Blumenthal's Vietnam Smoke Blowing

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright May 19, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

              Harvard and Yale educated Connecticut Democrat Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal was caught with his pants down when the New York Times exposed repeat fibbing about his Vietnam War service.  Now a candidate for Sen. Chris Dodd’s senate seat, Blumenthal reluctantly admitted he had “misspoken” about his Vietnam War record  “On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service and I regret that and I take full responsibility,” Blumenthal told a hastily arranged press conference.  Dogged with allegations of embellishing his Vietnam War experience, the 64-year-old Yale Law School graduate dismissed the significance of his fast-and-loose talk of his military service.  Describing his past remarks as “absolutely unintentional,” Blumenthal was hard-pressed to explain why Connecticut’s top lawman slanted his military service in the Marine Corps Reserves.

            Faced with a tough battled with former World Wrestling Entertainment champion Linda McMahon, Blumenthal clung to a 3% lead May 19, after revelations surfaced about his concocted Vietnam War stories.  “We have learned something important since the days I served in Vietnam,” Blumenthal told a group of veterans in 2008, according to the New York Times.  “When we returned, we saw nothing like this,” said Blumenthal at a 2003 rally, referring to positive developments for veterans returning from Afghanistan.  Rattled by allegations of deceit, Blumenthal defended his statements.  “Unlike my peers, I chose to join the military and serve my country,” explained Connecticut’s attorney general, directly contradicting evidence that her received five deferments between 1965 and 1970, before finally joining the Connecticut’s coveted the Marine Reserves to avoid active duty.

            Voters have a vested interest in evaluating the trustworthiness of candidates for Dodd’s U.S. Senate seat.  Running against McMahon, former Rep. Rob Simmons and investment guru Peter Schiff, Blumenthal watched the wheels come off his campaign.  Calling his campaign in “serious jeopardy,” Simmons, a real Vietnam War vet, was repelled by Blumenthal’s press event at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, marking a cynical attempt at damage control, despite recent headlines calling him out.  “I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service,” said Blumenthal, admitting nothing other than inadvertently misspeaking on a few occasions.  For the former law clerk of the late Supreme Court Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun, the carefully trained attorney asked the public to believe his public remarks were misinterpreted.

             Blumenthal’s impressive academic credentials graduating with the highest honors at Harvard, Cambridge and Yale Law School together with clerking for Justice Blackmun, working for Sen. Abraham Ribicoff (D-Conn.), Daniel P. Moynihan, serving in the Nixon White House, appointed as U.S. Attorney in Connecticut and serving in Connecticut’s House of Representatives, winning a special election in the Connecticut Senate and eventually elected as the state’s attorney general in 1990, give Blumenthal impeccable credentials.  “A lot of people were making different choices during that period.  Some people decided to not to serve.  I could have continued in the White House with a deferment,” said Blumenthal at his press event.  “I wanted to move on in my life.  I wanted to serve my country, and I’m proud of the fact that I made that decision and served and reached the rank of seargent in the Marine Corps Reserves.” 

             If Blumenthal were really so “proud” of his service, why would he try on several occasions documented by the New York Times to state or imply that he served in Vietnam?  Embellishing his real Vietnam record probably hurt Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) presidential bid in 2004.  Even former President George W. Bush paid a price for his sketchy service in the Alabama and Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War [1972-73], breeding questions about preferential treatment.  Blumenthal’s embellishments mirror his own unwarranted insecurities about serving his country.  While there’s nothing dishonorable about serving in the Reserves, there’s something suspect about shading the truth.  Telling people he served in the Marines during Vietnam or actually served in Vietnam distorts his service record, raising questions about Blumenthal’s character.

            No one is more qualified than Blumenthal to take the baton from Connecticut’s retiring venerable Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.  Revelations about Blumenthal’s embellishments come only days before Democrats meet to pick their candidate for the U.S. senate.  With Democrats expected to lose seats this fall, the Party was counting on Dodd’s seat.  “He owes an apology to those whose service he has undeservedly capitalized on for his own political purposes,” said Rob Simmons, Blumenthal’s potential Republican opponent.  Before Blumenthal’s chances dwindle, he would be well-advised take Simmons’ advice to apologize and leave no doubt to voters that he’s sorry for creating false impressions.  Connecticut voters will only forgive Blumenthal when they sense some genuine contrition, not pointing fingers at his critics for raising doubts.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.