He loved to tell that same story about how he went on a junket to BFE-estan with Hillary, McCain, etc etc.  Wanted to make himself out to be a real buddy of the beautiful people on Capitol Hill I think.

Even more tone deaf, for a guy who needed to run as something of a conservative in this district, was his bringing in Senators McCain (which we can almost forgive, kinda) and Hagel (which was inexcusable) to help him campaign. Running in a GOP primary, he had to know that the GOP people knew the reputations of who he brought in, and what that said about him.

Joe got beaten by Tim Walberg in the primaries.  Tim isn't the best campaigner, and doesn't come off like a Congress-level politician.  An incumbent Congressman losing their primary is usually reserved for the Barbara Rose Collins- and Cynthia McKinney-types.