DEEP THOUGHTS….My favorite new blogger is Mario Loyola over at The Corner. He popped up out of nowhere a few weeks ago, and ever since then he’s been posting tirades so aggressive and extreme that he makes guys like Michael Ledeen and Mark Levin look like a quivering clique of weak-kneed wafflers. K-Lo must have thought the gang was going soft and needed some bucking up.

Here’s his latest. Today, after Jonah Goldberg wisely suggested that the Kerry flap had probably been milked for just about all it was worth, Loyola charged into the fray. Feast on this:

Jonah, I do not agree. Kerry drew the Dems into a blind alley by making respect for the troops the central issue of the Iraq war, and I remain convinced that we should open up with both barrels. Every Democratic candidate should now be asked whether they think the troops are in Iraq because (a) they are committed to the mission and want to win or (b) because of their lack of economic and social opportunity back home. The latter is plainly Kerry’s position ? and that of the Democratic left ? and it has now been revealed as a position for which one has to apologize. Therefore, most Democrats now will contradict Kerry, and answer (a) the troops are devoted to their mission. Then the upper-cut. “Well do you still want them to win, or do you want them to withdraw in defeat?” Then, they either have to take their GOP opponent’s position on the war, or advocate surrender.

“Respect for the troops” is now the central issue of the Iraq war! Democrats should be asked whether they respect the sacrifice of our troops! That’ll stonker ’em!

And then the coup de gr?ce: “Do you want them to withdraw in defeat?” Well, do you? Huh? Do you?

You may be wondering where The Corner gets deep strategic thinkers like this. Answer: from the Bush-era Pentagon, where Loyola recently served as a “consultant for communications and policy planning….assisted in the final preparation and roll-out of the 2005 National Defense Strategy, and worked on global energy and China issues with the policy planning staff.” What a surprise, eh?