2012.

[rich@gmu]

this ought to cheer everyone up ...

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/351832.php

[daddy]

Maybe Obama's "Strategy", is that

1). We put 3,000 troops stomping around in their boots in Ebolaland. And then

2). We air-drop their infected boots into ISIS country by air planes.

If that's his scheme, it's the first sensible thing I've heard him say since becoming Prez, and I''m behind him a hundred percent.

[daddy]

TM's post has me wondering about the Figian UN Troops that surrendered to Syrian bad guys via Un orders, that the Philipino soldiers then disobeyed orders and refused to surrender to. Anyone have nay updates on that?

[AliceH]

daddy - The Fijians were all released -- on 9/11 it seems!

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Rich's 8:01
I'm gonna stick up for Huckabee a bit.

Huckabee & Concerned Women for America are having a Stand With Israel rally on Oct. 5th.
http://www.cwfa.org/gov-mike-huckabee-penny-nance-announce-stand-with-israel-rally/

I'm no big fan of his...but he is DOING something & speaking out. Nobody is stopping others from getting in the game.
Do it.
Let's go.
Get in the game.
Cause a stir.
Speak up.

I'll consider someone else when someone else has stepped up.
Otherwise...the only person I'm hearing about in the MFM is Hillary.

[Laura White]

"You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din" syndrome--not to diss the Nepalese, who I am sure are mighty courageous (as per their above-noted ability to scare the most hardcore of the WWII Japanese army).

[Rick B]

Jane,

You have to wade through the first link - a Walter Russel Meade thumbsucker of minimal value - in order to get TM's point. If BOzo had any interest whatsoever in stopping Putin we would be building the pipeline and drilling Chukchi. Oil at $60 would finish off Putin in two years. Oil at $100 gives him and the headchoppers all they need (of our money) to loot, rape, headchop and plunder until they just get tired.

[daddy]

Quiz Time. (And no cheatin' this time!!!)

Iggy starts comment number 2 in this thread with the following:

"Hate to go OT right off the bat but...""

For a free Moose's Tooth T-Shirt and again NO CHEATIN' by scrolling up:

the Topic of TM's current thread is:

A). Paul Krugman
B). NYTimes Economic Statistics
C). Gary Taubes diet
D). Gurkhas in Lebanon in 1982
E). The Yankees chances in the post-season
F) Ebola

NO CHEATING!!!

the envelope please...

And the answer is...

[daddy]

Thanks Alice.

Sounds like somebody was savvy about optics other than our Golfer in Chief.

[miss Marple]

Janet, I have this thing about people not profiting by evil-doing.

Huckabee deliberately stayed in when Romney was running the first time, even though he knew he couldn't win, to keep Romney from winning and thus we got McCain. He also made bigoted and fake naive comments about Mormons at a radio station in OKC.

It is easy for him to go around talking. He doesn't hold elective office. Walker is in a big election fight and is busy with that. However, Jindal and Perry have been quite vocal and Romney has been everywhere.

I will only support Huckabee in the general if he apologizes for that comment he made in Oklahoma. And I mean a public apology.

[Jim Eagle]

D.

Soylent, There is a great book out: With The Ghukas in Afghanistan. But it's the 4th Rifles, Terrific read.

[Jim Eagle]

If Romney runs in 2016 does that mean Sara returns to JOM?

[daddy]

Sorry JIB,

My nephew who works at the NSA says he saw you scroll up to the top of the link_. Disallowed!!! ( but tell me what size Frederick is:)

[Jim Eagle]

Youth Large 12-14. He'll probably never wash it:)

From the prior thread.

Irony: In Hebrew Barak means "lightning". Heh!

[Jim Eagle]

My surpise meter just redlined: Clinton Groups Gear Up for the Benghazi Hearings.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/hillary-clinton-benghazi-hearings-110991.html

[Ignatz]

And Barack means "lightworker".

I hope for some sane period in America's future so that some future generation can adequately chronicle and ridicule the simpering, infantile dopes populating and running our country and culture presently.

[lyle]

I'm an XL, but the topic of this thread is...nekkid sushi and ball gags. Who's with me??

[daddy on a frickin' IPad]

Talk Radio in Memphis (Hannity) says that tomorrow's first day of Benghazi. Hearings are what the Dem's wanted, a focus on the previous "independent" investigation that we have just found out from Maxwell was bogus. Subsequent days will focus on what we might be more interested in.

