Richard Blumenthal's Waterloo on Vietnam
I briefly touched on this scandal in yesterday's post. The New York Times wrote a fascinating column on Blumenthal's "misspoken" lies regarding service in Vietnam. Certain quotes stand out:
- Norwalk March 2008: " We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam"
- Jean Risley, chair of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Connecticut, recalled Blumenthal's words at the dedication: "He said, ‘When we came back, we were spat on; we couldn’t wear our uniforms.’
- Also at the dedication: "I remember the taunts, the insults, sometimes even physical abuse.”
- At a Bridgeport rally: "When we returned, we saw nothing like this."
The facts are indisputable: Blumenthal obtained 5 deferments during the Vietnam War, not only covering his study deferments, but periods he worked for the Washington Post and the Nixon White House. It is true that given the shaky status of his final occupational deferment and his eligible draft lottery position, he did join the Marine Corps Reserve in 1970, which was not being activated for service in Vietnam; while in the reserve, he participated in drills and projects like the Christmastime Toys for Tots.
More ethically challenging is the fact that the state attorney general on at least 8 occasions during the 2000's, Connecticut newspapers listed him as having served in Vietnam with no correction to the record forthcoming from Mr. Blumenthal.
Let me make myself clear: I'm not criticizing the fact that Blumenthal applied for and received deferments or the fact that he joined the Marine Corps Reserve. Many young men did the same thing; one could quibble, as a matter of principle, whether deferments were fair, or whether joining the reserve was little more than a military variation of a deferment.
Even if you argue that Blumenthal "misspoke", e.g., he meant to say he served in the Vietnam era, not that he served in Vietnam, or when he said "we", he was talking about the Marines overall and not himself personally, this would be exactly the type of misleading nonsense he would himself prosecute if it involved consumer goods or services.
Clinton, Blumenthal and others were or are hoping Americans will buy into the excuse that they are just average joe's whom are just prone to a slip of the tongue. They are highly trained lawyers whom understand, in the context of the law or contracts, there is zero tolerance for a slip of the tongue. Probably most Americans today think the impeachment of Clinton was based on his violation of the Ten Commandments; in fact, it had to do with the fact that women in question ultimately reported to him (sexual harassment policy) and the disingenuous nature of his sworn testimony in an Arkansas court.
What we really have is a matter of character and integrity. at best, Blumenthal is simply saying he is little more than a politician as usual; he gets to benefit politically if people think he actually served in Vietnam, and he certainly does nothing to correct them from inferring such. But if he gets caught, he argues it was just an innocent case of being tongue-tied.
What I do know, as an IT professional and former professor, is if I put something false or misleading on a resume or job application (e.g., claim a degree which I did not in fact earn), I am subject to immediate termination. From a standpoint of qualifications for public service, meritorious military service is a powerful criterion: for example, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Dwight Eisenhower, Bob Dole, and John McCain are just a few military heroes whom have been national candidates for the Presidency.
I will conclude with the following well-stated excerpt from the New York Times:
There are few sins less forgivable in American politics than claiming unearned military valor. Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general of Connecticut, may consider his false claim to have served in Vietnam to be “a few misplaced words,” as he put it on Tuesday, but, in fact, this deception seems to have been part of a larger pattern of misleading voters.Super Tuesday Results
Rand Paul, Presidential candidate/Congressman Ron Paul's son, with prominent Tea Party support, easily defeated Trey Grayson for the GOP nomination to retain Bunning's (R-KY) Senate seat. I don't think Grayson ran a very smart race, particularly in justifying the value for bringing the dollars home, i.e., earmarks as usual, in a year that out-of-control federal spending is a high-profile issue. I still think that Grayson would have been a better candidate for the general campaign; most voters in the state are Democrat or independent, but right now Paul leads Dem nominee Conway by an average of 4 points in the Real Clear Politics average. The fact that Minority Leader McConnell was backing Grayson makes for an intriguing subplot.
Ding dong the witch is dead! Arlen Specter, the 80-year-old turncoat, got upended by Congressman Sestak, a maverick pro-defense Democrat. Not just that Specter voted for all of Obama's agenda, but I'm still angry over his role in sabotaging the Robert Bork nomination to the Supreme Court over 20 years, one of his proudest moments. Like Paul, GOP nominee Toomey holds a razor-thin lead over Sestak
Political Cartoon
Mike Lester spoofs the infamous Miss Teen South Carolina 2007 responses in pointing out AG Eric Holder's inane discussions in disputing the authenticity of murderous religious fanatics or in reflecting, in his capacity as AG, on multiple occasions of a law he personally had not even read.
Quote of the Day
If there is light in the soul, There will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, There will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, There will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world.
Chinese proverb
Musical Interlude: The AFI Music Top 100 (continued)
#9. "Stayin' Alive"
#10. "The Sound of Music" (my favorite all-time movie)
#11. "The Man That Got Away"
#12. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"
