View Full Version : I was in Country.....with at least 5 deferments
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html?pagewanted=print
May 17, 2010
Candidate’s Words on Vietnam Service Differ From History
By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
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.
The deferments allowed Mr. Blumenthal to complete his studies at Harvard; pursue a graduate fellowship in England; serve as a special assistant to The Washington Post’s publisher, Katharine Graham; and ultimately take a job in the Nixon White House.
In 1970, with his last deferment in jeopardy, he landed a coveted spot in the Marine Reserve, which virtually guaranteed that he would not be sent to Vietnam. He joined a unit in Washington that conducted drills and other exercises and focused on local projects, like fixing a campground and organizing a Toys for Tots drive.
Many politicians have faced questions over their decisions during the Vietnam War, and Mr. Blumenthal, who is seeking the seat being vacated by Senator Christopher J. Dodd, is not alone in staying out of the war.
But what is striking about Mr. Blumenthal’s record is the contrast between the many steps he took that allowed him to avoid Vietnam, and the misleading way he often speaks about that period of his life now, especially when he is speaking at veterans’ ceremonies or other patriotic events.
Sometimes his remarks have been plainly untrue, as in his speech to the group in Norwalk. At other times, he has used more ambiguous language, but the impression left on audiences can be similar.
In an interview on Monday, the attorney general said that he had misspoken about his service during the Norwalk event and might have misspoken on other occasions. “My intention has always been to be completely clear and accurate and straightforward, out of respect to the veterans who served in Vietnam,” he said.
But an examination of his remarks at the ceremonies shows that he does not volunteer that his service never took him overseas. And he describes the hostile reaction directed at veterans coming back from Vietnam, intimating that he was among them.
In 2003, he addressed a rally in Bridgeport, where about 100 military families gathered to express support for American troops overseas. “When we returned, we saw nothing like this,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “Let us do better by this generation of men and women.”
At a 2008 ceremony in front of the Veterans War Memorial Building in Shelton, he praised the audience for paying tribute to troops fighting abroad, noting that America had not always done so.
“I served during the Vietnam era,” he said. “I remember the taunts, the insults, sometimes even physical abuse.”
Mr. Blumenthal, 64, is known as a brilliant lawyer who likes to argue cases in court and uses language with power and precision. He is also savvy about the news media and attentive to how he is portrayed in the press.
But the way he speaks about his military service has led to confusion and frequent mischaracterizations of his biography in his home state newspapers. In at least eight newspaper articles published in Connecticut from 2003 to 2009, he is described as having served in Vietnam.
The New Haven Register on July 20, 2006, described him as “a veteran of the Vietnam War,” and on April 6, 2007, said that the attorney general had “served in the Marines in Vietnam.” On May 26, 2009, The Connecticut Post, a Bridgeport newspaper that is the state’s third-largest daily, described Mr. Blumenthal as “a Vietnam veteran.” The Shelton Weekly reported on May 23, 2008, that Mr. Blumenthal “was met with applause when he spoke about his experience as a Marine sergeant in Vietnam.”
And the idea that he served in Vietnam has become such an accepted part of his public biography that when a national outlet, Slate magazine, produced a profile of Mr. Blumenthal in 2000, it said he had “enlisted in the Marines rather than duck the Vietnam draft.”
It does not appear that Mr. Blumenthal ever sought to correct those mistakes.
In the interview, he said he was not certain whether he had seen the stories or whether any steps had been taken to point out the inaccuracies.
“I don’t know if we tried to do so or not,” he said. He added that he “can’t possibly know what is reported in all” the articles that are written about him, given the large number of appearances he makes at military-style events.
He said he had tried to stick to a consistent way of describing his military experience: that he served as a member of the United State Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era.
Asked about the Bridgeport rally, when he told the crowd, “When we returned, we saw nothing like this,” Mr. Blumenthal said he did not recall the event.
An aide pointed out that in a different appearance this year, Mr. Blumenthal was forthright about not having gone to war. In a Senate debate in March, he responded to a question about Iran and the use of military force by saying, “Although I did not serve in Vietnam, I have seen firsthand the effects of military action, and no one wants it to be the first resort, nor do we want to mortgage the country’s future with a deficit that is ballooning out of control.”
On a less serious matter, another flattering but untrue description of Mr. Blumenthal’s history has appeared in profiles about him. In two largely favorable profiles, the Slate article and a magazine article in The Hartford Courant in 2004 with which he cooperated, Mr. Blumenthal is described prominently as having served as captain of the swim team at Harvard. Records at the college show that he was never on the team.
Mr. Blumenthal said he did not provide the information to reporters, was unsure how it got into circulation and was “astonished” when he saw it in print.
Mr. Blumenthal has made veterans’ issues a centerpiece of his public life and his Senate campaign, but even those who have worked closely with him have gotten the misimpression that he served in Vietnam.
In an interview, Jean Risley, the chairwoman of the Connecticut Vietnam Veterans Memorial Inc., recalled listening to an emotional Mr. Blumenthal offering remarks at the dedication of the memorial. She remembered him describing the indignities that he and other veterans faced when they returned from Vietnam.
“It was a sad moment,” she recalled. “He said, ‘When we came back, we were spat on; we couldn’t wear our uniforms.’ It looked like he was sad to me when he said it.”
Ms. Risley later telephoned the reporter to say she had checked into Mr. Blumenthal’s military background and learned that he had not, in fact, served in Vietnam.
The Vietnam chapter in Mr. Blumenthal’s biography has received little attention despite his nearly three decades in Connecticut politics.
But now, after repeatedly shunning opportunities for higher office, Mr. Blumenthal is the man Democrats nationally are depending on to retain the seat they controlled for 30 years under Mr. Dodd, and he is likely to face more intense scrutiny.
After obtaining Mr. Blumenthal’s Selective Service records through a Freedom of Information Act request, The New York Times asked David Curry, a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an expert on the Vietnam draft, to examine them.
Mr. Curry said the records showed that Mr. Blumenthal had received at least five deferments. Mr. Blumenthal did not dispute that but said he did not know how many deferments he had received.
Mr. Blumenthal grew up in New York City, the son of a successful businessman who ran an import-export company.
-contd-
As a young man, he attended Riverdale Country School in the Bronx and showed great promise, along with an ability to ingratiate himself with powerful people.
In 1963, he entered Harvard College, where he met Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who served on the faculty there and guided Mr. Blumenthal’s senior thesis on the failure of government poverty programs.
He received two student deferments during his undergraduate years there, the records show.
