Greg Hunter stopped in today and we had a quick discussion about politicians and the embellishment of resumes- as well as job seekers doing the same thing.
What’s most interesting in the case of Richard Blumenthal- is the timing of the “reporting” of his deeds- on the eve of an election. Has the fourth estate lost its credibility- or is it being manipulated just like the American Public?
From the NYT today:
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat running for the United States Senate, said he took “full responsibility” for saying he had served in Vietnam when he actually received deferments between 1965 and 1970, worked in the Nixon White House and then joined the Marine Corps Reserve.
“On a few occasions I have misspoken about my service, and I regret that and I take full responsibility,” Mr. Blumenthal said at a news conference Tuesday 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 said he had been unaware of “those misplaced words” when he said them. He said that the errors were “totally unintentional” errors and that he had made them on only a small number of occasions in hundreds of public appearances.
The New York Times reported on Monday night that Mr. Blumenthal had addressed veterans’ groups without saying that his service never took him beyond the East Coast.
via Blumenthal Calls Military Claim ‘Misplaced Words’ – NYTimes.com [1].
Yes, Blumenthal is right to own his lies, (which may make him more honest than most we elect), but, the timing of this reporting, of a man who has been elected before- must make you wonder. Is he a threat to those who Chris Dodd worked so hard to protect (Wall Street bankers)? Greg asks if Elliot Spitzer’s hooker encounters were also exposed to protect Wall Street?
Here’s our discussion- what do you think?
Marine Corps Reserve, David. ARMY National Guard. Please.
Blumenthal aside, I’m proud of the six years I served in the USMCR. The Dayton MP’s. I’ve been told by some “that I wasn’t really a Marine.” I guess those 11 weeks at Parris Island was just a bad dream. Dirty little secret about service in the reserve or guard is that those six months of initial active duty time are carefully cut-off at 180 days, no matter how far along you are in training. On day 181 of continuous active service you actually become eligible for veterans benefits. Isn’t that special ? Of course since 9/11 much of that “cost control” has gone right out the window, and rightfully so.
No excuse for Blumenthal. What ticks me off is all the political pundits and journalists who’ve never served at all and speak as if they are experts on what constitutes military service and what doesn’t, all the while maintaining a condescending view on those who do.
Blumenthal still has three months before his primary, so the Times did not do him dirty “at this late date.”