Since the media without question is part of the cheerleaders nowadays, we need to understand that Day 1 may not be what possibly has been hoped for and our interest must be maintained thru the subsequent days if the media chooses to broadcast them, which, excepting FOX, I doubt.

My guess, if Hannity is to be believed, is that this will allow the Media to create their memes in advance and try to hit us with this "there is nothing there" talking point at the same time that they are also saying polls are now suddenly showing an uptick for the Dem' s in Congressional races.

I put nothing beyond them.

I do think that we are in an unusual position of making sure we remind ourselves to not demand too much from Gowdy. He has consistently "over-delivered" in the past, and I do hope we do not turn upon him rapidly after day 1 if it turns out to just be Dem's and the MSM providing whitewash to the earlier Benghazi Investigation. I have faith in Tray Gowdy and we really, really, really, do need to stick together and not start devouring our own warriors who are truly doing their best to fight the good fight. Gowdy is our point man, and it is worth remembering that he has much credibility on the line in this battle starting tomorrow and the MSM know it, and there is no one currently they would rather destroy than Trey Gowdy.

[Jim Eagle]

Iggy,

Not with the current gradiuation of history majors from our institutions of higher learning. A bunch of junior Michael Bechloss' and Doris Godwins.

The best that can come is a new breed of Steyn's and O'Rourkes but DOOM™®

[henry]

JiB, I assume Hillsdale is producing the authors we need. Maybe a couple other places as well (young Red perhaps?) .

[miss Marple]

daddy, Thank you for that message. I intend to watch so that Fox gets a boost in ratings. I am pretty sure they will cover it due to Bret Baier having so much invested in it.

Also, I am not sure Hannity has the whole scoop. There could be some surprises. Gowdy said a lot would be done off TV, so since is the first televised session, it could be interesting.

If not, I am sticking with him, anyway.

[Danube on iPad]

Breitbart:

"It should be noted that the poll is from Democrat-aligned Public Policy Polling but if the numbers prove out, the establishment GOP that threw everything it had at propping up an aging Pat Roberts in Kansas during a bruising primary may yet come to regret it. Independent Greg Orman has opened up a lead in his effort to unseat Republican Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, according to a new poll.... Orman leads Roberts 41-34, with Democrat Chad Taylor — who announced plans to end his campaign earlier this month — capturing 6 percent of the vote. Libertarian Randall Batson earned 4"

So maybe we need seven.

[clarice]

UN peace keeping troops are only good when there's peac..they bailed in the Sinai when Nassar told them to scram and they bailed in Syria now. Useless. It's a curse to have them on any border.

[Eric in Boise]

Daddy, without scrolling up I distinctly remember posting something about "gherkins", so the answer is G) Pickles.

An obvious trick question, in other words.

[clarice]

Barak, without the c means blessed in Hebrew, with the C it means gleam or light

[Centralcal on iPad]

Daddy, got your message loud and clear. Gowdy is a skilled prosecutor and I have absolute faith in him and how he lets his investigation build and play out.

[Jim Eagle]

Gowdy will call Maxwell for testimony. Calling Rice and Morrell.

Popcorn stocks up:)

[Centralcal on iPad]

Janet: have special love for you and respect for your opinions, but when it comes to Huckabee, well....

He may have many fine attributes, but he will NEVER be POTUS for too many reasons to list here from an iPad.

[Jane on Ipad]

Rick,

Thanks, I appreciate it. I just faded out.

I'd not expect to be bowled over by Gowdy tomorrow. I expect him to be methodical as hell, and to walk down paths that are adjacent to, not on the issues we care about.

Tomorrow's hearing is about whether State has implemented the recommended changes. Sounds odd, but imagine if the answer is "no" 2 years later.

We will also have to put up with the likes of Elijah Cummings, who will do everything he can to derail the process.

That being said, I have complete faith in Gowdy getting to the bottom of things before the dem primary for 2016.

The thing that bums me out is they are going back on vacation until after the election.

[Some Guy]

And Barack means "lightworker"

Funny, how prophetic that was.

Just not the way intended.

[Jim Eagle]

Clarice,

I got my definition from Dan Silva in his latest: The Heist. I need to twitter him the correction:)

[AliceH]

One thing about Gurkhas, every story about them is exciting and audacious and impressive.

Go ahead - just try to find a story about Gurkhas opening a new store in the mall, or gathering signatures on a petition to save the whales, or founding a non-profit to promote green energy.

It's all battle, all hero, all the time.