After graduating from Harvard in 1967, military records show, Mr. Blumenthal obtained another educational deferment and headed to Britain, where he filed stories for The Washington Post and attended Trinity College, Cambridge, on a graduate fellowship.
But in early 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, under pressure over criticism that wealthier young men were avoiding the draft through graduate school, abolished nearly all graduate deferments and sharply increased the number of troops sent to Southeast Asia.
That summer, Mr. Blumenthal’s draft classification changed from 2-S, an educational deferment, to 2-A, an occupational deferment — a rare exemption from military service for men who contended that it was in the “national health, safety and interest” for them to remain in their civilian jobs. At the time, he was working as a special assistant to Ms. Graham, whose son Donald he had befriended at Harvard. Half a year later, after the election of President Richard M. Nixon, Mr. Blumenthal went to work in the White House as a senior staff assistant to Mr. Moynihan, who was Nixon’s urban affairs adviser.
But at the end of that year, he became eligible for induction after he drew a low number in a draft lottery held on Dec. 1, 1969. His number was 152, and people with numbers as high as 195 could be drafted, according to the Selective Service.
Two months after the lottery, in February 1970, Mr. Blumenthal obtained a second occupational deferment, according to the records. The status of people with occupational deferments, however, was growing shakier, with the war raging and the Nixon administration increasingly uncomfortable with them.
In April 1970, Mr. Blumenthal secured a spot in the Marine Corps Reserve, which was regarded as a safe harbor for those who did not want to go to war.
“The Reserves were not being activated for Vietnam and were seen as a shelter for young privileged men,” Mr. Curry said.
But Mr. Blumenthal’s campaign manager, Mindy Myers, said Monday that any suggestion that he was ducking the war was unfounded, saying he was engaged in important work. When he worked for Ms. Graham, for example, he helped teach children in a public school in the Anacostia section of Washington, for a project she had started there.
“It’s flat wrong to imply that Richard Blumenthal’s decisions to take a Fiske Fellowship, teach inner-city schoolchildren and work in the White House for Daniel Patrick Moynihan were decisions to avoid service when in fact, while still eligible for a deferment, he chose to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserves and completed six months of service at Parris Island, S.C., and then six years of service in the Reserves.”
Mr. Blumenthal landed in the Fourth Civil Affairs Group in Washington, whose members included the well-connected in Washington. At the time, the unit was not associated with the kind of hardship of traditional fighting units, according to Marine reports from the period and interviews with about a half-dozen men who served in the unit during the Vietnam years.
In the 1970s, the unit’s members were dispatched to undertake projects like refurbishing tent decks and showers at a campground for underprivileged Washington children, as well as collecting and distributing toys and games as part of regular Toys for Tots drives.
Robert Cole, a retired lieutenant colonel who did active duty overseas in the 1950s and later joined the unit as a reservist, recalled the young men who joined the unit in the late 1960s and early 1970s. “These kids we were getting in — a lot of them were worried about the draft,” he said.
After entering Yale Law School in the fall of 1970, Mr. Blumenthal transferred to a Marine Reserve unit in New Haven, Company C of the Sixth Motor Transport Battalion, Fourth Marine Division, which conducted occasional military drills, as well as participating in Christmas toy drives for children and recycling programs in neighboring communities, according to the unit’s command reports from the time.
In 1974, Mr. Blumenthal took a position as a law clerk for Justice Harry C. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court and transferred back to a Washington unit, where he completed his service.
Barclay Walsh, Kitty Bennett and Bonnie Kavoussi contributed reporting.
.
The Reaper
05-18-2010, 06:16
Saw the article.
What a poser POS. :rolleyes:
I would work hard to defeat this guy if I were a CT resident.:mad:
TR
Bordercop
05-18-2010, 06:48
Agree 100% with you TR...he's POS, a liar and doesn't deserve to be elected dog catcher.
Hey - I had a 2S...until my goofing off in college caught up with me and I was drafted. Coast Guard had a 2 year waiting list for enlistment at that time. ;)
This guy's just another effin' Word Weasel! :mad:
Richard
Utah Bob
05-18-2010, 07:10
Harvard. Say no more.
After graduating from Harvard in 1967, military records show, Mr. Blumenthal obtained another educational deferment and headed to Britain
Where he partied with Clinton.
And perhaps inhaled.:rolleyes:
Ret10Echo
05-18-2010, 07:40
Latest update on "Weasel wording"
Report: Richard Blumenthal misled voters
A bombshell was dropped on Connecticut Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal Monday night, less than a week before the Democratic nominating convention, when the New York Times reported he has misled voters about his military record.
Blumenthal has suggested repeatedly in public settings that he served in Vietnam, despite getting five deferments between 1965 and 1970 and ultimately serving stateside in the Marine Corps Reserve, according to the Times.
The Blumenthal campaign lashed out at the Times for an “outrageous distortion” of his record but didn’t refute the thrust of the story.
"The New York Times story is an outrageous distortion of Dick Blumenthal's record of service. Unlike many of his peers, Dick Blumenthal voluntarily joined the Marine Corps Reserves in 1970 and served for six months in Parris Island, S.C., and six years in the reserves,” Blumenthal campaign manager Mindy Myers said in a statement. “He received no special treatment from anyone.”
Blumenthal planned to gather Connecticut veterans in support of his campaign Tuesday morning.
It was his remarks in front of a group of veterans and senior citizens in Norwalk, Conn., in 2008 that the Times cited most prominently.
“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” he said, according to the paper. “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.”
The 64-year-old state attorney general started out as something of a dream candidate for Democrats, who were relieved when veteran Sen. Chris Dodd announced he would not seek re-election amid pressure from state party folks and public polls. But his campaign has lacked some of the luster anticipated by state Democrats.
It was not immediately clear what effect the Times’ revelation would have on Blumenthal’s candidacy, but the yet-to-be-detailed rally with veterans Tuesday suggests he wants to fight back. The state party’s nominating convention is on Saturday – an event that seemed likely to be a coronation until Monday night.
Republicans sensed opportunity immediately. Without further comment, GOP Senate hopeful Linda McMahon sent the story to her press list. She is in a multicandidate primary that also includes former Rep. Rob Simmons, who is a veteran.
"As someone who served, I respect Richard Blumenthal for wearing the uniform, but I am deeply troubled by allegations that he has misrepresented his service," Simmons said in a statement. "Too many have sacrificed too much to have their valor stolen in this way. I hope Mr. Blumenthal steps forward and forthrightly addresses the questions that have arisen about this matter."
