In some ways, Rubio, with his self-righteous protests that Obama did not consult him *a VERY junior Senator) before he changed immigration policy, is similar. They both have very inflated egos.

I just have a simpler explanation. Scott Brown cannot be trusted. He lies.

He’s a fake.

It appears to me that Scott Brown’s obsessive focus on the false claim that Ms. Warren inflated her credentials is a projection of his own false claims of power and influence. I think “liar” is perhaps inaccurate — I suspect his claims are instead a confabulation.

I think the earlier characterization as delusional is apt. A lie is a false statement, knowingly and intentionally made, usually in pursuit of some conscious purpose. A confabulation is a false statement that the speaker genuinely believes to be true.

I think Scott Brown believes he is powerful and influential. I think he needs to believe that. I think this need fuels his delusions and motivates these objectively untrue assertions. This need to feel powerful and influential is common among abuse survivors. Sadly, all too often it leads to abuse itself (which is one reason why abuse survivors all too often become abusers themselves).

I am as uncomfortable with “armchair diagnosis” like this as anyone else — I would much prefer the campaign to focus on issues. Nevertheless, since the candidate so relentlessly directs his media exposure to this topic, then there is little alternative but to address it.

First, we learn that he plagiarized his values statement.
Now, we learn that he consistently made false claims about meeting with Kings and Queens.

Brown’s current and consistent lies to Massachusetts voters is definitely far worse than even the most ridiculous claim about Warren’s heritage. So you are finally right about something. They are not equal.

Scott Brown has a huge character flaw. He’s a liar.

And also, let’s not equate this apparent rhetorical exaggeration, which was obviously an attempt to convey the general true fact that he’s been very working hard and having important meetings with top foreign leaders, to Warren’s deliberate act of checking a box in a minority law professor directory used by schools to recruit minorities to their faculty.