http://townhall.com/talkradio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=5&ContentGuid=3479d672-4ec4-40e2-bd52-4719a881652c

Jeff congrats and certainly I agree that if there was a confused, restraining standing order that prevented the rescue of the Captain earlier, then that is a cause for criticism on a matter that should be debated, and if found wanting, corrected forthwith as to future operations and standing orders. It is not clear to me that the standing order was restraining given the inherent nature of hostage taking nor that the SO actually prevented an earlier rescue.

But your knowledge is appreciated by me and should be by all. I just think we need more time to get all the facts out and time for evaluation and my purpose in my first pirate column on Sunday was that given the great result, even if it was delayed by Obama mistakes, (rather than lack of available resources, personelle and opportunity till Sunday), it was premature substantively and certianly not wise politically to step on the elation w/i 24-48 hours as the nation was celebrating along with the CINC. He is the only one we have and is the symbol of America.

I don’t think my bona fides as a critic of Obama can be questioned and even in the first piece I warned that Obama would face the overall piracy issue after this celebration, and we now see that is true with the new attacks on US flagged ships. My second piece addresses that, and I wrote a column a year ago urging President Bush to deal aggresively with Somalia and the pirates.

I must say that I am impressed with your analysis, esp when it is highlighted by a man I have such great respect for as Hugh Hewitt, who was the first national talk show host and blogger to highlight my work over 4 years ago.

I await more facts to evaluate whether this matter was handled correctly but even if it was not perfect execution over time, I do still exult in the result and the fact that even an inept democrat didn’t cause a bad result this time.

God bless the work you do brother and I appreciate the robust debate.

So ultimately, JE a lot of the questions raised by people about your retelling of the story, you may in fact be more accurate in relation to the T_Ps than what would be reported by the press? Anyway, there is a question mixed in there with that statement.

Whether he got wet before or just after the shots were fired is, for all intents and purposes, moot — however, as more recountings come out, reporters with integrity will update and amend their stories.

You’ve removed the “inflatable lifeboat” part of your original story. Is it time to leave behind a correct (as currently possible) version of events, by removing the incorrect account of the captain’s second leap into the water?

It would also be enlightening to source this claim:

Philips threw himself off of his lifeboat prison, enabling Navy shooters onboard the destroyer a clear shot at his captors

This information does not appear in any other account of the rescue.

Or is he just the guy who doesn’t know enough to understand what is going on, and the military is using the tremendous void caused by his ignorance to CONTINUE do the right thing until he figures out whether you need to dial “9″ to get an outside line from the White House? You know all the stuff you are so proud of is what W was doing while Obama was still on Chicago a.m. talk radio and having tea with Bill Ayers.

Very confusing. Very.

So, ya know, a word to the wise…..

Oh, sorry, I shouldn’t make fun of the ethically challenged.

So, each succeeding post get shriller and shriller — like a petulant little boy crying, “LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!

We should leave you here just to watch you cry.

The difference between Bush and Obama is already crystal clear. Obama isn’t looking for trouble, but where trouble exists he is confronting it. If Bush was President and Somalia pirates attacked, his people would have argued Somalia wasn’t a target rich environment,and Bush would have instead invaded Venezuela.

If I worked for an aspirin factory, I would be calling in sick right about now…

Why don’t you be perfectly honest and explain what you are doing here? You know, using the standards you are so eager to set for others when it comes to Obama?

Don’t expect a reply from the sycophants on that issue, and the people who got it right were on scene, and got it right despite Obama.

Is that intially, Barack Obama dawdled, and shuffled his feet, and crossed his fingers. Because of that, when a clear opportunity presented itself early on in the hostage situation, the Navy was unable to take advantage of it.

Is that something you disagree with? If so, maybe you can tell us all why. And I stand by this comment as well:

Fortunately for Barack Obama, he has not had sufficient time to gut the Navy to a point that they were unable to save the captain. The rescue was made even more difficult by the rank amateur that now calls himself President.

Several people pointed out discrepancies between what you wrote and what was coming out of sources like the DOD and Fox. For example, did the Captain jump out of the boat a second time? The DOD said he didn’t. Fox said he didn’t. This was pointed out to you, but it didn’t help. Today I read the following over at Politico’s Arena under the by line Jeff Emanuel, Columnist, combat journalist and contributor to RedState.com:

“Like the crew of the Alabama, which took swift and decisive action to take back their own ship rather than wait for help from Washington that they knew could not be counted on, Captain Philips took matters into his own hands for the second time in three days this afternoon, leaping into the water to create a diversion and to allow the NSWC team to eliminate his captors.”

http://www.politico.com/arena/

I’m not sure when you posted this, but your right Jeff, nothing got cleared up, and you reported factual errors. Is that the meaning of combat journalism, getting the story wrong and then combating anyone who tries to help you get your facts straight?

Why don’t you clear this up? Post a correction over at Politico for the sake of your good name and the web site in your by line. Or you can yell at me some more, Your choice.

One of the happier days at my marina is the day the first big cruise ships show up downtown because the CG gets busy watching over and escorting them rather than watching over and boarding and inspecting pleasurecraft.

Earlier reports hinted that there were no Navy personnel on board our ships early in the crisis qualified to storm the boat, or to execute sniper fire in a hostage situation.

Reports yesterday suggested that the SEAL team arrived via parachute drop from a base in Africa after the crisis began.

Reports yesterday conflicted. I didn’t hear that he jumped out of the boat again. I read that he asked to relieve himself and moved to one side of the boat to do so, leaving clear shots on the 3 pirates. But I also read account where he was seated and a pirate had an AK-47 jammed into his back and was menacing him at the time of the order to fire.

Reports suggest the President gave at least one shoot to kill order. Some reports say he gave two such commands. One Friday and one Saturday and that the Navy Commander on the scene had the full authority of the President to give the command to fire as he saw fit.

Sound familiar?

During the Bush Administration, leading Democrats did all they could to gain defeat for the US in Iraq. Had the Democrats been successful they would have caused the US to abandon another mission as we did in Vietnam while guaranteeing the re-enslavement of the Iraqi people. Nothing is as important to a Democrat as gaining power.

While your fairness is noted, I believe that President Obama does nothing without first making a political calculation. He felt it unnecessary to issue even a one sentence response that would have provided comfort to family members when questioned last week when the Captain was first taken hostage.

President Bush will never receive credit from Leftist opposition and those they have browbeaten into submission for his willingness to put his presidential legacy aside in order to overthrow the Taliban and Saddam Hussein and do what he believed was best for the security interests of the US.

The chickens will come home to roost and the Left in this country already knows it.