Mm'kay, so I'm using GNU bash, version 4.1.2(1)-release
(x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu), just to make sure that we're covering all of the
bases here.
    Basically what I would like to do is be able to get to the bottom of this
quoting bug that has been making it completely impossible for me to utilize
certain functionality, such as some of the ssh command lines that I have been
trying to utilize from within the shell scripties here.
    All that I would like to do is specify a hardcoded (or better yet,
variable-set) file to use as the ssh identity when I'm connecting to another
server.  As you guys have seen, I've previously been attempting to do that with
stuff like the following snippet:

    if [ $VERBOSE -gt 0 ] ; then
        RSYNC_OPTS="-vHrltDPi -e 'ssh -i /home/scriptuser/.ssh/id_rsa' \
            $USER@$SOURCE:$STATIC_ASSETS $STATIC_ASSETS"

        echo Rsyncing $STATIC_ASSETS with options: $RSYNC_OPTS
        $RSYNC $RSYNC_OPTS
        echo Done
    fi

    Whenever I attempt to do so, I receive the error that I've mentioned before
like follows:

./sync_static_to_dev.sh 
Rsyncing /server/assets with options: -vHrltDPi -e 'ssh -i
/home/scriptuser/.ssh/id_rsa' scriptuser@10.183.1.251:/server/assets
/server/assets
Unexpected remote arg: scriptuser@10.183.1.251:/server/assets
rsync error: syntax or usage error (code 1) at main.c(1201) [sender=3.0.6]
Done

    I've also tried this with escaped double quotes around the ssh command line
and a few other random incantations, some typed with a chicken-bone pentagram
laid out around my feet on the full moon, with a little veganaise (in lieu of
actual sacrificial blood) pasted upon the important power lines.  Nothing seems
to be working, and I'm really not having any success getting this to work.
    Anyhoo I thought I'd post this with the shell information and stuff just in
case that makes enough of a difference so that something might present itself a
little more available to work with sans voodoo here.
    Anybody have any pointers?  I'm currently trying another couple of things;
putting all of the ssh options into another variable, for instance.  I'm pretty
sure I could make this horrific script work by throwing the ssh command itself
into a second script that the first one calls, but gross, seriously?  There's
got to be a better way on this shit.
    Also, anything on how to get around shell escaping issues when building
command lines that might take a person from a relative neophyte status like
myself to a significantly higher level of foolishness would be greatly
appreciated.  Sorry for the pseudo-double post here, I just wanted to make sure
that I wasn't missing anything without that previous info.
    TIA

    -D

    PS I totally forgot to add this bit, but the error makes me think that
something after rsync's '-e' option isn't being handled properly, like the
single-quoted text is being broken apart into tokens/words at inappropriate
boundaries.  It seems to me that 'unexpected remote arg' bit in the rsync error
wouldn't be focusing on the appropriately constructed login:server:path string
if things were broken apart correctly on these boundaries as _I_ seem to
understand them.  Any elucidation on this that I can use to improve my
understanding would be greatly, _greatly_ appreciated.
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