Article here (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37383.html#ixzz0oHuv0ZMX)
rubberneck
05-18-2010, 07:51
The sad thing is that he'll probably get elected and be welcomed with open arms by his party. One could only hope that the Vets currently serving in the Senate, from both parties, would call on him to quit his campaign but sadly party politics seems to trump honor lately.
Ret10Echo
05-18-2010, 07:53
The sad thing is that he'll probably get elected and be welcomed with open arms by his party. One could only hope that the Vets currently serving in the Senate, from both parties, would call on him to quit his campaign but sadly party politics seems to trump honor lately.
I am sure the Kerry's will have him over for cocktails......
Utah Bob
05-18-2010, 11:38
He's supposed to make a statement this morning. No doubt he'll say he "misspoke".
Sorry did I say I served IN Vietnam? I meant DURING Vietnam. Just a slip of the tongue folks. Move on. Nothing to see here.
Coast Guard had a 2 year waiting list for enlistment at that time.
My senior year in high school we had a disabled Vietnam vet as a motivational speaker, he was truly inspirational. He jokingly told us he thought he had it all figured out young and joined the Coast Guard to avoid infantry service. He ended up being assigned to small patrol boats on the Mekong Delta, his boat was hit by a B40 rocket in an ambush. He was shot in the act of throwing a white phosphorus grenade which burned him severely even through the water. At this point, he recalled seeing patches of his skin floating beside him and said to us , with a wink, "I was literally beside myself."
He told us about being in the burn unit at the hospital, and watching a wife abandon a horribly burned soldier saying, " what am I supposed to do with you."
The wounded soldier died a few days later. At this point he was terrified to see his own wife. She showed up, planted a big kiss on him and said "Baby I can't wait to get you home". There wasn't a dry eye in the place by the time he finished.
I never forgot him or his message, I wonder what lying turds like Blumenthal think when they come across real Vietnam vets.
:rolleyes: POS is right
What can he possibly say at his press conference ?
Ah, see it's the Republicans fault. Mr' Blumenthal is a man of fine character and service, the mean cheap Republicans are just smearing his honorable reputation.
No doubt President Bush is behind this
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee communications director Eric Schultz put the blame for the story on Republicans and, in particular, former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon who is running for the GOP nod.
"Its no surprise Republicans would want to smear Dick Blumenthal, considering all of the debauchery at [WWE] under Linda McMahon's watch," said Schultz.
Seems some Democrats also had questions though, that he could stand the scrutiny of a real political race.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/vietnam-allegations-threaten-f.html?hpid=topnews
I am sure the Kerry's will have him over for cocktails......
They could be BFF'S ;)
And also, WTH is this guy doing, "holding a press conference at the Veterans of Foreign War hall??? He did not serve in a foreign war, he served in South Dakota, not South Vietnam." (Quote from Rob Simmons Conn. Sen. Candidate., Foxnews live.))
Mis-spoke my ass! As a civilian who supports real Veterans, this is just disgusting!!!:mad:
Holly
P.S.....Afterlistening to this guy talk, I now know he is supporting Our wounded Veterans that are coming home from war. That is great. But it would have been greater had I not just viewd him saying on a video clip from 2008, "My Service in Vietnam......."
Seems pretty clear to me that he is hiding behind a good cause, to cover his own deciet. Could be wrong, but....
I agree with the statement made by one of the speakers in this video. Era veterans are very conscious what they say regarding their service, you know your service and most are very careful to explain the difference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEUc6xd4aEw
Heh, my statement and seems every other statement is being removed from this page (below), and now I'm blocked by this utube toad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEZm_Gc8-Xw&NR=1
My statement.
He's very clear now, close to an election. He was also very clear in 2008 when he stated he served in Vietnam.
Great Post.. Wish I would have seen something on TV this morning about this POS.
Like TR - I would work hard to defeat this guy if I were a CT resident.
Vets should have camped outside the big polling center Today
A few Miss placed words <--- I can't believe I just seen him say that !!!:eek::mad:
ZonieDiver
05-18-2010, 13:56
Men from that time period who say they got into the Guard or Reserves without "connections" are lying POS's. There were very few units in which someone off the street could join. Most were, however, Marine Corps units. They were NOT, however, Marine "civil affairs" units - whatever that is.
Another one bites the dust...
Utah Bob
05-18-2010, 14:14
I can sort of understand the VFW guys rallying around him and giving the obligatory Marine Ooohrahhs. He's Johnny on the Spot whenever they need a speaker for a function, probably helps with fund raisers, makes great speeches about vets rights, goes to their spaghetti dinners etc....but Good God, they came off as a bunch of dumb asses. I was hollering so loud during the "press conference" that my wife left the room. If I was a member of that post I'd turn in my hat. Mis spoke my ass. Typical politician. Just a few misplaced words.
Oh did I say Silver Star?? I meant to say Good Conduct. Just a few misplaced words...
Shepherd Smith is tearing him up as well as, much to my surprise, Rick Sanchez on CNN! They are cutting him no slack.
This weasel may be a proponent of veterans' rights. He may be very supportive of vets. He may have done a lot of good in the past.
Bottom line however is that he's a lying beady eyed weasel poser.:mad:
Not to mention he pretty much blamed journalist with all the **thousands** of articles wrote about him /his service :rolleyes: So it is their fault he is a liar :confused:
ZonieDiver
05-18-2010, 14:40
And what the hell is wrong with saying, "I served during the Viet Nam era as a Marine Corps Reservist, and am proud of the contribution I made to my country's defense, regardless of how insignificant it may seem compared to that of others who gave so much"???????
VFW... American Legion... pardon me, but it seems to me today that these two groups will "sell-out" to anyone who promises "benefits"! How far above welfare recipients does that put them?
Green Light
05-18-2010, 14:57
Prosecute him! Sentence him to 6 months at Walter Reed as an orderly. Let him see what REAL veterans look like. Require him to tell each one that he's a poser and he's there to serve those who served.
None of us could do it without tears in our eyes every day - he'd just count the days. Useless piece of human debris. He was elected to the senate on the valor that rightly belonged to those who actually did fight, bleed, and die. Talk about stolen valor.
Utah Bob
05-18-2010, 15:25
If I was a member of that post, I believe I'd turn my fancy hat in.
And what the hell is wrong with saying, "I served during the Viet Nam era as a Marine Corps Reservist, and am proud of the contribution I made to my country's defense, regardless of how insignificant it may seem compared to that of others who gave so much"???????
