It was going so well at the Senate debate in Springfield on Wednesday night. It really was.
The moderator was doing this bizarre thing, only asking questions about policy. Elizabeth Warren acknowledged that Scott Brown had cast some good votes, but he wasn’t a dependable vote for women and the middle class. Scott Brown looked infinitely improved, saying he didn’t want to raise taxes on anyone in these tough times, especially not the vaunted “job creators.”
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Warren is simply being human. Once she got on the big stage she probably realized she could not prove her Native American heritage without some kind of PAPERS. She also, like Brown over and over again, noticed that she had a pale face. The Republicans are obsessed with papers and she probably realized some time ago that it's hard to prove a negative. And hey, I'm sure Brown went to Afghanistan purely for non-political reasons and I bet he personally killed many Taliban.
Over 2 dozen persons involved in hiring her have clearly stated on the record that Elizabeth Warren was hired on merit and not on 'Minority status'. Scott Brown has no document, no witness and nobody has come forward to support his ludicrous claims.
Scott Brown did not even do JAG work in Afghanistan. He stayed in a hotel for photo-ops.
Scott Brown's self accolades that are highly embellished should give the voting public great pause on reelecting him. He hides his neo-conservative views by pushing meaningless photo ops and tangled misleading statements. Yes he is human but he is a tribalist. With a pointing finger and a straight face declares he is for seniors and working people while all the time he is conferring with lobbyist and unethical corporate types to puff up his ego no matter what harm it brings to the working stiffs in this country. Yes his childhood was difficult but several family members have pointed out his arrogance, tendency for destructive behavior, and his propensity to embellish his accomplishments. These are too serious times to elect someone who likes to play Senator as an ego trip rather than to serve the public. His back ups are Grover Norquist, Karl Rove, Mitch McConnell, and Ralph Reed. These are not proper role models for this country.
I've been involuntarily mobilized 3 times since 9/11 as a Reservist & spent 14 months in AFG/surrounding areas. Over 800K other reservists & guard members have done the same, which makes his lack of deployment unusual. Brown's tourism at DOD expense is questionable, esp when he could have gone on Senate expense as official business. Question for Mr. McGrory to follow up on: did Brown claim a combat-zone income tax exclusion for the time he was in AFG? Did he bridge his 7 days in AFG over two months, thus doubling the tax exclusion?
Wonder which "kings and queens" he met with while "deployed"? What a narcisstic, self-deluding, obfuscating, obviously at the core insecure, stinkin' rotten liar.
McGrory: How dare you question his service. She has lied about her race and background, and you have the nerve to call him out on a "Technicality".
Weak!
He didn't question his service. He questioned his ability to tell the truth plainly and simply. In fact, he showed that Brown failed to tell the simple truth. He acknowledged Brown's service, but also Brown's spinning of a training detail.
She did not lie. Scott Brown lied about her. This is proven with over a dozen witnesses. Scott Brown's lies? Totally without document or witness.
You tell someone who really served in Afghanistan what is a technicality. Scott Brown spend over a hundred thousand dollars of the tax payers money on a photo op. How many members of the guard would like to stay in a cushy hotel in Kabul and do NOTHING.
While I do agree with the questionability of his "tour" in Afghanistan, he did clearly state in the debate that he did not see any action while there. He spoke about his speaking with military members over there who ha seen action. I think it's important to remember exactly how he stated his time there.
2 weeks is not serving.
Wearing combat gear for a photo op while staying in a cushy hotel is the worst kind of deception and insult to those who really made sacrifices.
Like Moderator Jim did during the debate, stick with the policy issues.
Wow, good point. McGory yacks about 'finally a debate about policy' and then jumps into this foolish 2 weeks isn't long enough for a JAG Lawyer - Senator to be in Afghanistan.
Brown has clearly stated that he did two weeks of service overseas on a trip to Afghanistan. While he could have used a different word other than "tour" during the heat of a debate, he told the truth. You can't compare his statement in the debate with the serial lying of Liz Warren. Scott Brown has been transparent about his National Guard service. Liz Warren refuses to release her Harvard Law School personnel records for good reason. She seeks to conceal that she fraudulently claimed Native American status. Brian, you are enamored with the leftist Messiah, Liz Warren, and will do anything to unfairly castigate Senator Brown. By the way Brian, have you done five minutes of national service?
Lying by calling a visit a tour of duty is still lying.
Scott Brown did not "Serve" in combat. He has consistently distorted the nature of his National guard service and how he became a cololnel remains a mystery except for who his Commander in Chief was for 4 years (mitt romney).
