Abu Wabu

Hugh Hewitt sets the record straight on the men whose memories Markos Moulitsas "Screw 'Em" Zuniga viciously insulted in a post that said more about Kos' character, and that of his followers, than anything he has said since. Quoting from The Nation:

Scott Helvenston was a walking ad for the military. He came from a proud family of Republicans; his great-great-uncle, Elihu Root, was once US Secretary of War and the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize-winner. Scott was tall, tan and chiseled and, by all accounts, a model soldier and athlete. At 17 he made history by becoming the youngest person ever to complete the rigorous Navy SEAL program. He spent twelve years in the SEALs, four of them as an instructor, and then tried his luck with Hollywood. He trained Demi Moore for her film G.I. Jane and did a few stints on reality television. In one, Man vs. Beast, he was the only contestant to defeat the beast, outmaneuvering a chimpanzee in an obstacle course. Once the cover boy on a Navy calendar, he also had several workout videos.

On Helvenston's brothers in arms:

Michael Teague, 38, was a former soldier with the Army's elite ''Night Stalkers'' at Fort Campbell. He is remembered at this site. Teague was awarded a bronze star for his service in Afghanistan.

Jerko Zovko had been a Ranger. In one story on him, his motive for being in Iraq was made clear:

In August 2003, Zovko returned to Cleveland to visit his family. He was taking a job with Vinnell in Iraq to help train the new army.

They were skeptical. Why do you want to go to Iraq?

Zovko was adamant. This was a historic opportunity. The Iraqis need a professional army, not the one Saddam Hussein created. And the sooner the army was ready, the sooner U.S. soldiers could come home.

Westley Batalova spent 20 years in the Army, most of them as a Ranger. He is
profiled here.

All four of the murdered men were great Americans, and deserve the respect their service earned.

So when Kos next attempts to explain away his despicable and callous remark from 2004 by asserting he was demonstrating "solidarity" with his "brothers and sisters in arms," the follow-up question should not focus on Kos' own military service, but on the service of those four American veterans murdered in Fallujah.

I decided long ago that Moulitsas is a low-rent pitchman, a fraud and an amoral pig, albeit with a huge following of useful idiots who leave their intellectual rigor to his tender mercies.

Meanwhile, Jim Geraghty, Mickey Kaus and Donkycons are beginning to shine the light on Kosola. Apparently even the Old Grey Mare is paying attention, but the story is behind their wall, and I don't go there; they'd have to pay me.

What's that smell?