How much did Jan Brewer's "surreal" undercover trip cost the taxpayers of AZ and the US?

[DonRedwood]

I can think of no real reason why the governor of Arizona has any need to go to Afghanistan unless it is to bolster herself for a run for public office. Jan Brewer has nothing to add the war effort, she did nothing to bolster the troops, all that she did was cost the US taxpayers a whole heap of money so she could go sight seeing.

As Brewer screams for more cuts, as she dismantles democracy in her state, as they ignore votes of the people so their hand-picked religious zealots can achieve office, Brewer decided to go to Afghanistan.

Oh, wait... now it makes sense. She needed to see how it is done first hand so they get it right in their state.

1. Religious zealots all armed and ready to take over. Check.
2. Hard-lined Religious zealots taking over government and stopping voting, women's rights, education. Check.


Brewer wasn't checking on the war effort...she was seeing how fascists and zealots take over a country.

Now it all makes sense.....

[Scuba]

1. Yours is the only plausible explanation I've heard.

[DonRedwood]

2. Thank you. It is all that makes sense to me too

Unless she is having an affair with Taliban leadership....

[think]

5. your alternative explanation is plausible as well......

[DonRedwood]

6. two sides of the same coin

[Darly314]

54. She appears UNWELL

Perhaps a LONG rest is in order, YEARS in fact.......I want to know IF there was an unauthorized, INTENTIONAL touching, is this being reviewed by the State/District* attorney? There is no 'minimum' level for battery. Of course Dick "I had OTHER PRIORITIES than military service" Cheney shot a guy, and flew away..........

*Florida uses the term "State" Attorney, I do not know AZ legalese.

[Downwinder]

3. Did she get transport from the Air National Guard?

[DonRedwood]

4. I haven't seen the reports yet

She stopped in Washington to visit someone and then flew on to Afghanistan.

Just the cost of protecting her was probably half of what I make in a year...

[Ikonoklast]

37. She paid in chickens.

Lots of them.

[hack89]

19. I suspect she flew on a routine Air Force flight

like every other Governor has used when they flew to Iraq or Afghanistan.

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. Well ...

http://dynamic.azstarnet.com/comments/viewcommentsnew.php?id=/news/local/brewer-in-afghanistan-calls-war-unimaginable/article_2951ba85-859e-5743-a590-8a4b3ab60f0a.html&h=Brewer, in Afghanistan, calls war 'unimaginable'

From the comments to the on-line article, Arizonans are not much liking her trip ... all except for the usual suspects that excused her cutting of education, medicaid and refusing to set up a healthcare exchange, (and spit fire, whenever President Obama leaves the Whitehouse), who are trying to spin this as a patriotic mission that all elected officials should take.

[lonestarnot]

8. Not much has been said about the nutball that blew up the social security office here now that you

mention it.

[RoxyNexus]

51. Suspect in Social Security explosion to remain in custody

A U.S. District Magistrate ruled Wednesday that the man suspected of setting off an explosive device outside of a federal office building in CasaGrande last week will remain in custody as both a danger and a flight risk.

Magistrate David K. Duncan scheduled a preliminary hearing next Tuesday for AbdullatifAlyAldosary, 47, in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.

Duncan also appointed an attorney for Aldosary, but said the lawyer will have to keep track of hours worked on the case in the event that the $20,000 Aldosary has in a bank account can cover his legal fees.

Aldosary is accused of detonating an unknown explosive device about 8:30 a.m. Friday outside the U.S. Social Security Administration Building at 501 N. Marshall St.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/free/20121205social-security-explosion-suspect-set-court.html

[lonestarnot]

58. Thanks for the update. I missed it.

[Abnredleg]

9. Commanders are expected to visit their troops

She is the head of the Arizona National Guard, as is the governor of Missouri who is making the trip along with her, and I would argue that she has an obligation to visit her troops deployed to Afghanistan. A quick Google search reveals that in the past years many governors, both Democrat and Republican, have visited their troops in places such as the Balkans, the Middle East and Southwest Asia so it is not an out of the ordinary thing for a governor to do . As to costs, there is a constant stream of aircraft flying to and from Afghanistan so I doubt there were much in the way of additional costs.

Not to say that there aren't political benefits to visiting the troops in a combat zone but it is hardly a "surreal" trip.

