If nothing else, he’s a liar.
Right now, John Brownlee is battling Ken Cuccinelli (and David Foster for that matter) for the Republican nomination for Attorney General.
In a single bio on a single website, Cuccinelli’s bio notes that he served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. A couple of Brownlee’s loony-ass blog supporters started a swan-song wondering why Cuccinelli doesn’t mention his Marine Corps service more often, and, ipso facto, he must be lying about it.
As Virginia Virtucon noted a couple days ago, Cuccinelli was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant following completion of the Marine Corps’s Office Candidate School (OCS) at Quantico; was deactivated while he completed law school; and after he got his JD, the Marine Corps determined that they had enough lawyers. Cuccinelli requested a transfer to infantry, which was denied, and he was RIFed (reduction in force) out of the Corps. Cuccinelli doesn’t consider his service in the Marine Corps remarkable and as significant as compared to those that fought and died for this country while in the Corps and the other branches of the military. Now, those same loony-ass Brownlee supporters are demanding that Cuccinelli release his military records to prove this.
Brownlee is going around claiming that he is the only veteran that’s running for Attorney General this year (Virginia Virtucon again [different link]). If Cuccinelli was to point out that he served in the Marine Corps, completed OCS, and was then discharged, he would come off as being petty.
The fact that Brownlee is also claiming to be the only veteran running for AG also begs this question: Why are his loony-ass blog supporters attacking Cuccinelli’s Marine Corps service? As Shaun Kenny points out (Id. in comments section), the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
Ironically those same Brownlee supporters aren’t demanding that Brownlee release his own military records. However, since they won’t, I am. How do we know that Brownlee was in the United States Army? Are we to trust him at his word when Riley at Virginia Virtucon has already shown him to be a liar?
Of course, even if Brownlee does release his military records, I’m not voting for him if he’s the Republican nominee come November.
“Cuccinelli doesn’t consider his service in the Marine Corps remarkable and as significant as compared to those that fought and died for this country while in the Corps and the other branches of the military”
That is pretty damn insulting to all veterans who served in peace time. I would like to hear Ken say that himself instead of his loony ass bloggers.
Kilo, stop twisting Cuccinelli’s words and my interpretation of them. Cuccinelli served for only a few months on active duty in the Corps, less than the mandatory two years for any enlisted personnel; he doesn’t consider it noteworthy.
By the way, got a copy of Brownlee’s military records yet?
What a tool you are! Where is it proven that Brownlee is a liar? I don’t believe Riley even believes this. I’ll ask him. Great move to criticize a Ranger’s military service. Please do call him a “clown” when you see him next.
Where is it proven that Cuccinelli is a liar? If Cuccinelli has to release his military records, then tit-for-tat, so does Brownlee.
It’s really nice to see that the Republican Party has been completely taken over by conspiracy theorists. Let me guess, you guys think that Barack Obama isn’t a citizen, right?
It hasn’t been proven that Cuccinelli’s a liar. I never made that assertion. I intially asked a question, based on conflicting biographical sketches from Cuccinelli. He then supposedly gives a statement to Shaun Kenney explaining the discrepancy. Many vets that I know, and who have commented about this, doubt the explanation. The defensiveness of the Cuccinelli camp on this is extreme and makes me suspicious. You seem to be a suspicous kind of guy, I would think you would appreciate a little helthy cynicism. Brownlee had a distinguished military career, I’m sure he would have no problem releasing his records – feel free to contact his campaign. Of course, far is far, so let’s see Cuccinelli’s at the same time. I’m sure a press conference could be arranged.
Oh, and Kilo, if anyone insulting people that served during peacetime in the military, it’s John Brownlee. He obviously doesn’t seem to think Cuccinelli’s short stint in the Marine Corps counts, otherwise he wouldn’t be calling him the only veteran running for AG.
Lets see that Brownlee quote on Cooch’s service Watson, or are you a liar?
I don’t need to see his record. It is well documented in the press. Maybe you should ask some of the Veterans and Veterans Groups he has addressed here in SWVA.
Loudoun Insider, wow, that’s just great; you heard some stuff from people that “you know”. I’m just full of coincidence when some guy using a pseudonym on the Internet states something based on the knowledge of his touted experts. Hell, it works for the folks at Loose Change.
Kilo, are you incapable of reading? From “The Brownlee Report” in e-mail: “John told the crowd that he is the only veteran running in the race for Attorney General, and that he and Bob McDonnell are the only two veterans in either party running for statewide office this year.” Would you like me to send you a copy of that e-mail so you won’t read that as well?
Kilo believes the liberal media…
Folks, calm down. Most folks who knew Cuccinelli in passing had no idea that he was in the Marines. He does not include it on his bio normally. As a matter of fact, I think it is to his credit that Cuccinelli doesn’t try to dig up every single thing from his background to put in his bio. (One candidate in Florida once put down that he made all “A” grades in school from first grade through college, and that he had a perfect score on his SAT, etc.)
Even if someone does not consider Cuccinelli’s Marine Corp commision as miliatry service, what is really important is this: Cuccinelli was willing to serve, made every effort to serve his country.
But Brownlee can’t be faulted for not knowing about Cuccinelli’s military service–in my own informal poll, I couldn’t find a Cuccinelli supporter who knew it before this week.
“conflicting biographical sketches”
There you go again LI. Show me where Ken EVER stated in any bio that he was never commissioned in the USMC and you’ll have a conflict. Otherwise he’s been totally consistent on the record of his military service!
“Brownlee had a distinguished military career, I’m sure he would have no problem releasing his records – feel free to contact his campaign”
You mean like you contacted Ken’s campaign anytime before or after you posted your leading innuendo trying to smear Ken’s record??? NOT! I’ll bite though. If John Brownlee is willing to make public all of his personnel records in military and federal service I’m sure Ken would be willing to release his DD214 (probably his only record available given his short stint in the service, if he even has it).
What’s even funnier is that John Brownlee is claiming his military service as a major part of his qualifications.
Problem is, he got the Justice Department to get him off active duty during the War, so he only served three months while the rest of his unit served out their full year tour:
http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/John_Brownlee_early_release_from_duties_in_US_Army%2C_1_May_2009
Wikileaks has posted John Brownlee’s military docs, and they show that he:
A. Was on active duty for a year, when he kept acting as US Attorney and therefore broke the law.
B. He got the Justice Department to get him off of active duty early – only served three months.
John Brownlee, the military veteran who went home early.