Patrick McHenry (R-NC): Timeline of a Young Chickenhawk

Congressman Patrick McHenry is having a bad week. First, the bellicose, 32-year-old chickenhawk from North Carolina got in trouble for calling a Green Zone sentry a "two-bit security guard" while in Iraq--a statement for which he was later forced to apologize. As if that weren't bad enough, he's now in serious trouble for trying to act like a tough guy at the expense of U.S. troops in Baghdad.

On Friday April 4, the North Carolina Congressman assisted insurgents in Iraq and endangered American lives by bragging cluelessly about being rocketed in the Green Zone in a homemade video he posted on his own Congressional website. In the video, he related to anyone with an internet connection just how effective those rocket attacks had been. This is a huge no-no for anyone who's ever spent more than five minutes in a combat zone--and it's worthy of both censure and another apology.

Via McClatchy and the Charlotte (NC) Observer:

Pentagon tells lawmaker not to air Green Zone video again

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon told a North Carolina lawmaker Tuesday that he couldn't re-air a video he'd shot in Baghdad after accusations surfaced that he breached operational security in detailing enemy rocket attacks.

Those accusations were ones we made on VetVoice early Monday morning after we reviewed the video on Sunday:

In an effort to bolster his own national security credentials in the midst of "Sniper-gate," Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) gave away intelligence information last week that could have aided Shi'ite militias and/or other terrorist organizations in targeting the Green Zone. Only two days after McHenry promoted a video of himself in the Green Zone describing in detail the effectiveness of the rocket attacks on Easter Sunday, the area was hit with a barrage that killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded 17 others. It was the deadliest attack on the Green Zone so far this year.

The Charlotte Observer/McClatchy covered this on Wednesday morning:

On Monday, a veterans group called VoteVets.org accused McHenry of giving away intelligence information that could have aided terrorist organizations in targeting the Green Zone.

"The bottom line is that whoever launched that strike could take the information McHenry provided and use it to kill Americans in the Green Zone," wrote Brandon Friedman, vice chairman of VoteVets.org, a veterans advocacy group that has called for troop withdrawal and promoted veterans for political office. "This is why professionals operating in a combat zone are trained not to reveal any battle damage after an attack."

After Friedman's posting, McHenry's office pulled the video and sent it to the Pentagon for review.

At least that's his version. Here's the way I described it:

Once the video started appearing on sites like VetVoice, The Huffington Post, and AlterNet, McHenry's office immediately removed the video from both YouTube and his website, leaving the sites above with dead links. It's unclear as to whether McHenry had the video pulled out of a sense of new-found responsibility to America's Armed Forces, or whether he just thinks he can sweep the fact under the rug that he got caught trying to burnish his own foreign policy credentials at the expense of troops serving in combat.

By Tuesday morning, an apology from Patrick McHenry to the troops and their families would have gone a long way in defusing the situation. Unfortunately, none was forthcoming. On Tuesday afternoon, McHenry's office gave word that they'd released a statement on the video to the Weekly Standard, but as far as I know, that never appeared online. Instead, the next word from McHenry's office was revealed in the Charlotte Observer:

"The Congressman shot the video in the company of State Department and military personnel, and was not briefed on withholding its publication," his spokesman Wes Climer said in a written statement.

To me, that sounds like McHenry is blaming the Pentagon for not telling him to not post the video on his website. That's funny, because the Pentagon was quick to deny it in the same piece:

A Pentagon spokesman said he didn't know what McHenry was told in Iraq, "but we routinely brief our operational rules to our visitors in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Military officials went further:

"We do not as a matter of policy discuss attacks in a way that would provide the enemy any better understanding of the effectiveness of their attacks," said Lt. Col. Todd Vician.

A spokesman for the Multi-National Forces in Iraq said that he didn't know what the rules were for congressmen, but the military is not allowed to talk about battle damage.

Those statements above from the military are mild, but it's for a reason. In reality, they mask an inner frustration with politicians like Patrick McHenry. As I said on VetVoice this morning:

At this point, members of the military are tired of covering for these chickenhawk wannabe-heroes who go around looking for glory the easy way. We're tired of them starting wars they can't finish and we're disgusted with their enthusiasm to use a military which they don't understand in the slightest. To be quite honest, it's only because McHenry is a Congressman that the Pentagon and MNF-Iraq spokesmen were so lenient with him.