[randome]

10. The only thing surreal about it, then, is that she kept it a secret.

[Abnredleg]

11. Security

She didn't keep it secret - the DOD kept it secret. Trips by politicians to war zones are typically quick in and out visits lasting a couple of hours with no advanced warning.

[randome]

13. Ah. Thanks for that.

[OldDem2012]

17. Sorry, but she's never publicly stated caring about "her" troops in the past....

....why would she start now unless she had a political motive for doing so?

[TwilightGardener]

18. They're under Centcom when they deploy. She isn't "commanding"

anybody when they're out of the state and called to active duty overseas. They're not "her troops" over there.

[OldDem2012]

21. Thank you. nt.

[hack89]

29. But the troops and the voters expect a visit.

I don't see what the big deal is - if we want our leaders to make informed decisions about wars and foreign then they need to venture outside the borders. Unless you expect them to take the military's word for what is going on.

[atreides1]

30. As if the troopps don't have enough on their plate

Now they have to be part of a dog and pony show, just so an outgoing politician can use them to pad her resume!

[hack89]

33. Speaking from experience it was never that big a deal

We would simply clean up a little extra and remind the troops not to say "fuck".

[julian09]

48. You are right about the DOG show part

she should have taken sheriff Joe with her and stayed.

[TwilightGardener]

36. Senators, Congressmen, Presidents, yeah. Governors are state-level.

I understand when they go out on trade/commerce trips and the like, but it's kind of silly that they would have anything to do with foreign war theatres. They can certainly visit the wounded and veterans when those folks come home. And edit to add: If Jan Brewer's doing it, you KNOW it's pointless.

[hack89]

42. When a state National Guard is deployed

then I do think they should visit. First of all because the governor is the state NG commander in chief and therefore has a responsibility to understand what they do and to see that his troops are being treated well. And secondly the voters expect the governor to care about their sons,daughters, fathers, mothers, etc - they trust local officials more than federal officials and they want to see their governor is involved.

I don't see what the big deal is - this has been happening forever and will continue as long as their are politicians.

[TwilightGardener]

49. The press made a big deal about "where in the world

is Jan Brewer". If it was routine and all govs do it, why the sudden fuss? Obviously she (or her staff) means to call attention to it, to further her political ambitions. Other than that, the NG stops being the responsibility of state governors on active-duty deployments. I don't expect my governor to go to Afghanistan, I think he should concern himself with state business--if there's any concern over treatment of troops on active duty deployments, that's a Congressman/Senator and DoD issue. So we disagree.

[hack89]

50. Because the MSM in Arizona are clueless idiots? That's my guess. nt

[Island Deac]

12. Who or what

Has made ANY sense from Arizona lately? Brewer? McCain? Cardinals?

[Ptah]

31. We now have more Democrats than Republicans in the US House.

[Art_from_Ark]

59. That is a bright spot

In contrast, in my home state, whose postal abbreviation is often confused as being that of your state, we now have Republican Congressman representing all 4 districts, the first time that has happened since Reconstruction

[Coyotl]

14. More details please on how taxpayers were defrauded?

You make mention of that and give no evidence, details, etc. I'm curious, are there any facts attached to this?

[Occulus]

32. Everything associated with the trip

It served no legitimate governmental purpose. They're not 'her' troops, she had nothing to add to the war effort, we have plenty of wounded soldiers here for her to exploit visit, etc., & etc.

Lots of legitimate questions, beginning with, why did she go?

[hack89]

44. She went because that's what governors do

when National Guard units from their state deploy.

Where have you been for last 10 years - there has been a steady stream of governors, Dem and Republican alike, visiting the war zone. It would be hard to find one who has not.

[HangOnKids]

34. Defrauded? That is your term

The OP states she used tax payer dollars for her trip, which is in fact true. The OP makes NO mention of defrauding. Interesting spin there from you.

[TwilightGardener]

15. That's a good question.

[hack89]

16. Many Governors have visited their state's National Guard troops in combat zones

It is a non-partisan issue.

More than 400 National Guard members from Arizona are serving in Afghanistan.

Then-Gov. Janet Napolitano made a similar unannounced trip to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007.

