"As someone who served in the military, during the Vietnam era, in the Marine Corps..."

[The Damned]

I'm sorry, Mr. Blumenthal, bur that just doesn't cut it! No clarification, no "full disclosure" there: In fact, it was a buttress for your later "the days that I served in Vietnam" bullshit!

Five deferments, Mr. Attorney General, one of which allowed you to work in the Nixon Administration!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html?hp= &pagewanted=all

It's time to step aside, Dick, because the LAST GODDAMN THING WE NEED is ANOTHER Republican winning a Senate seat in a solidly Democratic New England state!

And if that Republican ends up being Linda McMahon :scared:, it'll make Scott Brown look like a fucking choirboy!

[ShortnFiery]

1. +1

This veteran who served during the 80s concurs with your thoughtful perspective above. :thumbsup:

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Yeah, keep waving that NY Times rag around. I know, you know that there was absolutely no body in th...

military between 1964 and 1975 that didn't serve in Vietnam.

[patrice]

3. No, no, no. By virtue of their superiority, others write all of the rules for everyone else AND

make ALL of the exceptions to those rules.

You obviously do not comprehend what Virtue is and what its responsibilities are. We would not know how to live if it weren't for the Virtuous telling all of us what is Right, so, for their personal sacrifices in accepting those responsibilities, they also can decide for us who and what the exceptions to those rules are.

Thank God, we have such Leaders and do not cause them pain or difficulty by criticizing them.

Just in case:
:sarcasm:

[The Damned]

14. You're SO RIGHT! Let us Give Praise!

:sarcasm:

[Jennicut]

4. I love how people not from Connecticut want him to step down but a lot of us Duers in CT

don't. Will McMahon be your Senator? No. She would be mine. And right now, I am not hearing a good viable candidate to take his place. Even with the scandal he is ahead 3 points with a Rasmussen poll (of all things). Some of the potential Dem replacements barely register here. He made a mistake but the most important thing is avoiding that unqualified loon getting elected. Having Blumenthal step aside is not going to help Dems here. Dodd already did. That can potentially damage Dems more. Our entire Dem delegation is supporting him. I think he can get past it.

Howard Dean calls it a hatchet job. I think he is right.

“Let's be fair about this. This is a New York Times gotcha story planted by the opposition,” said Dean, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. “It was planned by the opposition. The New York Times did not acknowledge that in their front page article.”

Dean urged Connecticut voters to “listen to Blumenthal’s side” of the story before judging his candidacy.

“I think he deserves a chance to get his side out there,” he said. “I frankly think this is a hatchet job.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37480.html#ixzz0oTcPKPsV

[Dawson Leery]

5. As you said.

[atreides1]

6. You're right

We on the outside have no real say and the final decision is up to the people of Connecticut. Besides, if there are veterans supporting him then at least they've forgiven him for his screw up and that means something.

And as far as the leadership for the VFW is concerned, most are nothing more then hacks, who keep buying into the BS that Republicans support the military.

[Dawson Leery]

10. All true.

[C_Lawyer09]

13. I recently joined a local VFW Post

I was hoping it might be a different environment than what I'd experienced in previous posts, both legion and vfw. How dissapointing. Mainly a bunch of gossiping Democrat haters who can't manage to conduct a meeting, raise funds, or keep members from embezzling. Constant infighting and lack of cooperation punctuated by meaningless pissing contests. How ironic that those that criticize the current administration vis a vis everything, can't even manage to conduct a 45 minute meeting and get anything productive accomplished. The saddest part is, the loudest blowhards, are those who won't contribute real time, and or effort when the rubber meets the road.

The lies, riddles, and half truths that have become a constant backdrop of political self promotion get old. That said, the talking heads will seize on anything to trump up a spiteful controversy. I remember when former Sec Nav, Jeremy Boorda shot himself after it was found out he didn't rate a combat v he was wearing. To bad he felt he had to do that, both wear accountrements he didn't rate and shoot himself. He was a good Sec. of the Navy. Nothing will ever trump the lies and character assasination of the Saxby Chambliss campaign when he damn near drove the amputee Max Cleland to suicide.

[pinboy3niner]

21. You're right--that the CT vets are standing by him DOES mean something

They're the ones who know him best, and I'm inclined to trust their judgment.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Absolutely. I can see Connecticut across the Sound and get a fair amount...

of Connecticut news out here.

It looks like you guys have it under control and have enough trouble with that WWE money to bother about this silliness. It is the kind of thing that can be forgotten by November, and I hear he has high marks as AG, which should make for something.

FWIW, I felt the same way about the "primary Gillibrand" posts that used to be a daily thing around here.

(Be thankful for small favors-- the Debbie Downers haven't heard of Bysiewcz.)

