(5-19-10): "Video: Blumenthal correctly stated service" (Ted Mann, theday.com) Does NYT owe Bumenthal an apology?

[Suzan]

Video: Blumenthal correctly stated service

Hartford - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal began a speech he gave to a group of senior citizens in 2008 by noting he had served in the U.S. Marine Corps "in the Vietnam era" - not, as he said moments later, in Vietnam itself.

The latter remark has triggered a firestorm of criticism locally and nationally, as the New York Times and Blumenthal's political opponents accused him of exaggerating his military record.

But those reports do not mention that Blumenthal accurately described his military service at the beginning of his address to residents at The Marvin, a nonprofit center in Norwalk that provides housing for the elderly and day care for children.

Blumenthal was one of an array of guest speakers at the March 2008 event, said Mary R. Windt, the organization's executive director, at which residents were being honored for having made 1,000 felt blankets for use by wounded troops and military veterans.

At the very outset of Blumenthal's remarks, he describes himself as "someone who served in the military during the Vietnam War, in the Marine Corps," before going on to say that the efforts to support veterans of current American conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are in contrast to the disrespect shown to returning veterans in the Vietnam era.

In the video, Blumenthal also appears to differentiate himself from combat veterans near the end of his remarks, a section not included in the video excerpt cited by his opponents, including Republicans Rob Simmons and Linda McMahon.

Without the efforts of previous generations of veterans, the attorney general says, "I wouldn't be standing here."

Windt said Blumenthal had not spoken of himself as a veteran of combat in the March event.

"He wasn't making a big thing about himself," she said, adding that those present in the room, including residents of The Marvin and state officials like Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele and then-Rep. Christopher Shays, didn't seem to notice the misstatement that has now landed Blumenthal in political peril.

"He definitely said it," she said, "but it was taken out of context."

theday.com (http://www.theday.com/article/20100519/NWS12/100519661/1047)

[Spang]

Does NYT owe Blumenthal an apology?

Yes, and most of the people in this thread (http://www.commongroundpolitics.net/discussion/showthread.php?t=56934).

[Jim744]

So, he didn't say: "We have learned something important since the days I served in Vietnam" in ANY of his speeches?

This quote is inaccurate?

“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Mr. Blumenthal said to the group gathered in Norwalk in March 2008. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”

[foxyladi]

So, he didn't say: "We have learned something important since the days I served in Vietnam" in ANY of his speeches?

This quote is inaccurate?

“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Mr. Blumenthal said to the group gathered in Norwalk in March 2008. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”

he didn't say that exactly just sounded that way:eek:

[Suzan]

Neil Cavuto (Fox) just played a video of a Blumenthal speech where Blumenthal very specifically said he did not serve in Viet Nam. According to Cavuto, Blumenthal frequently said he didn't serve there. He also said the things that have been reported that implied he did.

It interested me that Cavuto scolded the media and various politcians for jumping on Blumenthal for apparently contradicting himself on this issue. Cavuto said that people who intend to perpetuate a lie are consistent about it. He also said Blumenthal has not done any of the really egregious things that other politicians do and the media should be focusing on what really matters rather than going after Blumenthal for something this insigificant. (I'm paraphrasing.)

[Tybee]

YouTube- Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut lies about going to Vietnam

[Tybee]

So, he didn't say: "We have learned something important since the days I served in Vietnam" in ANY of his speeches?

This quote is inaccurate?

“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Mr. Blumenthal said to the group gathered in Norwalk in March 2008. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”

Yes he did.

[Suzan]

So, if he frequently stated that he didn't serve in Viet Nam and once said that he did, what's the big deal? This reminds me of Hillary and the sniper fire. It's campaign politics as usual.

Apparently, Republicans have big eyes for that Senate seat. :rolleyes:

[Tybee]

So, if he frequently stated that he didn't serve in Viet Nam and once said that he did, what's the big deal? This reminds me of Hillary and the sniper fire. It's campaign politics as usual.

Apparently, Republicans have big eyes for that Senate seat. :rolleyes:

Guess it all depends on what you're used to.