It's also the height of irony that, while McHenry is trying to dodge responsibility for promoting sensitive information for his own personal political gain, he's also the same guy who called for an investigation into a government "release of sensitive information" last year.

If Patrick McHenry wants to tell war stories so badly, he should resign his Congressional seat and go enlist. He's only 32. That way, he could get some training--so that next time he's in a combat zone trying to be a tough guy, he won't be such a bumbling, self-promotional fool about it.

At this point, Patrick McHenry should be censured by his peers in Congress and he should apologize to the troops and their families.

Follow Brandon Friedman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BrandonF

Comments

[Durango]

Further proof, as if any was needed, that you don't have to be smart to be a Congressman.

[SBL]

For all the bigots who want to congratulate all of NC on Patrick McHenry, or who think it's logical to equate one district in one area of one state in the Southeast with "the South:" thanks for the lesson in "How to think stereotypically in one easy step: don't think." Gee, I guess you won't mind if I judge all NY'ers on Gov. Spitzer, or all Oklahomans on Sen. Inhoffe or all Californians on Darrell Issa - would that be all right? Additionally, you further show your ignorance by writing things like "he'll probably be re-elected overwhelmingly." Seeing as how both the Republican he'll face in the primary and the Democrat that will face the Republican in the general, are veterans, and seeing as how a lot of people living in his district are unhappy with his tenure, I don't think you know what you're talking about. But what can I expect from a bunch of dumb clucks who would have George W. Bush as their president.

[wmfor]

It is refreshing to see an article on Rep. McHenry that doesn't mention the voting/fraud indictment of his aide and live-in boy friend or his involvement with the principles of the recent gay-related murder-suicide, or even the fact itself that McH is yet another of those self-loathing closeted gays who seem to be in the majority in the College Republicans.

Being gay myself, I have trouble understanding what motivates these twerps to live their lives as though it were still the 1950's: probably just greed and an insatiable lust for power.

By the way, I found it interesting that during his visit to the Green Zone the thing that really caused him to dis the "two-bit security guard" was that he wasn't allowed to use the gym at 5:00 am when he had insomnia. Talk about viewing the horrors of war close up!

[Bluedog12]

Did McHenry Intern for Mark Foley?

[noamjunior]

Congrats NC
for electing a congressman who is willing to put US soldiers at risk for his own political grandstanding and self -promotion
y'all must be sooo proud

[wmfor]

From the Congressman's web site:

"Today, Brigadier General James H. Trogdon, III present Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) with the National Guard’s Charles Dick Medal of Merit at an award ceremony in Shelby."

So the National Guard gave him the Dick Medal. Is there irony here?

[WilliePilgrim]

No worries...I'm sure he'll still be able to squeeze through the solid platinumn revolving door that congress has become. One thing, instead of looking like a regular revolving door, platinum covered and jewelled encrusted evidently, perhaps instead of a standard rectangular doorway it should resemble an anus thereby let our soon-to-transition professional elector class feel more at home.

[stupidme]

It's a Southern thing. He'll probably be re-elected overwhelmingly.

[Opus007]

I remember seeing McHenry for the first time on TV and after about 20 seconds- "It's astounding that a nit-wit like that could get elected to Congress." He is pathetic!

[normathumb]

Aren't you all ignoring his lapel pin?

[rich3324]

War is sweet to those who have no experience of it. But the experienced man trembles exceedingly in his heart at its approach.
Greek poet Pindar, 518-438 BC

McHenry you're an idiot.

[Deecarda]

I'm a resident of Hickory NC, though just outside McHenry's district. The little twerp is a showboater who has finally gone over the line. I've written to the editors at the Hickory Daily Record, a paper which virtually whitewashed this story & never mentioned the Pentagon rebuke. Please join me in a letter writing campaign to the Hickory Daily Record. This guy has to lose in '08.

[paulfromportland]

Well, well, this "GI-Joe two bit security risk" finally got to play Forward Observer - All he forgot to add was "Up two zero, left two zero, fire for effect" - Sounds as though he is ready for a Prime Time contributor spot with O'Arrogantone.

Love to see and hear him trying to explain this at Ft Bragg.

[rh654]

The Chickenhawks - and the people who vote for them are truly disgusting little people.

[SonnyBono]

Congressman McHenry - Robert Novak, Robert Novak - Congressman McHenry.