Scott Brown lied about Elizabeth Warren's application to work at Harvard without a document or a witness. Professors are not hired based on "Minority Status" and only a fool would believe him. While he has no witnesses to his lie, over 2 dozen persons involved with hiring Elizabeth in the past three universities have stepped forware to state she was hired on her merit and minority status was never even discussed. So 0 witness for Brown - 2 dozen for Warren. Fraud is using something for profit, she did not.
She is not a "Leftist" - in fact her policies would have been considered moderate Republican before the Koch Brothers raped the GOP and duped sad people such as yourself.
From a swivel chair behind a desk in Boston, it's damned easy to minimize the service of others. I was taught that ALL service, stateside or overseas, in a combat zone or in the rear, was HONORABLE service. Period.
Scott Brown did not serve in Afghanistan. He did not even do JAG work which is his mission. He stayed in a hotel and pranced around in the parking lot wearing combat gear. That's it.
Service that is dihonorable is not honorable. He wasted the tax payers money to promote himself. He used his office for that. He achieved his rank through politics, not earning it.
...and Prof Warren served where, exactly? Fort Sill? Not!...Brattle (well, it sounds like battle) Street?
SHE never said that she did.
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Scott Brown calculated this move and requested to go to Afghanistan for political gain.
He has insulted the middle classmen and women that get called to Afghanistan, and have to stay there for a tour of duty.
Scott went for two weeks, and as the piece points out, it was more as a visit. And as a US Senator, a very well protected and planned "visit".
Scott should be ashamed of himself.
This type of political calculation runs through Brown's entire time as a Senator. He clearly is no independent, as evidenced by signing the non-legal and highly partisan Norquist Pledge. This Pledge means that Scott is incapable of compromise or reaching across the aisle on debt issues.
He also regularly and inaccurately declares that the recession is 3.5 years old. In essence, he is partisanly blaming the recession on President Obama. The recession was in full swing prior to Obama even winning the nomination.
Finally, Scott Brown regularly cites right wing partisan institutions for his "facts".
The man is no independent. If he was, he'd be running as in Independent. What he is, is a calculating liar.
SB in a nutshell:
nar·cis·sism [nahr-suh-siz-em]noun
1. inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Synonyms: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.McGrory, how many weeks did you spend in Afghanistan? I have not been there but I can tell you that the guys that are and were there appreciate this short time in country and would take exception for you spekaing for them. Stick to Hingham bashing, I actually enjoy those articles. Peace!
how many weeks did Brian McGrory claim to have spent in Afghanistan? To my knowledge, none. This piece is actually about the myth that Scott Brown has built about himself. Problem is, much of it isn't really true, or stretches the truth.
Thank you, Brian McGrory! I have been wondering for a very long time how Scott Brown has managed to be in the National Guard for THIRTY-TWO years without ever being deployed while so many soldiers have left young families to serve not once, but several times. This is the Scott Brown who was retired from the military because he was passed over TWICE for promotion, which results in mandatory retirement. Then, VOILA! He is reinstated after he became a U.S. Senator. What is the truth on this one, Scott? You question the veracity of Ms. Warren? Seems you need to do a bit of looking in the mirror for something other than admiring yourself.
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lesvalseuses, check out the report here. It tells the story. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/25/1136075/-Scott-Brown-Release-the-Details-Of-Your-Mysterious-Reinstatement-Back-Into-the-National-Guard
Just curious Brian.....how much time and effort have you been willing to dedicate to military service?
If the answer is NONE.....then you have no grounds to criticize someone who has been willing to do so in an honorable fashion. That applies to Scott Brown or any member of the armed services......You really showed your lack of integrity with this piece and the Boston Globe should be ashamed of you.
Your argument is that only those who have served are allowed to comment on the service of others, even if those others are running for office? Don't those who serve do so in part to protect American ideals such as free speech, and a free press?
It is one thing to serve ala draft when you have no say in whether or not you could potentially die for you country. It's another to willfully volunteer where you make it your option to enter military service.
For some reason, it is implied that those that serve are somehow above any criticism. Of course one only needs to read the history of the Swift Boating of John Kerry to understand the incredible double standard applied to the "Those that served" mentality.
I wish the subset of Brown supporters who keep harping on Ms. Warren's ethnicity would give it up already. I think this has been addressed to death, and her employers swear that whatever her heritage it had no bearing on her hiring, which is the point of their objections, I believe. To continue these disproven objections makes them all look like racists who can't engage in any kind of meaningful debate around their own candidate's shortcomings. Oh, wait... it doesn't look like they can.
