Keller @ Large: Moulton's Trip To Afghanistan Looks Like 'Especially Clueless' Publicity Stunt

BOSTON (CBS) – There are a lot of questions about Congressman Seth Moulton's trip to Afghanistan – including how much it cost the taxpayers to cover security and travel expenses and the biggest question of all: What was the point?

Moulton and Congressman Peter Meijer claim it was oversight of the mission there, but the only thing their "oversight" has produced so far is a photo of the crowd gathered at the airport gates, which adds nothing to our understanding of the situation.

Unless Moulton and Meijer can come up with more than that, this will go down as an especially clueless publicity stunt.

The sincerity of Moulton's concern for the military he served in so honorably is not in question but neither is his reputation as one of the most shameless grandstanders in Washington – from the botched 2018 effort to oust Nancy Pelosi as House speaker to his embarrassing presidential campaign last year.

Moulton's ability to get anything done in the House was already shredded by the failed Pelosi coup. Now, he's destroying what's left of it by violating congressional procedures governing trips like this.

WBZ-TV has confirmed that Moulton's office misled Worcester Congressman Jim McGovern, the powerful chairman of the House Rules Committee about why he needed McGovern to cast a proxy vote for him while he was jetting off to Kabul.

Moulton has a strong hold on his district, but you can't blame his constituents if they start to wonder about his ability to deliver for them in the House.