That concept kinda went sour with USMCR COL John Murtha's antics over the last decade. ;)
"...'I misspoke'...'in' instead of 'during'...totally unintentional..."
Forsooth - thy lips moveth with oily practice and thy voice carries forth thy lies mightily spoken and deceptively so. :mad:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Prosecute him! Sentence him to 6 months at Walter Reed as an orderly. Let him see what REAL veterans look like. Require him to tell each one that he's a poser and he's there to serve those who served.
None of us could do it without tears in our eyes every day - he'd just count the days. Useless piece of human debris. He was elected to the senate on the valor that rightly belonged to those who actually did fight, bleed, and die. Talk about stolen valor.
Very well articulated, Sir!!!!!!!!!!
My keyboard is getting fuzzy now...:(
Holly
Buffalobob
05-18-2010, 18:03
Men from that time period who say they got into the Guard or Reserves without "connections" are lying POS's. There were very few units in which someone off the street could join.
That is correct. I was politically connected enough to get into the Alabama guard if I had wanted and I knew lots of guys who did not have my connections and were desperately trying to get in.
nousdefions
05-18-2010, 20:59
Breaking: Blumenthal’s Soldier Supporter On Stage Today Is a Phony, Too
Posted by Jim Hoft on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 8:42 PM
Oh my.
Democratic Senatorial Candidate Richard Blumenthal held a presser today after it was discovered that he lied about serving in Vietnam. (He also lied about being captain of the Harvard Swim Team.) So, Blumenthal went before the press along with some former military men and supporters. It was a great show. Maybe tomorrow the swim team will join him on stage?
Unfortunately, one of the democratic supporters on stage with him lied about his military service, too.
Free Republic reported–
Blumenthal’s military buddy on stage is William Joseph Trumpower, aka Elliott Storm, a POW HALL OF SHAME
Here’s a photo:
The POW HALL OF SHAME winner, William Joseph Trumpower, is second from the right.
POW Network.org reported on Trumpower earlier:
WILLIAM JOSEPH TRUMPOWER
aka Elliott Storm
* CLAIMING BRONZE STAR w/VALOR device.
* Claims 2nd Lt, Claims
* Wears 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars w/V.
The jacket in EARLIER pictures boasted 8 ribbons.
This NEW pic has more and includes V device on Bronze Star and 2nd Lt bars..
* Claims he worked with Ollie North.
The New Haven Independent reported that Blumenthal called supporter Storm who helped him out today.
Elliott Storm is a Blumenthal supporter. The campaign called him and asked him to show up; he called up his friends in the “Vet Pack” to join him, friends who, like him, travel around the country talking about ex-soldiers who contend with post traumatic stress syndrome.
Why is this not surprising?
---
Source: http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/05/breaking-blementhals-soldier-supporter-on-stage-today-is-a-phony-too/
(by Zonie Diver) And what the hell is wrong with saying, "I served during the Viet Nam era as a Marine Corps Reservist, and am proud of the contribution I made to my country's defense, regardless of how insignificant it may seem compared to that of others who gave so much"???????
VFW... American Legion... pardon me, but it seems to me today that these two groups will "sell-out" to anyone who promises "benefits"! How far above welfare recipients does that put them?
I'm a lifetime member of all the veterans groups mentioned in this thread. Actually, I've been a supporter of veterans groups since forever, mainly for the fellowship encouraged among men and women who share a truly proud and honorable living experience serving America. Combat veterans share more than just service and sacrifice, however. I've never before been ashamed of the leadership in these organizations, although I didn't just get off the boat; large organizations can attract pinheads and dummies, regardless of whether they're combat vets or not. (Look at the VA.)
Why the VFW continued/continues to support this POS is unbelievable. I feel shame for the men and women who proclaim their service honestly and proudly, whether they're in a veterans group or not, whether they served in combat or "shoveled shit in Louisiana" (Gen'l G.S. Patton) . I completely agree with Green Light's recommendation to send Blumenthal to Walter Reed to "serve those who served". Let him become the Bed Pan Team Leader, the Permanent Latrine Orderly, the P-L-O. But, I bet the men and women at Walter Reed recovering from the beginning of their eternal horror story would embrace him and forgive him because they're vets made of stronger stuff than I am.
Bordercop
05-19-2010, 05:27
The link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html
Scroll down...on the left is a video of him saying he was in Viet Nam.
POS
Blumenthal was taken to task by Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News last night.
Video - Blumenthal backtracks on military service
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news/
Richard Blumenthal Vietnam Controversy: What He Can Learn From Bruce Caputo
Sam Stein, HuffPo, 18 May 2010
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has entered undoubtedly the most critical 48-hour window of his political career. Presented with a clear record of his rhetoric (suggesting he had served in Vietnam) not matching reality (he was granted five deferments and ultimately ended up in the Marine Reserves), his campaign has begun charting out a path to stem the bleeding.
On Tuesday, Blumenthal will host a press conference to answer questions while surrounded by Connecticut veterans. He won't be granting national interviews beyond that (at least temporarily) advisers say. And he will make clear that the report that appeared in the New York Times told a limited if not slanted story.
Crises like these happen periodically in politics. Few end successfully. What may end up helping Blumenthal is to draw lessons from those who preceded him in the cauldron. And in that respect, there is no better parallel than the case of Bruce Caputo.
(cont'd) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/18/richard-blumenthal-vietna_n_580223.html
rubberneck
05-19-2010, 07:36
I think he's done. Most likely he's going to try and deny he ever said those things or claim that he was "taken out of context." Either way it's undeniable that he straight-out lied and it was a bad lie-- not only disrespectful to a large group of people putting their lives on the line for this country, but also easily disproved. The lie was slimy but the kind of lie shows a serious lack of intelligence and forsight.
I think you are completely wrong. He was up 30% in most polls and most of the people who would have voted for him do so based on the fact that he shares their political beliefs. In the end his being a fraud will cause him to only win by a margin in the single digits, but he'll still get elected, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is given a seat on the Veteran's Affairs subcommittee. Sounds cynical but I have heard this song enough times to know how it ends.
...he'll still get elected, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is given a seat on the Veteran's Affairs subcommittee.
Maybe - but one of his opponents is a vet and I'm not so sure Blumenthal will get off so easy over this matter of lying and "stolen valor."
However - the VFW support by vets truly confounds and saddens me. :confused:
And so it goes...;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Utah Bob
05-19-2010, 07:56
I think he's done. Most likely he's going to try and deny he ever said those things or claim that he was "taken out of context." Either way it's undeniable that he straight-out lied and it was a bad lie-- not only disrespectful to a large group of people putting their lives on the line for this country, but also easily disproved. The lie was slimy but the kind of lie shows a serious lack of intelligence and forsight.
