Connecticut Senate candidate says he misspoke about Vietnam service
Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who had been expected to have an easy race for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, denied Tuesday that he had deliberately misled voters about his military record during the Vietnam War era.
Speaking at a news conference at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in West Hartford, Blumenthal said he had misspoken about his record a few times out of the hundreds of speeches he has given in his political career.
The New York Times raised the question of whether Blumenthal had lied about his service. Blumenthal was in the Marine Corps Reserve and did not serve overseas, but he has said at some appearances that he served in Vietnam.
With veterans standing behind him, Blumenthal said that when he misspoke the statements were “absolutely unintentional.”
“On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service, and I regret that,” Blumenthal said. “But I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to my country.”
Regarding a statement from his campaign that the New York Times story was a distortion, he said, “The article denigrates service in the reserves.... It really implies there were some special favors or treatment involved.”
He said several times that, despite his Ivy League background at Harvard and high-profile positions at a young age, he did not receive any special treatment in the military. Blumenthal declined to comment about the role of Republican Linda McMahon’s campaign in providing information to the New York Times.
Blumenthal had been widely viewed as the frontrunner to succeed Dodd, a fellow Democrat.
In an uncharacteristic move, Blumenthal eventually cut off questioning from reporters and ended the news conference.
As he has said many times at veterans’ ceremonies at the state Capitol and around Connecticut, Blumenthal noted Tuesday that he had reached the rank of sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge.
“I am proud of my service in the United States Marine Corps,” he said. “I am prouder still that my oldest son, Matthew, is serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.”
Blumenthal had been introduced at the news conference by Peter Galgano, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who called the allegations against Blumenthal “malicious.”
During Galgano’s introduction, someone shouted, “Semper Fi!”
“He has always stood by us, and we are proud to stand by him,” Galgano said.
Regarding his military history, Blumenthal spoke in detail about how he came to serve.
“I volunteered to join the United States Marine Corps Reserves 40 years ago,” he said. “I went to boot camp at Parris Island.”
Republican candidate Rob Simmons, who did serve in Vietnam, said Tuesday that Blumenthal owes an apology to all Vietnam veterans.
Simmons, who often spoke about his service during multiple campaigns over his six years in the U.S. House, said veterans who actually served in Vietnam are careful about how they speak about their experiences and whether they served in other countries during the war.
“He owes an apology to those whose service he has undeservedly capitalized on for his own political purposes,” Simmons said.
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