After sharing some initial thoughts on the Mueller hearings, Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America applaud Ruth Bader Ginsburg for criticizing Democratic calls to pack the Supreme Court with more justices. They share a chuckle over the growing angst among Democrats over progressive donor Tom Steyer’s presidential bid. And they roll their eyes as hardly any members of Congress ignore the main point of the Mueller report – that Russia is intent on meddling with our elections.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America serve up three more delicious martinis. First, they cautiously applaud the selection of Boris Johnson as the new British prime minister in hopes the UK can finally deal with Brexit in a good way and they eagerly await the Trump-Johnson press conferences. They also commend Democratic House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal for not bowing to the progressive whims to demand Trump’s New York state tax returns immediately. And they enjoy hearing 2020 hopeful and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard insist that Sen. Kamala Harris is not qualified to be Commander-in-Chief.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America cover Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s disastrous questioning of acting ICE Director Thomas Homan. They discuss President Trump’s controversial Twitter rants against progressive Democratic congresswomen. And they get a kick out of a social media campaign among UFO enthusiasts to storm Area 51.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of National Review discuss the brewing Democratic civil war with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez choosing to play the race card on Nancy Pelosi. They react to Iran’s failed attempt to storm a British tanker and the escalating situation in the Middle East. And they chuckle at Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath’s quick flip-flop on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

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By Dave Overson ALBUQUERQUE – Mechanical suits are no surprise for some superheroes, but now Veterans at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, N.M., are starting to look a little extra bionic these days too. Preview Open

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and guest host Greg Knapp cover the border crisis and the Democrats’ radical ‘open borders’ proposal. They discuss the RNC distributing VIP tickets to Trump’s Fourth of July address from the Lincoln Memorial. And they address the speculation concerning Vice President Pence’s abrupt return to Washington D.C. following the cancellation of a campaign event.

Jim Geraghty of National Review and guest host Gregory Knapp discuss the Mexican government deploying 10,000 troops to the border to crack down on illegal immigration to the U.S. They cover the real concentration camps that the Chinese have constructed. And they discuss Bernie Sanders’ plan to wipe out all student loans.

Rob Long of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America discuss President Trump’s last-minute decision to hold off on striking Iran. They also cover the intensifying Democratic presidential campaign, as Joe Biden and Cory Booker scuffle over race and Bernie Sanders explains why he’s now neck-and-neck with Elizabeth Warren in the polls. And they talk about the desperate poverty facing many Cubans as socialism fails yet again.

Rob Long of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are pleasantly surprised to see actual consequences for former Democratic staffer Jackson Cosko over his doxing of Republican senators during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. In addition, Cosko’s alleged collaborator is now facing charges as well. They also react to Iran shooting down a U.S. drone and the escalating tensions between the two countries. And they discuss Roy Moore’s expected announcement that he is once again running for the U.S. Senate in Alabama.

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Two of my favorite James in conversation about Holland’s new book. https://delingpoleworld.com/25-james-holland/ Preview Open

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This week’s special guest is Col. Austin Bay, author of a lively new book on foreign affairs and grand strategy, Cocktails From Hell: Five Complex Wars Shaping the 21st Century. Austin Bay has an extraordinary biography, including earning a Bronze Star for his service in the Iraq War. But that is only the beginning. Austin is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books (including a novel or two), a widely syndicated columnist on military and foreign affairs for Creators Syndicate, associate editor at StrategyPage, a frequent guest on TV and radio, and a fellow blogger for our friends at Instapundit. Did I also mention he plays jazz piano and has a Ph.D in English literature from Columbia?

Our leisurely conversation covers a lot of ground, including China, Iran, North Korea and the Congo (yes—the Congo), as well as some detours into the legacy of Andy Marshall, the great strategic thinker who passed away recently. (Marshall had the nickname “Yoda” around the Pentagon.) And since the book title refers to cocktails, we get Austin’s favorite recipe as a bonus.

