New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte is one of three U.S. Senators who appear to have fallen victim to some kind of hoax: A fake death photo of terrormaster Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a raid on his hovel in Pakistan last weekend. But the question on most Granite Staters’ minds is: Who showed Kelly the fake photo?
Ayotte sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee with Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), both of whom also appear to have been shown the fraudulent, and apparently convincing, photograph.
Ayotte has she taken a keen interest in the region where bin Laden was killed. She appears to have kindled a close working relationship with Gen. David Patraeus. She has immersed herself in the military situation in that part of the world. And her committee has oversight of our nation’s defense systems. In other words, Ayotte has access to high-level contacts and information over there; contacts whom we would assume are giving Sen. Ayotte and her colleagues straight facts.
Ayotte herself says she was shown the picture “by another Senator.” That’s a low bar – After all, Al Franken is a Senator. But so are serious men and women such as John McCain and Susan Collins. Were Ayotte, Brown and Chambliss the victims of a childish stunt or something more pernicious? Who is running a hoax by Senate Armed Services Committee members?