For once, I'd like to see a Brown supporter say Yeah, two weeks in Afghanistan out of harm's way should not be equated with actual soldier service, and yeah, it's not fair to think that a civilian woman like Warren would have access to the same opportunities and we shouldn't compare the two. But he did go and he did get to see more of what's going on there than someone who hasn't. Is that so very hard to do? I just did it; it was pretty easy. I'm still in my bathrobe, in fact.
Brian, thanks for calling this one out. When Senator Brown made that statement during the debate, my jaw dropped. When he first came on the scene, I actually had some respect for him, but as he desperately tries to keep his seat, his behavior has become increasingly unseemly. For this man to equate his stay in Afghanistan to what the men and women who actually "serve" there was contemptable.
This is not political. If you want to vote for SEN Brown, go right ahead. But here are the facts of this discussion. I am a 57 year old Naval Reservist. I have been in 27 years and was mobilized to Afghanistan for one year in 2009. Since 2001 over 70% of members of the Guard and Reserve force have been mobilized in support of GWOT. The most surprising fact is a majority of people mobilized have been volunteers. If you want to go, you went. All ranks and MOS have been mobilized. The fact that SEN Brown was promoted to O6 without being mobilized, without having a command billet and serving in a billet below his pay grade is unbelievable. Somewhere there probably a NG O5 who probably has all those qualifications and still is an O5. Openings in the military are billet driven. You can not get promoted unless there is a job waiting. They will not make 10 Colonels unless there are 10 Colonels billets available. Do you know SEN Brown was given a Army Commendation Medal for giving a speech in D.C. one day. An ARCOM is not the highest medal but it is significant. I had a friend that I served in Afghanistan and he got an ARCOM when I was there. He was jogging on an Afghanistan Army Base with three other Sailors. They were attacked by an ANA solider (two were killed). He ran for assistance since they were un-armed he then ran back and provided first aid to his fallen friends. He was awarded an ARCOM for that. Who knew he only had to give a speech to receive that same medal. If you want to vote for SEN Brown do so but don’t use his military record as a reason.
When Brown brings up his military status, Warren tells us that her brothers served. That is what pols do. They tell people what they want to hear. Debates change very few people's minds. Columnist get the most out of debates because it gives them something to write about.
Well I think if Prof Warren believes she is an American Indian, then I believe the Senator served in Afganistan. What matter how long? Let's give him the same respect we are asked to give Ms. Warren.
Brown "served" in Afghanistan on his way to meet with the Queen!
"These kinds of questionable claims are becoming all too much the norm" ... ok, now you are talking about Warren.
Nice job "Swift Boat" McGory, turn Brown's obvious strength over Warren into a weakness. Rove would be proud.
You realize you're talking to yourself, right?
Do we call politicians who tour a war zone veterans of the conflict? Of course not and that is what Senator Brown has done. He toured a war zone in great comfort for two weeks and now he is not only a possible new member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars but he is also one of the many soldiers with gear in the rear who came home and told illustrious yarns throughout history. In Vietnam these play soldiers were called remfs and the first two words are rear echelon. People who play at tragedy make me sick.
Actually he can NOT become a member of the VFW or American Legion because he is NOT a veteran! In order to become a Vet you need 90 days of service on active duty. Sorry Scotty your 10 days do not count!
There are reporters who saw more action than Brown in Afghanistan.
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What's the word my 16 year old daughter uses? Dad, he's just a poser. Nuffsaid.
This is not political. If you want to vote for SEN Brown, go right ahead. But here are the facts of this discussion. I am a 57 year old Naval Reservist. I have been in 27 years and was mobilized to Afghanistan for one year in 2009. Since 2001 over 70% of members of the Guard and Reserve force have been mobilized in support of GWOT. The most surprising fact is a majority of people mobilized have been volunteers. If you want to go, you went. All ranks and MOS have been mobilized. The fact that SEN Brown was promoted to O6 without being mobilized, without having a command billet and serving in a billet below his pay grade is unbelievable. Somewhere there probably a NG O5 who probably has all those qualifications and still is an O5. Openings in the military are billet driven. You can not get promoted unless there is a job waiting. They will not make 10 Colonels unless there are 10 Colonels billets available. Do you know SEN Brown was given a Army Commendation Medal for giving a speech in D.C. one day. An ARCOM is not the highest medal but it is significant. I had a friend that I served in Afghanistan and he got an ARCOM when I was there. He was jogging on an Afghanistan Army Base with three other Sailors. They were attacked by an ANA solider (two were killed). He ran for assistance since they were un-armed he then ran back and provided first aid to his fallen friends. He was awarded an ARCOM for that. Who knew he only had to give a speech to receive that same medal. If you want to vote for SEN Brown do so but don’t use his military record as a reason.
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