WTF? Senator Brown is suggesting he might do missions in Afganistan

[karynnj]

If it weren't the Boston Globe, I would think it someone misinterpreting a Senate trip.

Senator Scott Brown said this morning that he is being sent to Afghanistan, but the member of the Massachusetts National Guard would not say if he is being formally deployed.

“I will put out a statement later about my involvement," Brown told The Boston Globe in a brief telephone interview. "I’m going to be going over at some point to do some missions.”

Asked if he were being deployed, the Army lieutenant colonel said, "I didn't say that."

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2011/05/brown_heading_f.html?camp=misc:on:twit:rtbutton
This is beyond weird in its timing. It is hard to believe that President Obama would send him as an emissary, as he has sent Kerry - who does not refer to them as missions. There are plenty of people on the Senate Arms Services Committee who have real military experience - which Brown doesn't.

Is this Senator Walter Mitty? Is Brown reacting to the impact of running at the same time a more popular Obama is running?

[Luftmensch067]

1. Senator Walter Mitty -- LOL!!!

Honestly, can you imagine the storm of abuse that would rain down if JK said something like that? Which, of course, he never would. Brown is absolutely ridiculous.

[karynnj]

3. I guess we need to wait for the announcement

Very curious as to what his statement will be. The timing is rather strange as President Obama and the country is relieved that OBL is no more.

It really makes no sense at this point, to send a high profile Senator over to Afghanistan as part of the National guard.

But, I can't imagine that Obama would send him there as an emissary. If he wanted a MA Senator with knowledge of the region, including its politics and cultures, it would not be Brown. Brown is on the Armed Services Committee, but is very junior and many members, unlike Brown, have actual combat experience.

I suspect that the "traveling" Kerry did last week when he was unavailable to comment per the BG was likely Afghanistan and Pakistan, because it would make sense before the two hearings this week. I suspect that this is Senator Grandstand who will announce that he is going to Afghanistan on a fact finding mission - because he is on the Senate Armed Services Committee - even though it is the norm to do this when on recess, when he was busy selling his book.

One possibility - is that this has panicked Brown and he wants to go there and then return calling for the end of the war (which might help in MA) or come out with some plan, likely written for him.

[ObamaKerryDem]

9. Exactly! Sounds like some sort of attempt by Brown to get in on the praise..

..Obama is, deservedly, getting for this. The timing is so odd..and cringe worthy!

[Mass]

2. Glen Johnson;s poor writing does not help.

There is basically no news in his article, given he does not know anything. It may be a Senate trip and Johnson misunderstanding. It could be some JAG mission. Who knows?

[karynnj]

4. No fan of Glen Johnson, but it sounds like the story both came from Brown

and Brown made it mysterious. It would be strange to schedule a Senate trip right as they return from recess - with big issues like the debt ceiling facing them. You might be right on a JAG mission, but you would think that representing MA would be more important than anything he or any other JAG officer would do.

[Mass]

6. Still, he is reporting about a non story. Nothing forced him to do that.

Johnson could have waited to have the statement before rushing to be Brown's stenographer.

[karynnj]

7. Good point - especially now that I have seen the even more non story that was his statement

That he is requesting to do his two weeks of NG training in Afghanistan. I would not want to be the person to make that decision in the NG as it is a no win situation. I doubt the war effort benefits from his being there for two weeks and they get the added responsibility of protecting a US Senator. Not to mention, it would clearly be a photo op. Yet rejecting his idea might be portrayed as political.

Not to mention other papers seemed to be picking this up - including the NYT, where it sounds like they did not understand that it was for 2 weeks in the summer and for training, not duty. They do note that he put that out hours after Obama's announcement. ( http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/scott-brown-headed-to-afghanistan-for-national-guard-duty/ )

[karynnj]

5. His statement is out - he is requesting to do his 2 weeks of training this summer in Afghanistan

He says it will help him learn the situation first hand. This is not a deployment of his unit.

Just thinking - how high on the list of "what we really need to win this war" is having a person with no real experience, who is very prominent, hanging out in Afghanistan. Doesn't this put the MA NG in a weird position - as he is publicly asking for this? My take - he wants to run as a military officer.

Here's the link - http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2011/05/brown_requests.html

[ProSense]

8. Dude is a clown

Remember McCain's walking tours in Iraq?

[karynnj]

10. OMG - I had fotgotten until you mentioned it

Then the memory of him walking through a very heavily secured market place that had been exhaustively searched before McCain, with a protective vest went through with some other Republicans. He then spoke of how much safer it was. Later, it was reported than some of the merchants that he visited were killed in retribution.

But, Mike Pence, now thinking whether he should run for Governor or President, actually compared the markets to those in Indiana. Now I lived in Indiana for the first 22 years of my life - and even the worst areas, were NOT like Baghdad.