[Beasts of England]

Speaking of nekkid sushi babes and ball gags, our representative in Sunday night's Miss America contest was Mark Brunell's daughter. Very, very naughty looking young lady. Most of those contestants look like they're about to bake you an apple pie. Ms. Brunell has that Angelia Jolie 'spank-my-ass-and-beg-to-peg-me' thang going on. I eagerly await her phone call...

[Threadkiller]

Tony Stewart's case is heading to a grand jury.

[clarice]

Check it out on wikipedia,JIB.
Baruch--as in Bernard Baruch or Baruch Spinoza is another variant of the Hebrew "blessed"

[GMax]

And yet another generic ballot question goes strong for the Rs.

State polling tends to lag National polling by around 2 weeks, so all of these recent national polls on the generic ballots, should mean state level polling looking a lot better soon.

[Threadkiller]

Tried watching David Muir on ABC News.

The dude is on speed. I'm shaking just watching him.

Chill.

[Jim Eagle]

clarice,

I believe you and have sent a message to Silva. He is pretty meticulous in detaiil and I wonder how he missed that? Great book BTW.

[Jane on Ipad]

Soros money behind Walker, Perry and Jindahl prosecutions.

I'm shocked.

I'm unclear if the money was in the form of bribes, or what.

[Beasts of England]

And when Ms. Brunell calls, I'm gonna ask her what she'd do for a Klondike Bar...

[Threadkiller]

http://m.nydailynews.com/news/crime/at-large-pa-killer-police-trained-officials-article-1.1941230

[DrJ]

Jindahl prosecution

Jindahl too? What allegedly has he done?

[Threadkiller]

He went after the 100%.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

I'm not "for" Huckabee...I just don't want to cut everyone down while we wait for...who exactly?
I want Rush to run or Thomas Sowell or Dennis Prager.
I've also gotten to where I like anyone that says something loud & true, even if it makes the usual suspects have a cow.
I don't know...
Maybe we could talk Rumsfeld into running.

[Threadkiller]

Trump?

[Jim Eagle]

Think about this. If Hillary (a woman) gets tte nomination then what would the nomination of Susanna Martinez mean? Woman and Hispanic. Small state but executuve experience.

The Gope needs a plan B but they don's even a plan A if Huckabee and Bush are the current one.

[Laura White]

No one named Huckabee can be elected; I say this clear of any considerations about the actual man's merits or drawbacks. The name is just too comically hayseedish in its connotations. Should have changed it earlier, as did ole Gary Hartpence (tho he later blew those accrued advantages with Donna what's-her-face on the Monkey Business)!

[Bori]

BoE,

Is this what you are talking about?

http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/t_article_image/fa7fuiqn3wujxmfgqeoe.jpg

[DrJ]

Donna Rice.

[Gus]

Hey has anyone heard whether we're going to have boots on the ground in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi or anywhere else?? I can't seem to find the answer any where.

[Jim Eagle]

Can I ruin your night? You bet I can.

Jon Hunstman thinking about running for POTUS again.

Along with Huckabee, Romney and my neighbor:)

DOOM ™

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Our guys can't have a hayseed name, but the Dems can nominate someone named Barack Hussein Obama & win!

[Soylent Red]

with the C it means gleam or light

In American it means "douchebag."

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Huntsman should've been drummed out of the party for torpedoing Romney. Doesn't he only exist to dance for MessNBC's organ grinders? A truly disgusting Repuke.

[miss Marple]

Yeah, Huntsman, the only candidate we produced who is as arrogant as Obama.

I refuse. I do not want to see that guy's mug on TV ever again.

Nor this Louis Gutierrez who is on Hannity now, who is causing me to turn TV off!

[jimmyk]

Barak with the hard 'k' sound is indeed "lightning" in Hebrew. Barach with the guttural 'ch' sound is "blessed." (Really "baruch.") But 'barak' in Arabic seems to mean "blessed," whereas lightning in Arabic is "barq," which is worse than its bite.

[Jim Eagle]

Jesus, A guy like Luia Guitteriaz is a member of the House Intelligence Committee?

DOOM™®©

A special place foir that.

[Beasts of England]

Indeed it is, Bori! And she still hasn't called...

[Jim Eagle]

jimmyk,

Now I have to pull back my twitt to Silva:)

[Jim Eagle]

Sleep lekker. Tots morgen.

[Beasts of England]

Huckabee doesn't just sound like a hayseed, he is a hayseed. No Earthly way he can be on the ticket. Is this a joke?

[Bori]

BoE,

That looks like a very expensive look, the kind my grandmother warned me about!

Anyway, hope springs eternal in the human breast. I am sure she will be dialing any minute now.