Transition music today was picked to fit the general theme: “The Permanent Way” by Big, Big Train (since the nature of strategic things are permanent in their essential nature, no matter what century it is); “Better Weather” by Good Old War; and “Army” by Ben Folds Five.

Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. The Most Tragic Maritime Disaster in US Naval History

 

I don’t know if the title of this post is accurate, although the assessment was made by others. I do know that after seeing the video movie on the story of the USS Indianapolis, I didn’t need any persuading to believe this assessment was true, on many levels.

On July 30, 1945, the Indianapolis left Guam to assist a superspy in delivering the core of the atomic bomb in preparation for the strike on Hiroshima. The ship was struck by a submarine with two Japanese torpedoes and sank in 12 minutes, taking down 300 men with it. Almost 900 went into the water alive, where they fought for their lives for four interminable days and five nights, against sharks, dehydration, insanity, and attacks on each other in order to survive. In 2018, a book was published that tells the story.

The horror of the story builds over those four days. There were few life rafts, and life jackets were removed from those who were already dead to save those who were still alive. But from my perspective, the shark attacks were the most devastating part:

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America discuss Beto O’Rourke and other Democratic presidential candidates attacking Joe Biden for his age and ties to the Obama administration. They also discuss the attack on two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf as tensions escalate. And they get a good laugh as CNN’s Jim Acosta and Don Lemon offer a comical defense of their organization’s coverage of the Trump administration.

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I received an unexpected phone call from one of my dad’s shipmates today. He is 90 years-old, a graduate of the Naval Academy and they served on the same submarine after WWII, the USS Tilefish, as officers. I recognized his name from Christmas cards exchanged over the years. He had watched the D-Day ceremonies and […]

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America reflect on the 75th anniversary of D-Day and applaud President Trump’s address at Normandy. They also discuss Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden walking back his position change on the Hyde Amendment and facing criticism from his rivals for not backing taxpayer-funded abortions. And they get a kick out of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly telling allies she would rather defeat President Trump and then see him prosecuted than have the House launch impeachment proceedings.

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This video is from a series covering the carrier Enterprise and its role in WW2. Many veterans are interviewed including Dusty Kliess who was the last surviving dive bomber pilot from the battle. Preview Open

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Quote of the Day: Perfection on Every Level

 

“We held our nation’s fallen heroes close to our hearts in everything we did. From the care of our uniforms to the precision of our marching to the grooming of our horses, it was our sacred duty to honor the fallen in ways big and small. Our standard was simple: perfection on every level. A funeral in Arlington is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the family. And for us, service in Arlington National Cemetery was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege.” — Tom Cotton, Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington National Cemetery

Ordinarily, I don’t encourage people to strive for perfection; those who do are generally disappointed because, in everyday life, it is nearly impossible to achieve. Also, perfectionists are usually unhappy because they are preoccupied with demanding perfection of themselves and everyone else. It’s not a pretty picture.

But in his book, Tom Cotton convinced me that perfection was a goal worth striving for, on every level, if a person served on The Old Guard, as he did. There must be times, unseen by anyone else, where members of The Old Guard make mistakes, but they carry on. In the heat of vicious summer weather, a member might faint, and without missing a beat, a colleague would pick him up and carry him off—perfectly.

Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Memorial Day in a Small Town

 

We stand on the shore of the lake and wait. The shore is steep and spring green, winter having only recently retreated from my small home town in northern Wisconsin. It’s overcast, but still we squint up into the grey clouds, watching and listening for the airplane.

Every year on Memorial Day, just before the start of the parade, a small private plane flies in low over the lake on the edge of town. From the plane drops a single wreath, which falls slowly to the surface where it floats briefly before sinking to the bottom.

Over on main street we can hear the high school band warming up. A few short notes from a trumpet, some squeaking of woodwinds. It’s a small band — it’s a small school — and most of those kids probably don’t want to be there, but this is what they signed up for.