White House backs Senate candidate under fire for Vietnam misstatements

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The White House is standing behind Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who has acknowledged that he had misspoke about his military service.

Blumenthal, the attorney general of his state, found himself on the defensive when the New York Times reported Monday that he had repeatedly claimed that he had served in Vietnam. Blumenthal was in the Marine Reserves during the Vietnam War, but did not serve in Vietnam.

Blumenthal says he misspoke about his record unintentionally and that it happened only a few times out of hundreds of public appearances.

On Friday, Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s spokesman, was asked for the White House’s position on Blumenthal.

Gibbs said: “I have not heard anything from the [White House] political shop that would lead me to believe anything other than our continued support.”

-- Associated Press