I recently wrote a post (and received a little flak) about Yellow Elephants—specifically, the refusal of College Republicans to run a advertisement advocating military recruitment in the program of their annual convention in Las Vegas.  The ad was refused because it was too much of a downer. 

Family Research Council leader (and KKK Grand Wizard contributor) Tony Perkins addressed the convention.  Speaking of those fighting in the Iraq War, he said to the enthusiastic crowd of college Republicans:

"They’re giving their lives as you’re giving your time."

Gah!!! Think Progress has the appropriate tongue-in-cheek response:

You know, you’ve got a point there, Tony. Just like our soldiers are dying in Iraq, campus conservatives are stapling flyers for an Ann Coulter speech to a kiosk. Basically the same thing.

A Knight Ridder story from last year’s convention, entitled “Young Republicans Support Iraq War, but Not Willing to Join the Fight” quotes several of these—okay, I’ll say it—chickenhawks on why they aren’t fighting the war that they support, including this:

"Frankly, I want to be a politician. I’d like to survive to see that,” said Vivian Lee, 17, a war supporter visiting the convention from Los Angeles.  Lee said she supports the war but would volunteer only if the United States faced a dire troop shortage or “if there’s another Sept. 11."

I’m only guessing, but I feel pretty confident that every soldier in Iraq would “like to survive” in order to become something when they are older. 

And what’s this notion of volunteering “if there’s another Sept. 11”?  Did the Greatest Generation need two Pearl Harbors before they volunteered?