Campaigns

The Pentagon has told North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry (R) not to re-post video on his website that the lawmaker shot in Iraq during a March trip, the Charlotte Observer reported.

McHenry is accused by the veterans group Vote Vets of breaching operational security by videotaping and posting video from an enemy rocket attack. On the video McHenry says a rocket "hit just over my head" and mentions two other locations struck by rockets. Following the complaint, McHenry's office took down the video.

From the Charlotte Observer:

On Friday, his Web site featured a video shot in the fortified section of Baghdad known as the Green Zone. McHenry could be seen gesturing to a building behind him and saying that one of 11 rockets "hit just over my head." Then he named two other places struck by the rockets.

On Monday, a veterans group called VoteVets.org accused McHenry of giving away intelligence information that could have aided terrorist organizations in targeting the Green Zone.

"The bottom line is that whoever launched that strike could take the information McHenry provided and use it to kill Americans in the Green Zone," wrote Brandon Friedman, vice chairman of VoteVets.org, a veterans advocacy group that has called for troop withdrawal and promoted veterans for political office.

A Pentagon spokesman told the Observer visitors are "routinely briefed" on operational rules. "We do not as a matter of policy discuss attacks in a way that would provide the enemy any better understanding of the effectiveness of their attacks," the spokesman told the paper.

Former New Hampshire congressional candidate Gary Dodds was sentenced to 20 days in jail Monday for faking his disappearance after a car crash two years ago. Dodds also had to pay the $20,500 to cover the money the state of New Hampshire spent looking for him.

While campaigning in April 2006, Dodds crashed his car and hid for 27 hours to draw attention to his campaign. Dodds spent at least part of the time inside soaking his feet in cold water to fake exposure.

During the trail, which concluded last month, prosecutors wanted to tell the jury that Dodds was with a woman with whom he was having an affair. The judge refused to allow any reference to the affair.

Following the fake disappearance, Dodds lost the primary to current Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D).