Beau Shouldn't Go to Iraq

I'm not surprised that Delaware's Attorney General Beau Biden has refused to accept an appointment to the US Senate. He turned down an appointment to the Attorney General's post when Jane Brady resigned the position to become a Superior Court judge. Beau wants to realize his political aspirations via the voting booth, not by virtue of his family name. He doesn't want special treatment. That speaks to his integrity.

Beau partly couched his refusal in terms of his deployment to Iraq:

“I will be fulfilling my military orders,” Biden said in an e-mail note sent late Monday, as he prepared to deploy overseas with the 261st Signal Brigade of the Delaware Army National Guard “I have not sought and will not accept an appointment to the United States Senate; and look forward to returning to my work as attorney general of the state of Delaware.” (link)

As far as I'm concerned, the more interesting question is should Beau Biden be deployed to Iraq. I don't think he should. In effect, I believe he should receive special treatment because he is now a special case. Here's why.

With his father's election to the Vice Presidency of the United States, Beau would constitute a security risk in Iraq. He could easily become a target for attack or kidnapping. That not only places him at higher level of risk than the usual soldier deployed to Iraq, but it also places those soldiers working with him at a higher level of risk as well as innocent Iraqis. Besides, if (heaven forbid) anything should happen to Beau Biden, the effect that it could have on the judgment of the Obama presidency respecting Iraq could be significant. Why create an unnecessary problem?

Beau should serve as long as his National Guard unit serves but elsewhere away from Iraq.

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