The New York Times on Monday night nailed Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for lying about claiming to have served in Vietnam. Blumental, a Senate candidate, responded indignantly. Here’s the update to the story:
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat running for the United States Senate, said on Tuesday that he took “full responsibility” for saying he had served in Vietnam when he actually had received five military deferments before enlisting in the Marine Reserve, enabling him to avoid combat overseas.
“On a few occasions I have misspoken about my service, and I regret that and I take full responsibility,” Mr. Blumenthal said at a packed news conference at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in West Hartford. “But I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to our country.”
Mr. Blumenthal, 64, said he had been unaware of what he called “those misplaced words” when he delivered them.
This is such a 24-karat triumph of weaselry.
I look forward to watching Blumenthal sweat as more evidence of his lies comes forward.
I wonder if he was elected as state attorney general because of his deft lying or in spite of it.
The headline from the first NY Times article was also worthy of a few chuckles:
“Candidate’s Words on Vietnam Service Differ From History”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html
Blumenthal may have misplaced some words and those words might differ from history, but that doesn’t mean he is a liar. Aren’t you jumping to conclusions when you talk about his “lies”, Jim?
In America, politicians never lie. They merely create a reality that differs from the reality others are experiencing. To say they lie suggests that politicians are dishonest and we all know that would undermine government. It is only in other nations that politicians tell lies and only in other nations that allied with the American government.
…other nations that AREN’T allied with the American government
Tom – excellent point! I had missed the earlier NYT headline – it is a three-star hoot.
The Washington Post has an article today that goes so easily on Blumenthal that you would think he was still serving as an assistant to Post publisher Kay Graham (as he did during one of his draft deferments).
“misplaced words”…..oh gosh where is they Toto?
Bridgewater?