[greenleaf]

So, if he frequently stated that he didn't serve in Viet Nam and once said that he did, what's the big deal? This reminds me of Hillary and the sniper fire. It's campaign politics as usual.

Apparently, Republicans have big eyes for that Senate seat. :rolleyes:

Hillary's memory of the details of the landing was not accurate but she remembered what country she was in, it was Bosnia not Washington D.C.

I suspect that if he had been in Vietnam he would remember and probably not misspeak and say that he served in Washington D.C.

[Suzan]

Guess it all depends on what you're used to.
Are you suggesting that Neil Cavuto and I hang around with bad people? :( Wish I could find his video defense of Blumenthal.

Neil Cavuto (Fox) just played a video of a Blumenthal speech where Blumenthal very specifically said he did not serve in Viet Nam. According to Cavuto, Blumenthal frequently said he didn't serve there. He also said the things that have been reported that implied he did.

It interested me that Cavuto scolded the media and various politcians for jumping on Blumenthal for apparently contradicting himself on this issue. Cavuto said that people who intend to perpetuate a lie are consistent about it. He also said Blumenthal has not done any of the really egregious things that other politicians do and the media should be focusing on what really matters rather than going after Blumenthal for something this insigificant. (I'm paraphrasing.)

[Jim744]

Yes he did.


Yes, he did say it about 2/3 of the way through that particular video segment so he did lie. Bye, bye. Suzan, did Cavuto play that segment of video?

I think it is a big deal when anyone lies when running for office. How much significance people give it is another matter. Hillary got blasted. Obama's chronic lying was mostly ignored or not made a big deal of. He got a BIG pass!

[Spang]

I think it is a big deal when anyone lies when running for office.

Including Sarah Palin?

[RE:]

Larry Kudlow was on CNBC the other day and was very very upset to hear what Blumenthal said. He said that he was very good friends with him and this news really upset him. He tried to have his back by bringing up all the good things Blumenthal has done through out his career, but even he was having a hard time convincing himself otherwise. He also had a woman on his panel that said, and I'm paraphrasing, that if he did it once or twice...it is a misspeak...3 or 4 times is bad...but to do it 6 to 8 times is downright lying. I have to agree. And yes Hillary said what she said, but she didn't say it numerous times. There's a difference. It sounds like it's all in the number of times one claims something. Hell, Obama said ALOT of different misspeaks, but since he only said the misspeak once and maybe twice about a subject...I guess he got a pass.

[Suzan]

Yes, he did say it about 2/3 of the way through that particular video segment so he did lie. Bye, bye. Suzan, did Cavuto play that segment of video?

Cavuto's point was that Blumenthal has on many occasions said that he didn't serve in Viet Nam. The video he played was one of those times. In it Blumenthal states uniquivocally that he didn't serve in Viet Nam.

I think it is a big deal when anyone lies when running for office. How much significance people give it is another matter. Hillary got blasted. Obama's chronic lying was mostly ignored or not made a big deal of. He got a BIG pass!

I agree that it's a big deal when they lie, but have you known any politician who didn't lie? And much worse lies than these, imo. Did Hillary lie when she talked about the sniper fire or did she misspeak? IOW, call it what you will they all misrepresent things at times and everyone is vulnerable to these kinds of charges.

Cavuto's point was that Blumenthal was a good man with a good record and if this is the worst he's done, then his critics should call off the attack dogs and focus on what's significant.

Now, having said all that, I just heard that there may have been more things that Blumenthal said that are questionable, so we'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

[Jim744]

Cavuto's point was that Blumenthal has on many occasions said that he didn't serve in Viet Nam. The video he played was one of those times. In it Blumenthal states uniquivocally that he didn't serve in Viet Nam.



I agree that it's a big deal when they lie, but have you known any politician who didn't lie? And much worse lies than these, imo. Did Hillary lie when she talked about the sniper fire or did she misspeak? IOW, call it what you will they all misrepresent things at times and everyone is vulnerable to these kinds of charges.

Cavuto's point was that Blumenthal was a good man with a good record and if this is the worst he's done, then his critics should call off the attack dogs and focus on what's significant.