He can't deny the video. But maybe he should fall back on Elwood Blues' explanation to Jake about why he lied to him while he was in prison about the band still being together.
Jake - "You lied to me man!"
Elwood - "It wasn't a lie.. It was just bullshit"
Conn is a very Blue state. I'd like to think he's sunk his own boat but.....
We'll see if there are enough vets in Conn to bring him down and if the Dems stand behind him.
I sent a note to Matt Drudge to see if he can stir the pot.
I would encourage others to email anyone that may show this A$$HO for what he is..
Matt
You might want to ask the candidate why he was on the stage with another known Vietnam Poser??
WILLIAM JOSEPH TRUMPOWER, aka Elliott Storm,, is a POW HALL OF SHAME winner, second from right(see attached picture)..
http://pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies293.htm
I guess it is to be expected,,
A poser stands with a poser.. :mad:
Do you think we could ask the POWNETWORK to add the candidate to the list??
My $00.0002
FYI - here is the statement of the Commander for the VFW Dept of CT:
Statement by Richard DiFederico
Commander, Department of Connecticut
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Regarding Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
“Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring countries rightfully earned all the belated thanks and appreciation our nation can muster. Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous. It diminishes the service of all who served and sacrificed, most especially those whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Wall. Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of the best friends a veteran could have in Connecticut. It is a true shame that he let a false claim of Vietnam service change that.”
I sent the following to Mr DiFederico and to the VFW National HQs:
Sir,
The Richard Blumenthal lies about his RVN service (a Stolen Valor violation) and disingenuous explanations for them given during his recent press conference which was conducted with the Hannon-Hatch VFW Post 9929 in West Hartford, CT, is a disgrace of national interest and one the VFW should closely monitor.
Equally as disheartening is that one of the vets supporting Blumenthal's lies is a well documented wannabe of the worst sort who has dishonored his otherwise honorable service by claiming awards and service for which he is not entitled - William Joesph Trumpower aka Elliott Storm (2nd from right in attached pic of the news conference and info at link to POW Network).
The pot on this one is simmering and the heat is being turned up - now we'll see. Sorry MFers.
And so it goes...
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Dozer523
05-19-2010, 09:43
This is the same play, different actors. A few years ago this (deferments) was trotted out to chastise VP Cheney and membership in the Guard to slam GW.
It's all BFD. It's a generation of politicians. It's interesting how in the 60-70's it was political suicide to have any military background but today . . .
This is the nature of the beast.
Now mis-spok-ing is a different matter. That's a real character issue.
If there is one word that we really need to get rid of it's mis-spoke.
Utah Bob
05-19-2010, 10:44
I couldn't give a shit how many deferrments somebody got. I don't really even care if you went to Canada. I don't care if you were in the Coast Guard Reserve marching band in Ft Lauderdale or smoked dope in Haight Ashbury.
Just be real careful about mis-speaking.
Utah Bob
05-19-2010, 10:47
FYI - here is the statement of the Commander for the VFW Dept of CT:
Statement by Richard DiFederico
Commander, Department of Connecticut
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Regarding Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
“Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring countries rightfully earned all the belated thanks and appreciation our nation can muster. Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous. It diminishes the service of all who served and sacrificed, most especially those whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Wall. Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of the best friends a veteran could have in Connecticut. It is a true shame that he let a false claim of Vietnam service change that.”
I sent the following to Mr DiFederico and to the VFW National HQs:
Sir,
The Richard Blumenthal lies about his RVN service (a Stolen Valor violation) and disingenuous explanations for them given during his recent press conference which was conducted with the Hannon-Hatch VFW Post 9929 in West Hartford, CT, is a disgrace of national interest and one the VFW should closely monitor.
Equally as disheartening is that one of the vets supporting Blumenthal's lies is a well documented wannabe of the worst sort who has dishonored his otherwise honorable service by claiming awards and service for which he is not entitled - William Joesph Trumpower aka Elliott Storm (2nd from right in attached pic of the news conference and info at link to POW Network).
The pot on this one is simmering and the heat is being turned up - now we'll see. Sorry MFers.
And so it goes...
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Bob rocks back in his chair, fingers pursed, and a tight grin on his face. "Excellent!", he whispers.
bandycpa
05-19-2010, 11:34
The thing I can't understand is: In this age of instant information and instant verification, why in the world would AG Blumenthal stand up on a stage and blatantly lie about his service? Why would he (and others who have done similar things) be so short-sighted?
It seems to me that lying about something that could be so easily checked out would be beyond stupidity. And, let's face it, (political bias aside) you don't get to be AG without being a fairly intelligent person. There's no doubt he lied, so what was he thinking?
Response from VFW National HQs:
Thank you for your note. The simple fact, however, is that the VFW is not endorsing, and has not endorsed, this candidate.
That the news conference was held at a VFW post does not equate to a formal endorsement. Our VFW posts are used for many events, such as weddings, community events and even political town hall meetings. However, the later example (on a political event) is done on the basis that we will not do so as a form of endorsement. Indeed, any political endorsement is only done by a separate entity, our PAC, and we abide by all laws (including our own By-laws) in doing a PAC.
More to this situation, none of the VFW leadership, from the Post through the state to our national leadership, were aware that the news conference was going to be on this subject. (We were as surprised as anyone else.) The Mayor of West Hartford, CT called the post to rent the hall and the Democratic Committee paid for it. The post did not find out for over three hours after it was rented, what it was being rented for. There were VFW members invited to join Mr. Blumenthal on stage and they all refused. Those individuals on the stage with their hats were from different Veterans Service organizations -- and none of our leaders have stated any support for that candidate (actually are precluded from doing so for any candidate by our By-laws). Indeed, we are publicly condemning him. Along these lines, I am attaching here the follow-on statement by the Connecticut Department Commander:
“Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring countries rightfully earned all the belated thanks and appreciation our nation can muster. Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous. It diminishes the service of all who served and sacrificed, most especially those whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Wall. Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of the best friends a veteran could have in Connecticut. It is a true shame that he let a false claim of Vietnam service change that."
Again, thank you for your note but please believe that we agree wholeheartedly with your assessment in that there would be no way that we could ever associate the good name of the VFW with any individual that falsifies information concerning honorable service in the military let alone combat duty.
And so it goes...
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Response from VFW National HQs:
Thank you for your note. The simple fact, however, is that the VFW is not endorsing, and has not endorsed, this candidate.
