Republican Chickenhawk World Tour

Think Progress 04/06/08
During a public appearance on Saturday, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) belittled a U.S. soldier in Iraq who was following orders and wouldn’t let McHenry go to the gym without the proper credentials. McHenry referred to the guard as a “two-bit security guard“:

We spent the night in the Green Zone, in the poolhouse of one of Saddam’s palaces. A little weird, I got to be honest with you. But I felt safe. And so in the morning, I got up early — not that I make this a great habit — but I went to the gym because I just couldn’t sleep and everything else. Well, sure enough, the guard wouldn’t let me in. Said I didn’t have the correct credentials.

It’s 5:00 in the morning. I haven’t had sleep. I was not very happy with this two-bit security guard. So you know, I said, “I want to see your supervisor.” Thirty minutes later, the supervisor wasn’t happy with me, they escort me back to my room. It happens. I guess I didn’t need to work out anyway. More ...

Rep. McHenry, motivated by Bush's depiction of service in Iraq as ripe with romantic potential, joined a prestigious group of other congressional chickenhawks in an escorted, all-inclusive visit to the Green Zone. Protected from the random carnage of IEDs, Rep. McHenry's used this opportunity to pad his resume while impressing the folks back home recounting his fearless pilgrimage into the heart of the War on Terror.