I don’t suppose there’s any way to kill of the “chickenhawk” argument, but it’s getting very wearying.

Here’s a wee quiz for those who are fond of the “chickenhawk” line of attack.

Which person–it was obviously a chickenhawk–said the following things about the British hostages in Iran?

Well, they’re idiots, he [the sailor who apologized at length on Iran TV] and the other 14 are, have to be, because there’s no excuse for this kind of behavior.
I can tell you that they wouldn’t take me without firing a shot. I would take as many with me as I possibly could.
They weren’t in captivity more than 28 microseconds before they started … briefing, in front of a big map about where they were, and apologizing, and so on–absolutely despicable behavior, deplorable behavior.
They are going to have–and they should have–a lot to answer for when they finally get home.
They acquitted themselves horribly and dishonorably.

OK, time’s up. Which pencil-neck chickenhawk, cowering from behind the shelter of his keyboard, said those things? Was it me, perhaps?

No, actually it was Col. Jack Jacobs (Medal of Honor “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action,” three Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts), currently a military analyst for NBC, talking to Tucker Carlson the other evening. Full transcript here.

So could we please retire the “chickenhawk” argument, at least on this particular topic, at least for a little while? Fat chance.