BECAUSE OF MORE U.S. DEATHS IN IRAQ, AN OLD QUOTE FROM AN OLD WARRIOR COMES TO MIND!

More roadside bombs have killed more U.S. troops in Iraq which calls even more attention to the lack of Pentagon attentiveness regarding urgent pleas from U.S. Marine commanders for better protected vehicles. Pleas that were disgracefully ignored or put in some sort of procrastination type file until more than 2 years had passed and Senator Joe Biden got on the case. It figures to be quite a while before these life saving vehicles are produced and an even longer period of time before all of the requested life saving vehicles are delivered to our troops, many of whom continue to die while traveling in roadside bomb attracting death traps. How did this happen? Chalk it up to more incompetent "planning" by this bumbling fumbling administration who talk a good "support the troops" game, but when it comes to actually supporting the troops? Well, what do you expect from an administration featuring guys who artfully ducked and dodged during their younger years when the possibility of being a soldier was a time for multiple deferments or parental influence.

Why are we even IN Iraq?!?

In addition to having our attention directed to more deaths in Iraq, a place we long ago figured out isn't a place where Osama bin Laden will be found, a lot of us are asking a very simple question; Why are we there? For the oil? Shoot, these bumblers and fumblers the administration sent to take care of that seem to be sitting idly by while professional smugglers pick their pockets and the oil goes to...Well, no one seems to know where it's going to. Are we there because the citizens of Iraq love us and can hardly wait for our way of life to start being their way of life? Well, if there was ever a possibility of the answer to that question being, "Yes!", a little problem has developed. The thousands on top of thousands of Iraqi citizens who have inconveniently been killed while we're supposedly "liberating" them.

Do we remember what country was pretty much the only country who supported our invasion of Iraq? England. Led by chief President Bush lapdog, Tony Blair.

History lesson. Almost 90 years ago, an occupation of Iraq began. A British occupation. The leader of that occupation installed the first Hashemite King. That's a religious leader of some kind. Anyway, after the Brits were seemingly trying to do something comparable to what we apparently are trying to do, the leader of the British occupation said, "I am deeply concerned about Iraq. There is scarcely a single newspaper which is not consistently hostile to our remaining in this country. At present we are paying eight million a year for the privilege of living on an ungrateful volcano!" This was 1922 and the man who said those words and who had led the occupation of Iraq for the Brits was Winston Churchill. Eight million pounds in 1922 translates to who knows how much money now. And does anybody really know how much money we're spending for this Iraq business?

Someone much smarter than me once said something about history repeating itself and as we get closer and closer to the 4th of July, I pose a simple question to ponder. Why are we in Iraq?

WE GET LETTERS:

My commentary about the "what might have been" aspect regarding the NBC television show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" generated a few responses including this note from reader/listener, JB who wrote, "Studio 60" was as bright and brilliant as a new penny! What a shame. The funny thing is, if you watch the first few episodes of any of the 'classic' shows in reruns, you can see how truly awful they were before they found their voice. But, I think I'm one of the 16 people that thought 'cop rock' was freaking brilliant too!

Cheap mindless reality shows, reruns and game shows that go nowhere is our future. Why? Because people eat what is put before them. I say, push away from the table now before all we are being served is garbage."

Thanks for your thoughts, LB. LB also asked me to check out "The Riches" because of the performances of Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver.

LB, I was also a fan of "Cop Rock". For those of you who never saw it, it was a Stephen Bochco show about cops, who while solving crimes would suddenly start singing. I'm tempted to defend what I just wrote, but I'll just let that line sit there.

Back to "Studio 60". I watched last night's episode. The very first scene set the stage. When that scene ended and they went to commercials before the rest of the show began, I had one of those "fasten your seatbelts" feelings. And in my mind, I was right. Last night's "Studio 60" was as good as any show I've ever seen on television and better than most of any shows I've ever seen on television. "Studio 60's" final show will air next Thursday.

GET WELL SOON, JIMMY KIMMEL!

No new Jimmy Kimmel shows on ABC for a few days because of an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday night. Kimmel's publicist released an e-mail saying the surgery was a success and Jimmy's looking forward to getting back to work. Full disclosure: I've had the privilege of appearing on Kimmel's show quite a few times doing both on-camera and voiceover bits. And I'm hoping to someday do a little something on his girlfriend's show. That would be Sarah Silverman.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't forget! You can HEAR this blog! The links to the three stations broadcasting today's blog can be found at the bottom of my links section which is to the right of what you're reading now. It's the last three links.

If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon. A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net I do write back.

MONDAY: A big day for Paris Hilton!

I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE A TERRIFIC WEEKEND!!!