With round-the-clock craziness roiling the Republican asylum, it's easy to lose track of an inmate or two. But then a candidate does something to bring the spotlight of questionable behavior back on himself.

Republican Senate hopeful John Spencer, a Vietnam vet who loves the smell of napalm in the morning so much he sprinkles it on his Cheerios, has released a statement calling on supporters to enlist in his undying fight against the VC in our midst, Hanoi Hillary Clinton.

In a "National Security Dispatch" (a.k.a. a campaign mailer) "Lt. John Spencer (USA-Vietnam)" let slip the dogs of war in language that might make even a Grenada-invasion reenactor like Dick Cheney a little squeamish.

"We are going to do exactly what I led my men to do when we were outnumbered in combat — target our fire for maximum efficiency and maximum effectiveness," the bad lieutenant entreats metaphorically (we hope).

"My friend, one thing I learned in combat is that nothing matters more than being able to count on the person standing by your side, and I am counting on YOU today." Now, hit the Paypal and give Lieutenant Spencer $20.

Even 35 years after the Vietnam, the caissons still roll, the bugles still blare, and the call to arms echoes across the purple mountains and fruited plains in the space between his ears.

"Clinton Opponent Uses Combat Images in Fundraising Appeal" [AP]