Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS. : MISCELLANY / NEWSMAKERS AND MILESTONES
Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) on Wednesday angrily defended his military record in a lengthy, unusual speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Dornan, his voice quavering, said that Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Merced), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, had spread “scummy” lies about Dornan’s Air Force service record.
Coelho, while campaigning in Orange County for Dornan’s Democratic opponent in the Nov. 4 election, accused Dornan of exaggerating his military record during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Coelho charged that Dornan had a chance to fight in both wars “but decided not to and ran away.”
Dornan angrily denied the charge during a 38-minute House speech. Dornan said that he would have been willing to face combat in both Korea and Vietnam but that he had never had to draw blood.
“Tony Coelho is baiting me for not killing people, and coming from a flaming liberal like him, that’s weird,” Dornan said.
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