NYT: "Richard Blumenthal's Words on Vietnam Service Differ From History"

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sciwizam

sciwizam

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Oct 22, 2004
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At a ceremony honoring veterans and senior citizens who sent presents to soldiers overseas, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut rose and spoke of an earlier time in his life.


“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Mr. Blumenthal said to the group gathered in Norwalk in March 2008. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”


There was one problem: Mr. Blumenthal, a Democrat now running for the United States Senate, never served in Vietnam. He obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war, according to records.
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Say hello to our old friend, "misspoke". Bet, we'll hear that a lot in the coming election season.

Although, I've read some say that it's common knowledge in Connecticut that Blumenthal didn't serve in Vietnam. Can Connecticutians clarify?
 
JSt0rm

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
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I don't understand why politicians think they have to of served in war time to get votes. Its dumb. This guy should lose just because he thought he needed to lie about this ha!
 
Thump553

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,837
2,622
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sciwizam said:
* * *
Although, I've read some say that it's common knowledge in Connecticut that Blumenthal didn't serve in Vietnam. Can Connecticutians clarify?
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Extremely common knowledge, it's part of his official biography that he "served" in the Reserves during Vietnam ala George Bush). As a male that lived through the Vietnam era (and escaped only by virtue of an incredibly high draft lottery number) I will not criticize those who sought to avoid that war, nor condemn those who feld to Canada, nor condemn those who served. I have close friends in all three categories, and all are united by their condemnation of the useless futility that was Vietnam. Vietnam accomplished absolutely nothing but almost tear American society apart. Also, none of this generation want to relive the Vietnam controversy again.

BTW the New York Times got this story via a leak from the campaign of Linda McMahon, GOP Senate candidate/co-owner of professional wrestling. She's trying to buy her way into the Senate-not that pro wrestling and the Senate wouldn't be a natural, if useless, fit.

I'm no fan of Blumenthal (it's a truism in CT that the most dangerous place is between him and a TV camera) but he is heads and shoulders above his competition, quality wise.

It will be interesting to see Blumenthal's response today.
 
E

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
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Thump553 said:
Extremely common knowledge, it's part of his official biography that he "served" in the Reserves during Vietnam ala George Bush). As a male that lived through the Vietnam era (and escaped only by virtue of an incredibly high draft lottery number) I will not criticize those who sought to avoid that war, nor condemn those who feld to Canada, nor condemn those who served. I have close friends in all three categories, and all are united by their condemnation of the useless futility that was Vietnam. Vietnam accomplished absolutely nothing but almost tear American society apart. Also, none of this generation want to relive the Vietnam controversy again.

BTW the New York Times got this story via a leak from the campaign of Linda McMahon, GOP Senate candidate/co-owner of professional wrestling. She's trying to buy her way into the Senate-not that pro wrestling and the Senate wouldn't be a natural, if useless, fit.

I'm no fan of Blumenthal (it's a truism in CT that the most dangerous place is between him and a TV camera) but he is heads and shoulders above his competition, quality wise.

It will be interesting to see Blumenthal's response today.
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I am not criticizing him for what he did during the way - I am criticizing him for lying about it. If it was a small blunder I would understand but there is no way he could forget that he didn't actually go to Vietnam and fight
 
cubeless

cubeless

Diamond Member
Sep 17, 2001
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but he's a 'brilliant lawyer'... he'll probably have an argument that he's technically correct...
 
cubeless

cubeless

Diamond Member
Sep 17, 2001
4,295
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Blackjack200 said:
Maybe he took a job as waiter at a Saigon bistro after the war? :hmm:
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he'll say he was paraphrasing 'vietnam era' when he says 'vietnam'... and he 'came home' from his postings in other states to conn...

maybe this will make harvard and yale talk about throwing in a couple more ethics classes like they do when their famous grads keep getting shown for the scumbags they learned to be there...
 
Thump553

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,837
2,622
136
IceBergSLiM said:
All ct candidates suck so far.
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I won't violently disagree, but Blumenthal is the best of the lot by a long stretch. Heck, he might even be above the hold your nose while voting standard. He's been the most popular politician in CT for a couple of decades and has never had any significant problems until now. Maybe this blunder will deflate his tremendous ego some, which could only be a good thing. He's been an excellent attorney general but quite prone to overclaiming credit (but what politician isn't)?
 
I

Infohawk

Lifer
Jan 12, 2002
17,844
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Dirty. It would be one thing if he used "we" in one mistake, but based on NY Times examples there's a pattern of suggesting he served IN Vietnam.

It's one thing to be a privileged combat-dodger. It's another thing to try to act like you made a sacrifice other people really did.
 
werepossum

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
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It's well known that Blumenthal repeatedly lies about having served in Vietnam - he evidently has some sort of military fetish - but having it printed in the NY Times will make it hard for the mainstream media and Democrats (but I repeat myself) to ignore. Frankly I'm surprised and impressed that in Connecticut it's considered politically a positive to have served in Vietnam.

Thump553 said:
SNIP
I'm no fan of Blumenthal (it's a truism in CT that the most dangerous place is between him and a TV camera) but he is heads and shoulders above his competition, quality wise.
SNIP
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All, the valiant yellow dog howls at the beauty of the 'D'.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
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to lie and claim you served in a war when you did not is low. to use such claims to help yourself win election is just plain disgusting.
 
G

Gonad the Barbarian

Lifer
Oct 16, 1999
10,490
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I just saw a bit on this on the nightly news, where they also showed a clip from a debate where he specifically states he did not serve in Vietnam. If you're going to lie about something, at least be consistent about it.
 
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