And so it goes... Richard's $.02 :munchin
I wonder how we can get this note to someone that gives a shiite???
Maybe Canada Free Press editor & owner Judi McLeod??
Canada Free Press.com and Toronto Free Press founding editor Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 25 years experience in the print media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard and the former Brampton Daily Times.
Editor - Owner Judi McLeod
cfp@canadafreepress.com
http://canadafreepress.com/
Just a thought...
:cool:
I sent a note to Matt Drudge to see if he can stir the pot.
I would encourage others to email anyone that may show this A$$HO for what he is.. $00.0002
Great idea. I went to the NY Times page, opened their article and clicked the link to send an e-mail to a reporter on the story. I figure it would make a great side-bar to any follow-up the Times does.
v/r
phil
More to this situation, none of the VFW leadership, from the Post through the state to our national leadership, were aware that the news conference was going to be on this subject. (We were as surprised as anyone else.) The Mayor of West Hartford, CT called the post to rent the hall and the Democratic Committee paid for it. The post did not find out for over three hours after it was rented, what it was being rented for.
I guess no one in the VFW leadership keeps tabs on current events. :rolleyes:
Utah Bob
05-19-2010, 15:14
I'm beginning to wonder about all the other guys on the stage now.
Is that wrong?
Am I just paranoidical?
(fm Utah Bob) Am I just paranoidical?
You might be just a little paranoid, but it's OK....the big one eyed man eating monster standing right behind you is paranoid, too!
ZonieDiver
05-19-2010, 17:28
Bob rocks back in his chair, fingers pursed, and a tight grin on his face. "Excellent!", he whispers.
Something like this...???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUOB8MN4Kc&feature=related
alright4u
05-19-2010, 17:31
Saw the article.
What a poser POS. :rolleyes:
I would work hard to defeat this guy if I were a CT resident.:mad:
TR
TS: This POS lives while 1LT Greg Harrigan does not.
greenberetTFS
05-19-2010, 18:16
I don't understand it.....I don't think I ever will !!!! Why do they do it? :confused:
Big Teddy :munchin
I don't understand it.....I don't think I ever will !!!! Why do they do it?
Big Teddy
Sir, I think this may be the answer as to "why". The sonsabitches can't help themselves whenever they get around a source of attention. Just IMHO.
http://www.winning-teams.com/recognizenarcissist.html
FWIW, I can't understand it either.
Utah Bob
05-19-2010, 22:43
Something like this...???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUOB8MN4Kc&feature=related
Who do you think they modeled Burns after?:D:D:D
Received this response from the VFW State Commander for CT.
I spoke out on the news and investigated the mayor and the democratic party rented the hall and the vfw did not know, the people standing behind were the marine corps league and American legion.
RICHARD DIFEDERICO
CT. STATE COMMANDER
I wonder if the VFW will implement some changes to their policies for renting their facilities after this fiasco?
And so it goes...;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
[COLOR="orange"]I wonder if the VFW will implement some changes to their policies for renting their facilities after this fiasco?
And so it goes...;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Funny you should suggest that.. In the earlier post the VFW Co stated the VFW does not get into politics,, only their PAC,, yet they didn't question the Mayor paying for the hall via the Dem. Party funding??
...the VFW Co stated the VFW does not get into politics...
That statement made me chuckle, too...especially when you look at why the VFW was founded in the first place. :rolleyes:
Richard's jaded $.02 :munchin
Red Flag 1
05-20-2010, 10:21
Sir, I think this may be the answer as to "why". The sonsabitches can't help themselves whenever they get around a source of attention. Just IMHO.
http://www.winning-teams.com/recognizenarcissist.html
FWIW, I can't understand it either.
He can't help himself.......probably has peter arnett on his staff for PR & speech writing, Lord knows....... peter would fit right in :rolleyes:........
RF 1
Utah Bob
05-20-2010, 10:54
the VFW does not get into politics
Oh no. Certainly not. Heaven forbid.:rolleyes:
greenberetTFS
05-20-2010, 12:07
I don't know how you guys will take this,but down south here where a "yankee" like myself has been completely accepted by the guys in this VFW post I don't think it fair to judge all VFW's by this one in CT !...............:(
Big Teddy :munchin
Now his campaign is telling the press the group of "veterans" who stood behind Blumenthal at the VFW said it all.....OMG! The reporter's e-mail and phone number are at the bottom of the article;)
v/r
phil
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Critics weigh Blumenthal's words
Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer
Published: 11:29 p.m., Tuesday, May 18, 2010
"I wore the uniform in Vietnam and many came back to all kinds of disrespect. Whatever we think of war, we owe the men and women of the armed forces our unconditional support."
The occasion was the Stamford Veterans Days parade: Nov. 9, 2008.
The speaker was Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, as quoted by The Advocate.
A trove of potential bulletin board material was unearthed Tuesday by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers from its archives quoting the once seemingly unflappable U.S. Senate candidate on his military record, one that he has been accused of embellishing.
During a May 18, 2009, military board tribute to veterans in Shelton, Blumenthal was quoted by the Connecticut Post as saying, "When we returned from Vietnam, I remember the taunts, the verbal and even physical abuse we encountered."
A year later at a Stratford Memorial Day event covered by the Post, Blumenthal dropped the "we" reference but didn't go out of his way to say that he never went to Vietnam.
"I am called general all the time in my role, but the highest rank I will ever have in life is as a sergeant in the United States Marines," said Blumenthal, who went on to comment how tough it was for veterans of the unpopular conflict to return to "taunts and jeers."
Blumenthal's critics claim that the Democrat's veiled references to serving in Vietnam, which the candidate himself qualified as rare and unintentional misstatements but now number at least five, establish a pattern of duplicity that calls his credibility into question.
"At one point I wanted to go up to him a couple of years ago and say, 'Hey Dick, you're giving the impression you were on the battlefield," said former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., "I thought that might come back to bite him."
Characterizing him as a friend of "high integrity," Shays said Blumenthal made it clear earlier in his career that he served in the Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era but not in the war itself.
"He evolved from being pretty clear about his service to being somewhat nebulous about it and really giving a false impression about his service," Shays said.
A spokeswoman for Blumenthal, who was the subject of a New York Times report Tuesday suggesting that he lied about his military record, contested claims that Blumenthal duped the public.
"Like I said, he acknowledged that on a few occasions that he may have misspoke," said Maura Downes of the Blumenthal campaign. "He used the word in instead of during."