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/state/mystery-solved-arizona-gov-jan-brewer-made-unannounced-visit-to-afghanistan#ixzz2EI1XMTIM

[OldDem2012]

20. JMHO, but it's all about political posturing no matter the political party. nt.

[hack89]

27. Governor are the commander-in-chiefs of state NG units when not federalized

it can be argued they have a moral obligation to visit their troops overseas. As a soldier I would expect it.

[OldDem2012]

35. The governors command nothing when those troops are in combat zones overseas....

....as a soldier, I would be a lot more concerned about coming back unharmed than the posturing of some politician who will never be in my foxhole and may never have served in the military.

[hack89]

39. The troops and the voters expect it

that is why it happens. It is not a big deal.

[OldDem2012]

52. LOL! Oh, please. Nobody but politicians believe "the troops and voters expect it". nt.

[hack89]

53. What were your experiences while overseas?

every unit I was with expected and enjoyed such visits.

And I think you don't understand the bond between a state and it's National Guard or Reserve units. It is unlike regular army troops - these are citizen soldiers that are not separate from and unknown by the public. In RI every time a NG unit leaves or comes back the Governor and many political leaders are there.

[OldDem2012]

55. I was a Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer attached to the Marines...

...I saw the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs very close up for a period of about a week, and that was one time more than I ever saw a politician during my five years of active duty. Heck, I saw more French, Italian, and Spanish politicians overseas than I ever saw US politicians!

To be honest, I don't think you understand the extent to which politicians will resort to grandstanding on any issue, especially those involving the military. They don't give a crap about the troops, but they care a great deal about their public image.

I think we need to agree to disagree because you're not going to change my opinion on this subject and I'm not going to change yours.

[hack89]

56. OK nt

[TwilightGardener]

22. I think it's a pointless joke when ANY governor does it.

[LynneSin]

23. I know Jack Markell has visited Afghanistan and there are far less people from Delaware

serving than Arizona.

I'm no fan of Jan Brewer but her visiting Afghanistan is typical of any US Governor.

[lonestarnot]

24. If she wanted to visit wounded, she didn't need to leave the fucking state on our dime. We have

plenty right here she could have exploited for her idiocy.

[SidDithers]

25. She went to Afghanistan?...

Holy crap.

Sid

[hack89]

26. Janet Napolitano made an identical trip in 2007

since she had no valid reason to go either, I can only assume it was to learn from the Taliban in preparation for her job as head of the TSA.



Damn near every governor has made a trip to either Iraq or Afghanistan - especially when National Guard units from their state are deployed. Governor are the commander-in-chiefs of state NG units when not federalized - it can be argued they have a moral obligation to visit their troops overseas. T

[stonecutter357]

38. You

You seem concerned?

[hack89]

40. No - my point is that this type of visit is common

and is not a big deal.

I see people making a mountain out of a molehill because they don't like Jan Brewer. Why don't we see similar criticism when popular democrats do exactly the same thing?

[Sherman A1]

43. Agreed

Governor Nixon (D) of Missouri is either there or just completing a trip to visit the troops. This thread me thinks, is much ado about nothing.....

[peace13]

28. Could she be tracking her drug deliveries? n/t

[99Forever]

41. Don't you get it?

That austerity stuff is for the little people, not high rollers like self-important govs. Do you doubt that it was possible that Brewer might have been able solve the problem of Afghanistan by visiting there on your dime?

[JDPriestly]

45. Brewer in Afghanistan? Why? Why would a governor of Arizona want, much less need,

to go to Afghanistan?

If I lived in Arizona, I would be crying foul so loud that Brewer would have to resign. What a waste of tax money. And even if she paid for it herself, doesn't she have better things to do?

[Zorra]

46. Good point. What is the pressing need for the Governor of Arizona to spend our money

to pay for her travel expenses and accommodations on her little vacation in Afghanistan?

Is she an expert in military affairs, such as troop withdrawal? No, she is not.

What does this to for the people of the US, or the people of Arizona, who are also paying her incompetent ass while she is off on a useless spending spree.


And republicans would have us believe that they are interested in cutting government spending.

Considering this stupid little escapade, it is no wonder that Arizona is at the bottom, like 48th, in competency of all US state governments.

[AZ Lib]

47. I guess

Leather Lifts are expensive!!!

[Walk away]

57. Maybe she thinks that if she flies around the world backwards she can reverse the aging process....

that has ravaged her face. That sounds like republican science!