[DrJ]

Here's my one word for Huckabee: oleaginous.

If he's the nominee, there may be a future for me with some other party. ANY other party.

[daddy]

The thing that bums me out is they are going back on vacation until after the election.

Jane,

Just babbling, but as a non-Lawyer here's an idea that struck me concerning this hearing starting tomorrow. It's not completely baked, Mrs Robinson, but whatever...

Just for hypotheticals, and for hypotheticals only, lets assume that X amount of State employees swear under oath tomorrow that what Maxwell says happened never happened and he swears under oath the following day that it did indeed happen. We have somebody committing perjury.

Instead of doing the totally irrelevant actions of sending this on to the Eric Holder (in)Justice Department, what say that at this point, since the MSM anyway is totally burying this hearing to the benefit of the Dem's, what say Gowdy, as Committee Chairman, orders the Sergeant At Arms to place Maxwell in the House of Representatives Jail for "Perjury."

Immediately everybody in the Media goes Batshit crazy, and the ramifications are unending.

Does Gowdy have the Authority? Why did he do this as opposed to forwarding the case to the Executive Branch and Eric Holder? How long can he incarcerate him? What does it say in the Constitution as to what is the reason for that House of Representatives Jail being there in the first place? Can he do this? Why, if the Prez is constantly going outside the Constitution, cannot the House of Reps do the same and go outside the specific sentences of the Constitution, especially given that the House of Reps were provided with their own Jail? What did the Founders mean by building the damn thing in the first place?

Better still, why is a White Republican from the South jailing a Black Obama appointed Official, who BTW voted for Obama and contributed to Obama's campaigns? Wass'up with that?

The obvious racist component follows, even tho' I assume Maxwell would know why Gowdy is doing this. So such an action could not possibly be ignored by the MSM, especially in light of Ferguson, Missouri, and my guess would be that Gowdy would allow Press access to jailed Maxwell 24/7., or at least for whatever constitutes "working hours" in DC.

We would now be on a new ball field, with our exceptionally capable spokesman, Trey Gowdy on one side, standing up against those on the other side, now in the unenviable position of trying to defend a Black Obama supporting perjurer, of perviously exemplary character, for calling other Obama supporters liars.

I'll take those optics any day:)

Popcorn.

Hell, the MSM would suddenly have to report it on all channels, and even include some of the particulars!

Anyhow's, that's my pipe-dream for the day. Tad out of the box thinking I know, but who knows what you'll find in a couple Margaritas, and my guess is prisoner Maxwell would ironically be praising Gowdy from behind bars for forcing the issue to national attention.

And it also wouldn't hurt if we finally got the Supreme's to decide whether sworn witnesses testifying to Congressional Committees could be stuck in the slammer for lying. That might promote a tad bit of honesty in Lerner and Koskinen and the like.

So I'm standing by for DoT and JOM Legal to tell me where I'm wrong. I'm tired of "Reset" buttons. I'm ready for "Press To Test" buttons.

[daddy]

Huckabee's a bass player.

'Nuff said.

[Eric in Boise]

Is this a joke?

Probably not, Beasts. I think I read … somewhere ... that Mister Hanoi Hilton himself might be running.

Waterfowl status: loved by the Lord.

[Stephanie accidentally OnT?]

Evening all.

Just back from the conounty fair (family joke that was what K called the county fair when she was a toddler) so I think I can skip the Grease Festival this weekend. Saratoga Fries, Corn Dog, Meat Sundae, and some fried oreos split three ways. Nomnomnom.

Brought some cotton candy home, too.

The daughter's boyfriend did not comport himself well. Barfed the third ride into the evening. And that was before the fried foray. Then two more rides and barfed again. Amateurs!

Fireball, Disko, Music Express, BARF, Space Roller, Banzai, BARF... we rode a few more while he tried to recover and ended up leaving.

Earliest exit from the fair, evar!

[miss Marple]

Jack, I was gobsmacked he is on Intelligence, too!

Words fail.

[Publius]

Gus,

No boots on the ground in the ME, but I do understand that procurement has ordered 3500 pairs of golf shoes.

[Beasts of England]

I'm a bass player, too, daddy. Although never in a suit or as a presidential candidate. And he should prolly take the tag off of his Jazz Bass™.

[Jane on Ipad]

Love it Daddy. It will never happen. Gowdy won't do tricks.

[miss Marple]

I don't know, Jane. He did that ice water thing on video in a suit and tie and didn't flinch. Kept a steely stare throughout the whole thing.