More Richard Blumenthal Vietnam quotes surface

[Freddie Stubbs]

A Connecticut newspaper on Thursday unearthed two new examples of Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal suggesting that he served in Vietnam.

The News-Times reported that a search of Hearst Connecticut Newspapers archives found a 2008 report in the Stamford Advocate in which the Senate candidate said, “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,” he said.

The quote came from a story on the Stamford Veterans Day parade on November 9, 2008, and did not appear in the damaging New York Times report Tuesday that the Connecticut attorney general had on more than one occasion said he had served in Vietnam, although his time in the Marine Corps Reserve was in fact spent in Washington and Connecticut.

more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37595.html#ixzz0oYumqSG9

It understandable for some one to make a verbal slip-up. But when they keep doing it over and over on the same subject it diminishes the likelihood that it was accidental.

[Larkspur]

1. His slip ups were occasional and one time he did it Rep. Chris Shays and other Repubs were present

and they didn't challenge Blumenthal then. I think he did it infrequent enough that it passes more for a verbal slip up than an obnoxious habit.

[Ian David]

2. But he remembers dodging sniper fire at the airport! n/t

[marylanddem]

3. Richard "Pants on Fire"Blumenthal

lied repeatedly to enhance his image. He needs to step aside & let Connecticut dems find a new candidate.
The "I wore the uniform in Vietnam" is even worse lie, to me, as it so clearly paints this heroic picture in the mind of the listener. He needs to apologize to all those who really "wore the uniform in Vietnam" & get the hell out.

[ShortnFiery]

4. It is a tragic flaw. I've been reading up and he has avidly advocated for veterans.

He didn't need to do this to pump himself up, he was already doing excellent work. :(

All he would have reminded himself to ALWAYS say is "in the Vietnam Era" not "in Vietnam."

It's an old story of how many politicians begin to believe that they can take liberties with stretching the truth.

Tragic for him, his family and friends ... and democrats in Connecticut.

[greencharlie]

9. pants on fire, lol... nt

[Kingofalldems]

5. Wow---now maybe Lieberman can win

I bet someone's happy! Of course when Joe is dishonest it doesn't count. BTW, what branch of service was Lieberman in? I forgot.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. You are obviously confused. Leiberman isn't up for reelection until 2012

[Kingofalldems]

8. Oops you are right

wishful thinking on my part.

[Jennicut]

6. Or maybe one of the new "instances" is not new at all:

Politico is reporting tonight that the Danbury News-Times has "unearthed two new examples of Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal suggesting that he served in Vietnam." One of those examples, however, seems to have appeared in the original New York Times article on Blumenthal's service.

In its original article, the Times reported (emphasis added:

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."

Compare that quote to the one offered by the Connecticut Post in a May 18, 2008, article, which describes an event at Shelton's Veterans War Memorial Building (accessed from Nexis, emphasis added):

"When we returned from Vietnam, I remember the taunts, the verbal and even physical abuse we encountered," Blumenthal said. "It has taken 30 years for people to realize that, however they feel about the wars, they must honor the men and women who serve our country who had nothing to do with the decision to wage the conflicts.

It is the Post's quote that the News-Times and Politico are both citing today as "new." But it seems clear -- unless there were two events at the same building during the same year in which Blumenthal offered nearly identical comments -- that the Post's quote and the New York Times' quote are from the same speech. Indeed, searches of the Nexis and Factiva databases uncover no contemporaneous reports besides the Post's of a Blumenthal speech in 2008 at Shelton's Veterans War Memorial Building.http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005210002

He misspoke twice, in Stamford and Shelton. He spoke the truth about his service all the other times. No other instances can be found but those two.
Was is trumping up his image or just misspeaking? You be the judge.