Over the weekend here at the Opining Quill the question was asked, is Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal hiding his records or revising his history? Now we have a report out of the New York Times that perhaps he has been engaged in revising the history of his military record.
According to the Times Coventry’s, Jean Risley, the chairwoman of the Connecticut Vietnam Veterans Memorial Inc., recalled listening to an emotional Mr. Blumenthal offering remarks at the dedication of the memorial. She remembered him describing the indignities that he and other veterans faced when they returned from Vietnam.
“It was a sad moment,” she recalled. “He said, ‘When we came back, we were spat on; we couldn’t wear our uniforms.’ It looked like he was sad to me when he said it.”
Ms. Risley later telephoned the reporter to say she had checked into Mr. Blumenthal’s military background and learned that he had not, in fact, served in Vietnam.
The Times also quoted Mr. Blumenthal speaking at a gathering in Norwalk in March of 2008 when he said, “We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” The truth is Mr. Blumenthal never served in Vietnam.
While Mr. Blumenthal now attempts to dance around his deception newspapers across the state have long painted Mr. Blumenthal as a veteran of the Vietnam War. This is not an issue of what service he performed it is an issue of reality, honesty and perception.
Will this impact Mr. Blumenthal in his campaign? The odds are state Democrats will look the other way while they endorse him as their candidate for the U. S. Senate. If Democrats nominate Blumenthal it should come as no surprise. This is the same party that saw no problem with President Clinton committing perjury and maintaining his position.
No political party including Democratic or Republican should nominate and reward a professional politician pandering party position merely for party loyalty without regard to honesty, loyalty and commitment for and to the people from whom they seek election. The nomination of Mr. Blumenthal should be viewed with skepticism.
Let is be said here, not all Democrats will support Mr. Blumenthal some will have the courage to stand up and speak in favor of honesty over politics. Merrick Alpert another Democrat seeking the U. S. Senate nomination has already reacted. According to the Hartford Courant in a reaction to the disclosure Mr. Alpert said, “As a citizen and as candidate, it’s shocking to see someone who has tried to craft this image of themselves as a fighter, as someone who is willing to always step up and tell the truth, to see him lie about serving in Vietnam.”
Mr. Alpert is shocked as any loyal American should be. Cashing in on the image of Vietnam veterans for political gains is despicable. Mr. Blumenthal would honor all of the Vietnam Veterans and serve the citizens of Connecticut if he immediately withdraws his name from consideration for nomination to the U. S. Senate by the Democratic Party.
