EDITORIAL: Richard Blumenthal's Rolling Blunder

Connecticut's Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is taking heavy fire for a series of statements he made over several years in which he either explicitly or implicitly claimed to be a Vietnam veteran, when in fact he is not. His defense is that he misspoke - using the word "in" instead of "during" the war, according to a spokesman. This implies that he repeatedly made an innocent and unconscious mistake. But anyone watching the video of him in 2008, touching his heart when he earnestly says "we have learned something very important since the days that I served in Vietnam," cannot conclude he didn't know exactly what he was saying. The scandal doesn't depend on what the meaning of the word "in" is.

A lone protester paced the state Capitol parking lot Tuesday holding a U.S. Marine Corps flag and sign that read, “Prosecute Blumenthal Stolen Valor Act.”

The protester, Jim Bancroft of Windsor Locks, says he served in as a U.S. Marine from 1977 to 1981 and claims that he has defended Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in the past against accusations regarding his military service because during conversations, the two had Blumenthal had always said he served state-side as a reservist.

While the two had nothing in common politically, “I thought he was a decent guy” until he watched the video, Bancroft said. After watching the video posted along with the New York Times article, Bancroft is calling for Blumenthal to be prosecuted under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. (Excerpt) Read more at ctnewsjunkie.com ...

The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (the Act), signed into law by former President George W. Bush on Dec. 20, 2006,[1] is a U.S. law that broadens the provisions of previous U.S. law addressing the unauthorized wear, manufacture, sale or claim (either written or oral) of any military decorations and medals. It is a federal misdemeanor offense, which carries a punishment of imprisonment for no more than 1 year and/or a fine; the scope previously covered only the Medal of Honor.

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THE CROWN PRINCE - THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE OF DICK BLUMENTHAL
Hartford Courant, Sunday, Oct 3, 2004
By Elizabeth Hamilton, investigative reporter

EXCERPT It requires a good bit of effort to find out how much the Blumenthal's paid for it or, for that matter, what it even looks like. Search the land records in Greenwich Town Hall and you won’t find the Blumenthal name anywhere. The 5,608-square-foot house, with a market value of $2.5 million in 2001, was transferred for $1 and ``other considerations’’ to the ``John and Abigail Trust,’’ named by his wife, Blumenthal said, after the second president and his wife. ``[Cynthia] didn’t want it to be reported that the attorney general bought a house on such and such a street,’’ Blumenthal said, adding that they own their home.

Given Blumenthal’s financial disclosure statement, it would be implausible that they wouldn’t. The statement lists 13 trust funds held in either his wife’s or children’s names, and one blind trust held jointly by him and his wife.

Cynthia Blumenthal is the daughter of Peter Malkin, a Greenwich real estate mogul who heads the investor group that, according to a 2002 disclosure owns other Manhattan properties. Mrs Blumenthal and her children owned partnership interests in 30 real estate ventures, including the Empire State Building, ......that lit up red for Communist China.

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WEB SITE https://malkinsecurities.com/ Malkin Securities Corp., formerly Wien & Malkin Securities Corp., is recognized as the original and preeminent real estate syndicator in the United States. Malkin Securities maintains a highly disciplined approach to investment, and is recognized for its financial stability, conservative use of leverage, and strong institutional lender relationships. Over many decades, our hallmark traits of disciplined evaluation, due diligence, conservative use of leverage, carefully planned exit strategies and proactive asset and property management have provided valuable opportunities to our investors.

There are some excellent comments to this article, calling this POS out on his “misstatements”.

The way I look at it the phrase “served during Vietnam” doesn’t even make any sense. (This is the phrase he claims to have mistakenly changed to “served in Vietnam”.)

No one would ever say “served during Vietnam”, you lying POS.

Vietnam is a place. The Vietnam War was a time. You would have said “served during the Vietnam War” if that’s what you meant. But that’s not what you meant. You meant “in” and you said “in”.

And by the way, you lying POS, it turns out you only “served” for 6 months. Which means you barely “served” at all. Kind of like Kerry, with the glaring difference that Kerry actually was in Vietnam.

Actually...I had this idea for a campaign video (against Blumenthal,to be honest).

Round up five rough-looking guys...as dopey as you can get...bearded...half-drunk. They come talking big for “Richie”. They were all in company B in Nam. They remember the firefights, the bazooka blasts, Charlie coming across the wire, the Nazi assaults on the beach, the paratrooper tanks that were dropped from 80,000 feet, the visits by Lady Gaga to the troops, and how “Richie” saved them time and time again with beverages and assorted smokes.

My suggested title for the clip? Boys in Company B for Richie.

After a month or two...update it...and describe the years after Nam....and they half-way remember things (never correctly), and how they are still supporting “Richie”...even though he’s losing day-by-day.

Cost: less than a hundred bucks per clip.

Actually, we were considered “Vietnam era veterans”.

And you are correct, those of us who did not serve in country or on the gun line were quite honest (and frankly relieved) when asked.

As an aside, I once met a very humble gent when sitting in First Class on a TWA cross-country flight. We got to talking and he explained that he served “in-country in Vietnam” and when he got back to the states he wanted to be alone and have nothing to do with the world. So he told me that with what money he had he bought a ranch in the desert of Arizona. If I remember correctly he said a little place outside Phoenix called Scottsdale.

Then time passed and the city surrounded his island of peace and finally he sold out to a bunch of property developers for a few Million and that is why I met him flying around in First Class!!

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