Now, having said all that, I just heard that there may have been more things that Blumenthal said that are questionable, so we'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

OK, so that's Cavuto's point of view. Fine. Not mine though!

[Suzan]

Here's the argument for his having misspoken rather than lied. He started off the speech by saying he served during the Viet Nam era, which is true. Later, he said he served in Viet Nam. The NYT article didn't include any of the times that Blumenthal said he didn't serve in Viet Nam and when they quoted from this speech they only used the quote where he said he did.

Blumenthal Didn’t Lie About ‘Nam

Does The New York Times owe Connecticut Attorney General and Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal an apology? Two days after the paper ran a story saying Blumenthal lied about serving in Vietnam—a story that Blumenthal’s Republican opponent, Linda McMahon, bragged about spoon-feeding to the paper—TheDay.com reports that Blumenthal began the same speech the Times criticized by saying he served in the Marines “in the Vietnam era.” A few minutes later, he said that he served “in” Vietnam, but the fact that this statement followed an honest admission about the nature of his service makes it seem as though he misspoke, rather than lied deliberately.

Read it at TheDay.com

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/?cid=hp:cheatsheet4#cheatrow_16429

[Kelle]

... Cavuto's point was that Blumenthal has on many occasions said that he didn't serve in Viet Nam. The video he played was one of those times. In it Blumenthal states uniquivocally that he didn't serve in Viet Nam.
...

Cavuto's point was that Blumenthal was a good man with a good record and if this is the worst he's done, then his critics should call off the attack dogs and focus on what's significant.

Now, having said all that, I just heard that there may have been more things that Blumenthal said that are questionable, so we'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

Based on what I've read here the only reasonable interpretation is that he misspoke. Why else would he explicitly state, in that same speech, that he didn't serve in Vietnam?

kel

[Jim744]

Here's the argument for his having misspoken rather than lied. He started off the speech by saying he served during the Viet Nam era, which is true. Later, he said he served in Viet Nam. The NYT article didn't include any of the times that Blumenthal said he didn't serve in Viet Nam and when they quoted from this speech they only used the quote where he said he did.



http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/?cid=hp:cheatsheet4#cheatrow_16429

I'm confus-ed. Did he say after the speech he didn't serve in Viet Nam or during the speech? Why would he need to say he didn't serve in Viet Nam? In what context? Did someone call him on it some time ago? If he corrected himself within the same speech and didn't say any other times that he served in Viet Nam, then, I give him a pass.

[Suzan]

I'm confus-ed. Did he say after the speech he didn't serve in Viet Nam or during the speech? Why would he need to say he didn't serve in Viet Nam? In what context? Did someone call him on it some time ago? If he corrected himself within the same speech and didn't say any other times that he served in Viet Nam, then, I give him a pass.
I think we're all confused, lol. I searched YouTube, but the video Cavuto showed isn't there. Cavuto said (paraphrasing) that Blumenthal has said on various occasions over the years that he didn't serve in Viet Nam. Apparently on occasion he has also said or implied that he did and the NYT article focused only on those times. They specifically quoted a speech in which he said he did, but they neglected to quote from the same speech at the beginning where he said he served during the Viet Nam era, which is correct. It was later in that speech that he said he served in Viet Nam. And the NYT neglected to mention the times that Blumenthal has said he didn't serve in Viet Nam.

Cavuto showed a video of one of those times. I saw the video and Blumenthal very directly says he didn't serve in Viet Nam. I don't know when it occured in relation to the speech, but it was in the past and not as a result of the NYT article.

[Brooke]

Either way, this guy is done. Nobody on MSNBC has come to his defense.

But let me just say something here. If I'm correct, Blumenthal said he served in the Marine Reserves DURING Vietnam. My dad served in the Navy Reserves during Vietnam as well and occasionally in the past, has slipped and called himself a Vietnam Vet but then explaining he served during the war. He's never actually told anyone he served IN the Vietnam war.

[Kelle]

Sorry, no video clip or transcript, but there is this piece by Neil Cavuto, posted on Fox's website.

(5/19/2010) Cut Blumenthal a Break (Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,593182,00.html

Indeed, in several speeches, that's exactly what the front-running senatorial candidate said: That he was in Vietnam. In some speeches. But here's the thing: Not all speeches, and not all the time. Which violates the cardinal rule of lying: That you keep telling the same lie.
Blumenthal did not.
...
... Because to make the war hero thing work, you've got to work it; not some of the time — all of the time. Not in some speeches off the cuff, but in speeches on and off the cuff.
Blumenthal didn't. As far as I can tell, he quite often made a point of saying he didn't do the heavy lifting in service, just that he appreciated his Marine Reserves service and really appreciated those who did far more in service. He almost always explained the difference, and almost always cited his gratitude.

kel

[Jim744]

Sorry, no video clip or transcript, but there is this piece by Neil Cavuto, posted on Fox's website.



kel

BS, Cavuto! So, he's absent minded and forgets to lie some of the time and that makes lying the rest of the time OK? Or is Cavuto being sarcastic?

[Suzan]

BS, Cavuto! So, he's absent minded and forgets to lie some of the time and that makes lying the rest of the time OK? Or is Cavuto being sarcastic?
No, he wasn't being sarcastic. He was defending him. He even showed clips of earlier shows when Blumenthal was a guest. But having read what Kel found I have to wonder if Blumenthal wasn't slightly delusional on the subject of his own military service. Maybe he just desperately wanted to have served in Viet Nam. He was constantly, passionately defending the troops. It's kind of sad.

[greenleaf]

No, he wasn't being sarcastic. He was defending him. He even showed clips of earlier shows when Blumenthal was a guest. But having read what Kel found I have to wonder if Blumenthal wasn't slightly delusional on the subject of his own military service. Maybe he just desperately wanted to have served in Viet Nam. He was constantly, passionately defending the troops. It's kind of sad.

You're probably close to the truth here. If he was making a concerted effort to invent combat service he probably would have been more consistent. But several times, in front of certain audiences, he consciously or unconsciously stretched the truth.

Either he's sorry he avoided Vietnam or he just thinks combat service would now be impressive. Either way I'd prefer a more reality based candidate.

[sojourner]

US Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal finally apologized for misstating his military record following revelations that he did not serve in Vietnam, Connecticut newspaper the Hartford Courant reported late Sunday.

In a statement emailed to the newspaper, Blumenthal said: "At times when I have sought to honor veterans, I have not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves.''

"I have firmly and clearly expressed regret and taken responsibility for my words.

"I have made mistakes and I am sorry. I truly regret offending anyone,'' he added.

Democrat candidate Blumenthal, who is Connecticut's Attorney General, was widely perceived to be the favorite to replace retiring U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).

According to the New York Times, at a 2008 event, Blumenthal said, “We have learned something very important since the days that I served in Vietnam ... whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it -- Afghanistan or Iraq -- we owe our military men and women unconditional support."

But while Blumenthal served as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era, he never actually served in Vietnam.

He admitted at a May 18 news conference that he "misspoke" on "a few occasions out of hundreds" about his service in Vietnam, but stopped short of issuing an apology. Source (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/blumenthal_apologizes_for_misstating_cc9P2emfNHa5Z IbOUrqy5N)

[Spang]

Orrin Hatch introduces amendment to criminalize Blumenthal-ism

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is attempting to amend the 2005 Stolen Honor Act, which criminalized false claims of military service, in order to punish people who lie about being in combat -- people like Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D), a Senate candidate. Here's Hatch:

My amendment would add to this existing statute, making false statements regarding participation in combat operations. It appears to me that individuals make these false claims in order to obtain honorariums, employment, elected office or other positions of authority.

If convicted of this misdemeanor offense, the perpetrator could face 6 months in jail and/or a fine. This is the same penalty for falsely obtaining and wearing awards or medals.

My emphasis, which makes it clear that Hatch is talking about Blumenthal, even though Hatch's office declined to say this when I asked. "The amendment says what the amendment says," a spokesperson told me.

Here's the text, which makes it clear that the 6 months or fine would hit anyone who made the exaggeration "verbally or in writing":

The Source w/ Complete Text (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/05/orrin_hatch_introduces_amendme.html)