Posted on 05/23/2010 10:16:04 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – U.S. Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal acknowledged he misstated his service in Vietnam, said he made mistakes, regretted them and took responsibility.
What he didn't explain was why.
Blumenthal, Connecticut's popular attorney general who insisted he was proud of his domestic military service in the Marine Reserve, became part of a long running phenomenon in which men embellish or outright lie about their military record.
"They all do it for the prestige," said retired FBI agent Thomas Cottone, who used to investigate military impostors for the agency. "They all want to be recognized. They need that ego boost."
Blumenthal's political crisis erupted when The New York Times reported last week that the Democrat had repeatedly distorted his military service, including saying at a 2008 event that he had served in Vietnam. The newspaper said Blumenthal intimated more than once that he was a victim of the abuse heaped on Vietnam veterans upon their return home.
Blumenthal said he meant to say he served "during" Vietnam instead of "in" Vietnam. He said the statements were "totally unintentional" errors that occurred only a few times out of hundreds of public appearances.
A longer version of the video of the 2008 event posted by a Republican opponent shows Blumenthal at the beginning of his speech correctly characterizing his service by saying that he "served in the military, during the Vietnam era."
Blumenthal spent his entire six years of military service in the United States. By mentioning Vietnam, however, he may have been trying to identify with his audience, said Kyle Longley, a history professor at Arizona State University and author of a book on Vietnam veterans.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Liberals can find an excuse for anything can’t they? I guess a poor excuse is better than nothing at all? *eyeroll* They should just stop all of the BS and recognize that to most people he just looks like a pathetic attention wh*re!
Blumenthal lied about his record of draft dodging deferments until he could get in the Marine Reserves where he knew he would not be sent to Vietnam. He did that in carefully selected venues where he thought he could get away with it. That’s what he did and it is disgraceful.
In the 70's he probably made a point of the fact that he wasn't there.
...he misstated his service in Vietnam,
He was never IN Vietnam
..tried relating to fellow vets
If he was never there, is he really a Vet?
“were “totally unintentional” errors that occurred only a few times out of hundreds of public appearances.”
no big deal. I do this all the time too. Last week, I told audience I’m an astronaut. Accidentally, of course.
Who needs further proof of media bias?
Good Lord, excuses, excuses, excuses. Will they come to Rand Paul’s defense?
If you’ve been in a combat zone,you know it.If you’ve been hiding out in Washington,you know that too.Kind of hard to confuse the two areas of operation.
The MSM centrifuge is at it again.
I’m guessing these so-called “experts” are Senator John Kerry, Jane Fonda, Professor Ward Churchill and Cindy Sheehan, right?!
According to the MSM Repubs “lie” and Dems only “misspeak.”
This is all pretty simple. Guys like Blumenthal did not want to go to Vietnam because it interfered with their personal, political, financial, or other ambitions. Besides, you could get yourself killed and they all thought that they were God’s gift to the nation. So, they became Lefties and wrapped a false cloak of moral superiority around themselves and claimed the war to be illegal, immoral, etc. Or, they hid out in a deferment or reserve unit so that they didn’t have to go.
Later, when their personal ambitions and self infatuation impulses needed for them to be counted amongst those who did go to Vietnam, they conjured up a fictional early life for themselves. Their behavior is very consistent, they are self absorbed hedonists driven by personal ambitions. Is this who we want for political leaders? I think not.
I harbor no animosity for those who did not want to go to Vietnam and found a legitimate way to stay home, so long as they face up to the decisions that they made and remain truthful about what they did. Liars like Blumenthal deserve no such consideration.
” Last week, I told an audience I’m an astronaut.”
You too?
“Experts: Blumenthal tried relating to fellow vets (Experts? Really?)”
one of the biggest reasons I LOVE Freerepublic is you guys who tag your accurately revealing analysis to the headline.
the tag “(Experts? Really?)” is perfect...says it all.
one of the biggest differences between left and right is that the right understands that substance is critically important while the left thinks that image trumps substance.
there are key-words that the left uses that have been very effective in building the image...’children’, ‘scientists say’, ‘experts say’, etc.
you’re EXACTLY RIGHT. the ‘experts’ arent experts at all...they’re image builders...they’re CRISIS BUILDERS
WHAT’s REAL is what’s important...not what’s image_ined
just my opinion
I’m a vet. He doesn’t relate to me. He’s scum.
> If you’ve been in a combat zone,you know it.
and you know what color the incoming tracers are.
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