lieutenant suits, reporting for duty

It’s a Rolaid flashback--like finding yourself back in an old relationship that you ended because you needed some space.

As of Monday night, the Bad Lieutenant, Bryan Suits, (KVI m-f, 6-9p) banished placeholding Fox Newspuppy Alan Colmes and ended KVI’s half-hearted flirtation with liberalism.

Suits is the Army reservist/talk jock who left KVI in June 2003 for Iraq; was wounded, got married but never stopped talking. We were hoping that maybe these life events might mature him a little, slow down his motormouth and stifle his fully-involved ego. We prayed for his safety, humility and that maybe he’d give name, rank and serial number and leave it at that. God stiffed us thrice.

Last night’s opener was like old times--Army jargon-studded monologues, acronyms and personal pronouns like sugar bees on a rump roast, clever turns of phrase uttered in the rote way that you know they’re part of the architecture of his daily speech.

He says he’s a “flippant jerk,” apologizes, and then repeats the offense. He admits he has the tendency to monologue, then launches into yet another one.

Lefty conspiracy theorists, led by London Yank, a Kos blogger had a heyday with Suits, accusing him of being a PsyOps operative for the White House ala Jeff Guckert Gannon. While in Iraq, Suits blogged for the BBC, appeared on European media, talked weekly on KVI local shows and on Tony Snow’s national show (KVI m-f, 9a-12p).  His job was puffing the war, each time with a different story about what his other Army duties were. Yank and others were suspicious.
   
London Yank wrote in Feb: “Gannongate had me checking something bothering me a couple months ago.  The BBC started an Iraq Log.  One of the diarists was Lt Bryan Suits.  At the time his posts struck me as written by public affairs rather than being real - and the fact that he was DJ from a Fox News talkradio station reinforced this. 

I don't want to attack the integrity of a wingnut war hero injured serving his country, but there's something not quite right.”

Suits got lots of blogger attention, which I’m sure he adored, but there was never any “there” there.

BlatherWatch told Yank that Suits is mostly a self-promoting blathermeister in love with the sound of his own voice, and probably no more sinister than that.

Oh, that he were--he might be interesting. Meanwhile, there’s nothing to indicate that we’ll be titillated with stuff more eloquent than the in-depth conversations he had last night with other gun freaks about what he hates about his 9 mm Baretta.

This is a masculine, insiderish show--a few women call to gush, but mostly callers are military men or veterans who want to engage in a pissing match with Suits over who can drop the most military acronyms and buzzwords or tell the wildest war stories.

This hour on local talk radio seems tradionally to be for manly men.  KIRO used to run sports talk with New York Vinnie in this spot and has now turned it over to Tony Ventrella,(KIRO m-f, 6-9p) who does a lot of sports.

Maybe this will work for KVI. But for the rest of us girly-men, and the women who love us, Bryan Suits will be just another voice in the dark; an ethereal tree falling in the woods of a.m. radio. No one will hear it, but no one will care. 

Comments

[Scott]

Let me do what you won't. I don't believe a word of Suits' alleged war hero stories. I think the guy is a straight up republican plant. My guess is he was as far from the action as possible. Guys who actually see combat don't talk like Suits. I saw combat in Nam. (Was drafted.) I know the difference between a poser and a patriot and Suits sounds like a poser to me.

He's nothing more than a Jeff Ganon plant working in the US Army rather than the Whitehouse and his bloviation is sickening!

[Rutherford]

Bourne and Hood: what a pair of cowards you are.

Bourne: I dare you level these accusations to his face. Suits' record is public info, do a PDR if you're so inclined. Wimp.

But you'll believe anything that will puff you up and make others seem smaller. You have no idea how small that makes you.

[John]

Suits is mostly a self-promoting blathermeister in love with the sound of his own voice

You've nailed it right on the dot. I remember the days when all Suits would talk about was his hopeless love life - a long ways from serial Army acronym dropping and the finer points of the latest weaponry.

[Scott]

Hey Rutherfag I'd L O V E to make these allegations to that punk Suit's face. Problem is, he's always hiding it behind a mic!

I don't deny that the White House and the GOP have lined his public service record with all sorts of good news. I just don't believe it or anything else any of you right wing traitors care to spew.

[Ripper]

Will Scott be banned for bigotry?

