News Anchor Dan Rather, NPR Reporter Cokie Roberts, and a U.S. Marine

were hiking through the desert one day when they were captured by

Iraqis. They were tied up, led to the village and brought before the

leader.

The leader said, "I am familiar with your western custom of granting

the condemned a last wish. Before we kill and dismember you, do you

have any last requests?"

Dan Rather said, "Well, I'm a Texan; so I'd like one last bowlful of

hot, spicy chili." The leader nodded to an underling who left and

returned with the chili. Rather ate it all and said, "Now I can die

content."

Cokie Roberts said, "I'm a reporter to the end. I want to take out my

tape recorder and describe the scene here and what's about to happen.

Maybe someday someone will hear it and know that I was on the job 'til

the end. "The leader directed an aide to hand over the tape recorder,

and Roberts dictated some comments. She then said, "Now I can die

happy."

The leader turned and said, "And now, Mr. U.S. Marine, what is your

final wish?"

"Kick me in the ass," said the Marine.

"What?" asked the leader. "Will you mock us in your last hour?"

"No, I'm not kidding. I want you to kick me in the ass," insisted the

Marine.

So the leader shoved him into the open, and kicked him in the ass.

The Marine went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled a

9mm pistol from inside his cammies, and shot the leader dead.

In the resulting confusion, he leapt to his knapsack, pulled out his

M4 carbine, and sprayed the Iraqis with gunfire. In a flash, the

Iraqis were dead, dying or fleeing for their lives.

As the Marine was untying Rather and Roberts, they asked him, "Why

didn't you just shoot them? Why did you ask them to kick you in the

ass?"

"What!?" said the Marine, "And have you liberal assholes call ME the

aggressor?!?"