The longer this controversy goes on about Ct Attorney Richard Blumenthal’s false claims that instead of ducking Vietnam duty, he actually served in Vietnam, the more disgusted I get as some of the Connecticut media.
The Courant’s editorial today said:
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal probably staunched the bleeding in his campaign for the Senate by apologizing Sunday for misrepresenting the nature of his military service during the Vietnam era.
On a few occasions over the past several years, he has said he served “in” Vietnam, or words to that effect, when in reality he had won five draft deferments and then served Stateside in the Marine Corps Reserves. More often than not in public he has accurately depicted his service record.
But he owed Vietnam veterans, especially, an apology for the few times he suggested he served in a combat role and for soft-pedaling the use of misleading language as “misspeaking.”
The apology came late, after the issue had festered and undermined his campaign for almost a week. He did the right thing by finally clearing the air.
As far as I and most people who understand English and logic, Blumenthal has done ANYTHING BUT clear the air.
As a politician and a lawyer, Blumenthal uses carefully selected words to continue to misrepresent his military intentions in 1970 as well as his blatant claims to veteran groups – when television cameras were not around – to repeatedly say and suggest he wore his Marine uniform in Vietnam.
Here are the facts:
Blumenthal sought and received at least five military deferments.
Blumenathal – who was working in the Nixon White House – had a low draft number and knew there were plans to end work deferments, meaning he would get drafted and probably end up in Vietnam.
Blumenhthal – like others on the draft list – knew that no reserve unit ever got sent to Vietnam and there were no plans to change that policy.
All reserve units, for that very reason, had waiting lists.
Blumenthal got into the Washington D.C. Marine Reserve Unit and NEVER was sent to Vietnam.
His good friend U.S. Representative Chris Shays told the New York Times that he was concerned because as time went by, when the two shared the podium at small veteran events, Blumenthal repeatedly claimed Vietnam service and as the years went by embellished his military record.
Blumenthal to this day has not categorically denied all these facts.
Now this was Blumenthal’s latest statement on this issue which his PR person gave as an email to The Courant at the newspaper’s request Sunday evening:
“At times when I have sought to honor veterans, I have not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserve.
“I have firmly and clearly expressed regret and taken responsibility for my words.
“I have made mistakes and I am sorry. I truly regret offending anyone. I will always champion the cause of Connecticut’s and our nation’s veterans.”
I would like someone to point out where he apologized for INTENTIONALLY lying to veterans, and then repeatedly twisting the truth once the New York Times outed him on May 17.
CtMirror’s political reporter Mark Pazniokas, former Courant political writer, could also be a little more precise about the crucial facts in this case:
“Richard Blumenthal’s U.S. Senate campaign gave mixed messages Monday about the damage inflicted by a week-old controversy over characterizations of his Vietnam-era military record.”
“The previously defiant Blumenthal abruptly apologized for telling audiences he served in Vietnam, while his campaign advisers said that days-old internal polling shows that he is weathering the storm.
Again, how did he apologize for telling audiences he served in Vietnam? By carelessly using language, we fall into the spin that Blumenthal and his team is carefully turning.
Click here for the whole column.
Ever since Jack Zaiman, the Courant has been a>> kissing politicians.
So what’s new?:
No Blumenthal opponent will accept any mea culpa from our Attorney General, so comments such as the above should come as no surprise.
Let me summarize the letter I had published in the Connecticut Post last week to this point. I was in college at the same time as Mr. Blumenthal. I, like he, and like many, many young men, enjoyed 2S status (a deferment). And, like Mr. Blumenthal, I, too, joined a reserve unit when the reason for my deferment no longer existed.
The fact is that deferments were simple administrative matters, not political issues, throughout the Vietnam War. Further, it must be recalled that Chris Shays, Dick Cheney and George Bush were among our generation’s leaders who also enjoyed multiple deferments.
Did Mr. Blumenthal misspeak? Certainly. But to shrink a remarkably accomplished record of service to Connecticut down to a single purloined video clip is more than over the top.
One cannot help but think the above article has a political point. Let us assume Linda McMahon is the intended beneficiary, since it was her campaign that made the video public. It is fair to ask what value Ms. McMahon has provided to this state? And meanwhile, it appears that the more substantive Republican, Rob Simmons has pulled out of a primary because he cannot raise the $50 million she is reported to be willing to pay to buy her Senate seat.
I am at a loss to understand how a person with such a sparse public resume, a woman living on money garnered from offering a hokey, steroid enhanced psuedo-sport has to contribute to the public discussion. To place this in perspective, she has already paid the equivalent of $35 for every registered Republican in this state.
Please, let’s move on. Let’s have a more tempered debate that focuses on the candidates differences on the issues of the day.
It’s more than one video clip.It is several occasions where he “misspoke”about his service during the Vietnam War.Do we still call it misspoken when the same thing is said on multiple occasions?Where I come from that’s a flat out lie.As a lifelong CT resident I’ve witnessed what Blumenthal has done and his record is far from sparkling.He loves to ride coat tails and has a sick need to be in front of the media.I hope my fellow residents don’t vote this pinnochio in.
I completely agree with you. As do many seeing as how his popularity has hardly wavered based on reported poll results. And I can’t stand McMahon.
I agree – Blumenthal hasn’t applogized or explained why he lied to CT voters about his war service record. I saw his late night email as a cheap pr tactic and the CT newspapers that printed he applogized for lying have only offered readers headlines that don’t reflect the facts.
DITTO, see comment #13 at:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/blumenthal-is-on-the-air-in-connecticut/
Since comment 13 was posted at NYT, the Facebook page of the Advocate Reporter with the list of politicians she “likes,” mentioned in the comment, has altered her page. She had a few lists on her public page, including a list of five politicians she liked. Lamont, Blumenthal and others were on it. Now she has just one list, and says she likes liberals and Blumenthal. Not a big difference. Independence still out the window.
Oops, correction. She lists she now likes Blumenthal and the Facebook page “Being Liberal”
But just a few days ago it said this:
“Betsy Yagla likes:
Politicians
Richard Blumenthal
Dan Malloy
James Richetelli, Jr.
WYMAN 2010
Ned Lamont “
AG Blumenthal continues to lie.George Gombossy is right on the money.Unfortunately, the Htfds. Courant is giving him a free pass. Blumenthal has a serious character flaw an d obviously can’t be trusted.