Downes said the solidarity shown by veterans who attended an afternoon news conference in West Hartford with Blumenthal, who said he regretted the errors and took responsibility for them, spoke volumes.
"Of the thousands of veterans and armed services events that he's done over the course of his 20-year career, if you ask the veterans who were standing there today, they will tell you he has always been honest about his service," Downes said.
A spokesman for Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon, whose campaign took credit for planting the Times story, said Blumenthal cannot be trusted between his comments on his military service and decision to accept money from political action committees when he pledged not to do so on television.
"So clearly there is a pattern, typical of career politicians of saying one thing and doing another," said Ed Patru of the McMahon campaign.
Blumenthal's campaign says he never promised not to accept PAC money.
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn., who is battling McMahon for the GOP nomination and earned two Bronze Stars in Vietnam, called Blumenthal's explanation unacceptable and demanded an apology.
A 2002 profile by the Associated Press, which obtained Blumenthal's military records through a Freedom of Information Act request, reported that he never went to Vietnam or performed active duty.
Blumenthal insisted in the article that he did six months of active duty with the Marines, studying administration and was classified as an "Admin Man."
George Jepsen, a former state Democratic Party chairman who is running for Blumenthal's seat as attorney general, said the explanation offered by his political ally is entirely plausible.
"When you're out speaking night after night and you deliver nearly thousands of speeches, occasionally in the moment you're going to misspeak," Jepsen said. "It's entirely human. I don't think at any time did he deliberately or knowingly create the impression that he served in Vietnam."
Jepsen had choice words for McMahon, who is funding her entire campaign from her vast World Wrestling Entertainment fortune.
"This is what happens when you have an opponent who has spent $16 million and has the power to drag a rake over every public moment of your now 40 year career," Jepsen said.
Blumenthal is not the first Connecticut politician to face allegations that he exaggerated his military record.
In 1984, Robert Sorensen, a Democratic state representative from Meriden, said he had fought in Vietnam when he hadn't.
A message seeking comment from Sorensen was left at his home Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., a Blumenthal ally, said politicians have to be extremely careful with their words.
"Dick Blumenthal is a good friend who proudly served his country in the Marine Reserves and the people of Connecticut as Attorney General," Himes said in a statement. "As elected officials, we owe it to the people we represent to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and I applaud Dick for taking full responsibility for any misstatements he made."
Staff writer Neil Vigdor can be reached at neil.vigdor@scni.com or at 203-625-4436.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Critics-weigh-Blumenthal-s-words-491848.php
.
Utah Bob
05-20-2010, 13:59
I don't know how you guys will take this,but down south here where a "yankee" like myself has been completely accepted by the guys in this VFW post I don't think it fair to judge all VFW's by this one in CT !...............:(
Big Teddy :munchin
True. The posts can be quite different.
But the statement by the national HQ that VFW doesn't get into politics is just silly.
Pretty good read - and the man is in deep kimche...
And so it goes...
Richard's $.02 :munchin
The Blumenthal Rules: Why should anyone give Richard Blumenthal a break?
William Saletan, Slate, 18 May 2010
Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general of Connecticut, has a problem. He's running for the U.S. Senate, and he's been caught on video implying falsely that he served in Vietnam. He'd like your understanding as he explains that he simply "misspoke" about his service. He'd like you to give him a break.
But Blumenthal has never given anyone a break. He has made a career out of holding others to the strictest standards of truth—and mercilessly prosecuting them when they fall short.
During Vietnam, Blumenthal went into the Marine Reserves and obtained several deferments to avoid the draft. But in 2008, he told an audience, "We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam." In 2003, he said of U.S. troops coming home, "When we returned, we saw nothing like this." In a report published Monday night, the New York Times reviewed other speeches and noted several patterns: that Blumenthal has often used "ambiguous language," that "he does not volunteer that his service never took him overseas," that he "describes the hostile reaction directed at veterans coming back from Vietnam, intimating that he was among them," and that he has never corrected news organizations (including Slate) that erroneously inferred he had served in Vietnam.
Today, Blumenthal rebutted the Times story. Let's look at the rules he has enforced on others over the last year or so and see how his rebuttals compare.
1. Beware those who exploit veterans. Last year, Blumenthal denounced "exploitive, poorly managed or even fraudulent fundraisers" who raise money in the name of veterans. He warned the public to donate only "to well-known organizations with a history of helping veterans."
Today, to dispel the allegations against him, Blumenthal stood in front of veterans at a press conference and boasted: "They've heard me again and again and again stand up for justice and fairness to our veterans."
2. Blurring is lying. Last fall, Blumenthal launched an investigation of food companies that put a "Smart Choices" logo on their products. He called the labels "potentially misleading" and decried marketing gimmicks that "blur or block the truth." Though the labels made no explicit claims, he protested that they "misguided" the public and sowed "confusion." He pledged to teach companies, through his investigation, that "labeling must be completely truthful and accurate without hype or spin." And he depicted the industry in the harshest terms: "Big Food has been feeding big lies to consumers about nutritional value."
Today, Blumenthal said he merely "misspoke" about his service, using the wrong preposition in a small and "unintentional" oversight.
3. Fudging is cheating. Two months ago, Blumenthal announced "a crackdown on companies that illegally misclassify employees as independent contractors." This wasn't a debatable distinction, he argued: It was an outrage and a crime. "Misclassification is cheating—plain and simple," he preached. "I will fight to stop companies from falsely claiming their employees are independent contractors. …"
Today, Blumenthal proudly declared, "I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to our country."
4. Failure to state the truth clearly is trickery. Last summer, Blumenthal won a $50,000 fine against a company that collected goods for charity. He blasted it for "prominently displaying charitable and service organization logos on its boxes while failing to state clearly that it keeps most of the proceeds." He called the firm an "imposter" and condemned its behavior as "reprehensible trickery."
In another case, Blumenthal sued a charity telemarketer for "failing to clearly and conspicuously state its name and its paid solicitor status." He argued that the firm had "listed its true name and solicitor status in barely legible print on the back of its mailing, effectively concealing its identity and purpose."
Today Blumenthal brushed away his inaccurate remarks about Vietnam as "a few occasions" compared with "hundreds" (including this one) in which he had told the truth.
5. Good faith is no defense. In March, a court agreed with Blumenthal that R.J. Reynolds had run misleading ads about a new tobacco product. The court concluded:
At bottom, although Reynolds' marketing of the Eclipse cigarette was ultimately misleading and deceptive because the support relied on was scientifically and medically insufficient, there was no "bad intent" and in fact a deliberate, indeed considerable effort to develop and sell a tobacco product which might potentially do some good for some smokers, and more likely than not do no additional, or different harm.