[williebdog]

I was in Iraq with LT Suits. His job and my job were very similar. We spent a lot of time talking with local Iraqis. Trying to get a feel for them and the way they operate; trying to "sell" the coalition to the Iraqis. He did an outstanding job. VERY hard worker. He spent more time outside the wire than just about anybody in our unit. He probably ended-up understanding more about the Iraqi's than anybody else in our unit. Yes he was wounded by a mortar. Yes he was blown-up and attacked on several different occassions. He took it all in stride and laughed about it and continuted his mission. While he was in Iraq he also made many different media contacts, presentations, etc. He was simply promoting himself for when he returned to the US. Making his name more widely known. That's just the way he is. What counts is that he was given a job to do by the military that he had no substantial training for, was given no direct guidance about, and he dove into it headlong and did a very good job at it.

[Scott]

More proof that Suits and his ilk are all hat and no cattle. I spent two years in country in Nam and NO ONE ever said the words "outside the wire."

Nice try right winger but you're just a poser too!

[Ripper]

"Nam"- Scott
Are you stupid, boy? We ain't talking about the Commie vs. Harvard-Tard jungle fight here.

[Scott]

No Ripped I am not stupid. I am your better in every way. Bow to me boy. Take your rightful place at my feet. Admit you are a traitor and I may go easy on you!

[James Redwine Scott]

Suits is a loudmouth who panders to his audience.

When he was on KIRO, he spoke often of his military service, but absent the buzzwords, acronyms, ect, ect. He even once said that the perpetual and tiresome hatred of Jane Fonda was just an "albatross" that wasn't helping anyone and that all involved should simply move on. Then he gets to KVI and adjusts his tune to that audience, and starts singing the "Hanoi Jane" tune, but is just as off key.

Suits can clevely turn a phrase, and for awhile is fun to listen to, but he panders and kisses ass in the finest tradition of Mike Siegel.

Bleh!

[Norm]

Longtime listener of local news and talk radio and I'm glad to see a blog dedicated to local talk. This forum is a direct result of being a free people living in a free society. Regardless of Lt. Suits personal ambitions post Iraq, I believe his military service and reporting is not only an encouragement to U.S.A. citizens, but an example to be followed by the Iraqi citizens that he and his compatriots helped to empower and educate. To argue whether Lt. Suits is some kind of political plant seems a red herring. I remember hearing him on KIRO but I didn't listen as often nor as intently, apparently. Maybe he does "slant" his comments toward his audience. I hope he doesn't, because that won't bode well for his talk radio future. From what I hear, the most successful shows are those that have a host who says what they believe and believe what they say. And are willing to admit they don't know everything and occasionally they may even change their minds. Especially when given a reasonable and rationale argument that's has a basis of truth attached to it. And along those lines, isn't it possible that Lt. Suits may have been changed by his experiences in Iraq? War has a way of influencing people deeply, or so I've heard!

peace be with you all,

Norm

[williebdog]

Norm you a probably correct about the experiences changing one's perspective. Some of the things our unit saw and did were fairly intense. Just being out with the local population in our area day after day was a life-altering experience. He was in a hostile environment, occassionally being attacked, driving down the roads, stopping at places and talking with people. It definitely causes you reflect on life and what's really important to you. It makes you think about how you want things to be when you get back. Forces you to commit to stop pandering and wasting time. I don't know if these thoughts occurred to LT Suits, but I know they have to some of us.

Oh, and Scott is it? Nam was a long time ago boy. Different era, different Army. I've been in this military for nearly 16 years now and two wars. Catch-up with the times.

[Scott]

Dear Brian, er I mean "Williedog":

I got your boy hanging. It's pitiful that you come on this blog pretending to be someone else to back up your own story.

I called you out and you did what all GOP chickenhawks did, you punted!

Here's the REAL story. Some 5-year old through a coke bottle at Bloviating Brian. He screamed and cowered like a girl, pissed his pants, ran and hide and then used it as inspiration for this "I survived an explosion" story.

Yeah right!

Let me guess. Lt. Suits went to OCS at the same place Jeff Gannon went to journalism school?

[williebdog]

Who's Jeff Gannon? I'm not a journalism guy. I'm not Brian, just somebody who worked with him. Willie is my dog's name and I use it on all internet things such as this.

You win. I quit. I don't have much time for somebody who is obviously off of their rocker and simply wants to argue and throw insults.

See ya.

[Scott]

Good thing you gave up punk. All you right wing nuts have that in common. You simply don't have the courage of your convictions. Suits is a poser. He will go the way of all posers and disappear as soon as the audience figures out he's a lying SOB.

I said that.