Sen. Scott Brown is drafting legislation for a new “stolen valor” bill that punishes those who misrepresent their military service and pushing the issue in his latest radio ad. The ad works as a campaign issue by allowing Brown to stand up for servicemembers, highlight his own service in the National Guard, and even implicitly attack his opponent Elizabeth Warren.
“Con artists who claim for themselves distinctions and awards they don’t deserve should be held accountable. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, I feel strongly about protecting the honor of our military men and women,” Brown says in the state-wide radio spot that goes up Tuesday. “No one should be able to pose as someone they’re not to get benefits they don’t deserve.”
That last bit seems like a dig at Warren, who Brown has attacked for her claims of Cherokee ancestry, implying she may have used this minority status to get ahead in her career.
Brown’s new bill is a response to a Supreme Court decision in June which struck down a the Stolen Valor Act saying it violated free speech rights. Brown says his bill would satisfy the court’s concerns in this area. Brown is also holding a press conference and giving a Senate floor speech on the issue.
Here’s the spot, h/t Politico:
