Richard Blumenthal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is a very interesting comment on information flow to note that nothing appears on the BLUMENTHAL website about this or on the website for the Democractic Senatorial Campaign Committee. But Wikipedia has the story included here:

"Vietnam controversy
On May 17, 2010, the New York Times published an article stating that Blumenthal "never served in Vietnam, despite statements to the contrary. The Times has found that he obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war." The Times also published a March 2, 2008, video where he states that, "I served in Vietnam".[57][58]

One of Blumenthal's Republican opponents for the 2010 Senate election, former Representative Rob Simmons released a statement, "As someone who served, I respect Richard Blumenthal for wearing the uniform, but I am deeply troubled by allegations that he has misrepresented his service. Too many have sacrificed too much to have their valor stolen in this way. I hope Mr. Blumenthal steps forward and forthrightly addresses the questions that have arisen about this matter."[59]

The article went on to state that Blumenthal has also misrepresented or falsified other parts of his record:

"In two largely favorable profiles, the Slate article and a magazine article in The Hartford Courant in 2004 with which he cooperated, Mr. Blumenthal is described prominently as having served as captain of the swim team at Harvard. Records at the college show that he was never on the team."[57]"

This is the note that I sent him last evening:

"In reading this story in The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html?hp, I find myself greatly saddened.

Like you, I am a lawyer.

Like you, I had a marginal draft number in 1969.

Like you, I worked for Katharine GRAHAM -- when she was Chairman of the American Newspaper Publishers Association and I was senior vice president and general counsel.

Like you, I chose an alternative service. In my case, it was to become an officer in the US Coast Guard. I freely chose not to accept the offer I was given upon graduation from the Officer Candidate School training to take command of an 82 foot patrol boat on the Mekong Delta. If you check my story, my bio, my public comments, you will never find me saying anything other than this correct account. I did not go to Vietnam but I did serve during the Vietnam conflict, which I have noted.

I find your judgment in not being able to stay within the comfortable bounds of accuracy to be a fatal flaw – if the Times account is correct? – in your candidacy.

Unless you can show the Times’ report to be false, I think you have no choice but to withdraw from the race. I say this as a Democrat, sadly."