Did Blumenthal cut the company any slack for its good intentions and efforts? Not a bit. "The court rightly found RJR's ads deceptive and disingenuous, falsely stating that Eclipse is safer than other cigarettes," he charged. "I will continue fighting Big Tobacco's snake oil sales strategies that mislead consumers about the dangers of smoking. We will seek strong and significant sanctions against RJR in the upcoming penalty phase."
Now, in defense of his statements about Vietnam, Blumenthal argues, "My intention has always been to be completely clear and accurate."
6. No misrepresentation is too small to prosecute. Last fall, Blumenthal threatened legal action against a hotel and a musical performance company for calling their tribute show "An Evening With the Platters." He said it was "unclear" whether the company owned the rights to the Platters' name. After the hotel backed down and renamed its show "A Tribute to the Platters," Blumenthal declared victory but warned, "I will continue fighting to enforce Connecticut's truth-in-music law."
Today, Blumenthal accused his critics of nitpicking his record and missing the big picture.
7. You're responsible for monitoring things written by others that serve your interests. For more than a year, Blumenthal has hounded Craigslist to "scrub" and "rid" its site of porn and sex ads posted by users. Brushing aside the company's pleas that it can't police everything, he has subpoenaed documents and instructed the company to "immediately hire staff to screen for" offensive ads and images. Two weeks ago, he demanded: "Describe in detail the manual review process craigslist has created to screen posts in the adult services section, including … the number of individuals assigned to review postings and the name of any company craigslist has or will contract with to perform this function."
Today, when Blumenthal was asked why he had failed to correct erroneous reports that he had served in Vietnam, he replied: "I can't be held responsible for all the mistakes in all the articles—thousands of them—that are written about me."
8. Claims of virtue deserve investigation. In February, Blumenthal urged Connecticut authorities to "investigate the validity of claims by electric suppliers and generators about their reliance on renewable energy sources." Some companies, he observed, claimed to exceed (not just meet) the state's renewable-energy requirements, "and they advertise these claims in order to lure environmentally conscious consumers." While offering no evidence of deception, Blumenthal called on regulators to "investigate when companies claim to exceed these standards."
9. Hand over all your records. In his probe of the "Smart Choices" program, Blumenthal demanded "details about the consumer research and selection criteria," the "process and fees involved in administering the program," and any "role that major food manufacturers might have provided for the program." His subpoena to Craigslist was even more thorough, encompassing everything but the kitchen sink.
Will Blumenthal call for an investigation of himself? Will he hand over all records of his public statements about Vietnam? Will he show himself as little mercy as he has shown others?
Give me a break.
http://www.slate.com/id/2254214
[COLOR="Orange"]the man is in deep kimche...
That is good to hear
Utah Bob
05-20-2010, 16:20
Eventually the candidate will burn out.
Like a C4 pill under a can of Ham and Limas.
Once a liar, always a liar.
Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) Gets Caught Lying Again-Threatens Reporter Who Broke Story.
Well, there he goes again. Senator Richard Blumenthal who, during his campaign was exposed for lying about serving in Vietnam, got caught in a brand new lie. This time he mislead people about his tenure as clerk for Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun.
During a press conference about Abortion rights held by Senate Democrats, Blumenthal claimed he was right in the middle of the Roe vs Wade decision which was written by Blackmun in 1973.
“I’m new to the Senate but I’m not new to this battle. Since the days of Roe v. Wade, when I clerked for Justice Blackmun, as a state legislator, as attorney general, I have fought this battle.”
The problem is, Blumenthal clerked for Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun in 1974, the year after Blackmun wrote Roe v. Wade decision, in 1973 Blumenthal was busy not being in Vietnam.
Apparently Senator Blumenthal was not happy this news was published, his staff even went as far as threatening the reporter that broke the story:
A spokesman for Blumenthal, Ty Matsdorf, dismissed suggestions that his boss had pumped up his connection to the Roe v. Wade case.
"He didn't misstate anything," said Matsdorf. "This was a huge case that had ripple effects."
He said that when Blumenthal clerked for Blackmun, there were follow-up petitions that the Supreme Court dealt with, along with broader fall-out from the case.
"It's not like there was just in 1973 this decision that was issued and it stopped," Matsdorf said. "This was a fundamental case that shifted U.S. law... It continued to ripple through the judicial system and the nation. We're still feeling the effects of it today. For him to say 'during the days', he's talking about all the follow-up legal action."
Laurie Rubiner, Blumenthal's chief of staff, echoed that argument and warned against writing such an "incendiary" story.
http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2011/02/senator-blumenthal-d-ct-gets-caught.html
Dozer523
02-11-2011, 00:16
Once a liar, always a liar.
“I’m new to the Senate but I’m not new to this battle. Since the days of Roe v. Wade, when I clerked for Justice Blackmun, as a state legislator, as attorney general, *I have fought this battle.”
relax he's cool. that's a comma between 'Roe v. Wade' and 'when I . . .Blackmun'
If it was a semi-colon we'd have his ass.
Eats shoots and leaves . . . Panda
Eats, shoots and leaves. . . Gangster.
* optional
DaveMatteson
02-11-2011, 09:49
This guy's just another effin' Word Weasel! :mad:
Richard
Adams said, "Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society."
DaveMatteson
02-11-2011, 10:32
This is the same play, different actors. A few years ago this (deferments) was trotted out to chastise VP Cheney and membership in the Guard to slam GW.
It's all BFD. It's a generation of politicians. It's interesting how in the 60-70's it was political suicide to have any military background but today . . .
This is the nature of the beast.
Now mis-spok-ing is a different matter. That's a real character issue.
If there is one word that we really need to get rid of it's mis-spoke.
Interesting that you bring this up because I was thinking the same thing.
While the Democrats attacked President G.W. Bush's military record of being in the National Guard and flying F102's over the US. No one challenged Lloyd Bentsen when he got his son into the same unit doing the same thing at the very same time. When this was brought up then it was a matter of how Bush served and lack of service. Then when you show Bush was transferred to IRR then they come up with these weird stories of running drugs.
Now its reversed and the Democrats are doing what they can to make Richard Blumenthal look like he mis-spoke once when the fact is he did this for a long period of time.
greenberetTFS
02-11-2011, 12:28
Eventually the candidate will burn out.
Like a C4 pill under a can of Ham and Limas.
UB,
I wish that were true,but he did get re-elected didn't he?..........:mad:
Big Teddy :munchin