[Jennicut]

12. Ha. We have had a lot of bad news lately here. By the way, a lot of my

family lives on Long Island. My grandfather was the only one is his close knit Italian family to move to Connecticut. So my Mom was born here and then of course me and my brother. I have crossed Throgs Neck Bridge many, many times to go to Hicksville.

[CTyankee]

26. McMahon would be a disaster for the country as well as for CT.

Some people here are very shortsighted indeed. I'll bet they HATE Lieberman, but what they are essentially trying to do is get another Lieberman, maybe worse, by their efforts to get Blumenthal dumped.

It is absolutely clear that McMahon knew she had to kill off Blumenthal before he got the nomination and started campaigning full bore. She knew his campaign had or will have gotten the goods on her and was desperate to knock him off before our Dem convention.

My question is: how much money crossed the table on this one and to whom was the money paid? It had to be a lot...

[Statistical]

7. It simply isn't a mistake than veterans make.

They just don't.

I served IN Iraq. Since national guard is constantly gaining and losing people all the time you have a mix of soldiers who have been or who haven't. Not once have I ever heard a soldier say he served IN Iraq to mean he is in the national guard but hasn't deployed yet.

If you asked 100,000 soldiers across all branches who have not been deployed to Iraq and asked them:

"Have you served IN Iraq?" Not one would say yes. Some may say "it is only a matter of time", or "I got my orders" or "rumor is my unit is going in January" or "not yet I just got in". None would make a blanket lie and say Yes I served IN Iraq.

It simply isn't done.

[msongs]

8. he is not the only lying politician who deliberately creates a phony resume nt

[redqueen]

9. Just going to link to this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x302761#302770

[The Damned]

15. Check out the FULL video, then TELL ME I'm wrong!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNhzPBn3zP0

[sinkingfeeling]

16. Watched it and you're wrong.

[The Damned]

17. Oh, DO explain!

There's more denial here today than in a flood-ravaged Egypt! The guy's a dork who should step aside, that somebody else might save the Senate from the McMahon family!

[The Damned]

29. You've not explained yet, sir

I'm still waiting.

[Rockholm]

18. Is this Chris Matthews writing this post?

[The Damned]

19. tweet tweet

Of course not! I'm just questioning whether it's permissible here to actually criticize another Dem!

Oh. Yeah. I don't like Ben Nelson or Blanche Lincoln either!

[The Damned]

22. I'd add Lieberman to that list.....

...but's he's never really been a Democrat!

[The Damned]

23. Not really fond of Landrieu, either.

Wasn't that the name of an old Star Trek villain?

[CTyankee]

25. If you like Lieberman, you're gonna LOVE Senator Linda McMahon!

Oh, and what town in CT do you live in, D.?

[The Damned]

27. Total Nonstop Action

I wonder: Will she have televised face-offs against other Senators, with all the cameras on extra closeups?

I can seriously do without that!

[CTyankee]

31. Know his history. He was better years ago, tho I never really liked him

that much because he wasn't far enough left for me. However, he became such a RWinger on the Iraq War it was the left in CT who got so impatient with him that we threw him out in 06. The overall public, particularly rank and file Dems, weren't evolved enough in 06 and our guy, the Dem Ned Lamont, lost.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ThomWV]

24. I have seen guys lie about going to RVN since the day I got back from my 3rd tour.

I am always astounded by it. It does't make me particularly mad though. When I see someone doing something that is just plain pitiful, well, I take pity on them.

[The Damned]

28. Understood, but.....

...what if they're running for the United States' Senate?

[ThomWV]

30. I pity that poor bastard too, 'cause he' ain't gonna win

[CTyankee]

32. Vets love him here in CT. Not the far RW vets, but certainly the more modern

ones. And lots of Vietnam Vets who felt so shut out.

You may not know of Dick Blumenthal's dedication to vets or anybody else in CT. But I do.

He's an honorable man. We can't throw him under the bus because of this. I think he is painfully aware now of his failings. But he has a TRACK RECORD!
He does what he says he will do. He follows through. He is on the side of consumers, vets, women, environmentalists, the little guy.

Do we REALLY want to crucify him and wind up with Senator Linda McMahon?

REALLY?

[Dawson Leery]

36. Ignorance indeed.

As someone who lives in CT, I know the work he has done for veterans among other things such as taking the insurance mafia to task for their nonsense.

[pinboy3niner]

33. Yeah, we've seen too many Rambo Wannabes

But Blumenthal doesn't fit that profile.

The Rambo Wannabes lie consistently to present a fraudulent war hero persona--usually with plenty of invented, heroic, blood-and-guts war stories thrown in. Most of them you can spot right off the bat, or you can ask them, "Who issued your postage stamps--your First Sergeant or your supply sergeant?" (LOL) But some are sociopaths who are very good at absorbing details from vets and seeming legit--good enough to become VFW Post Commanders, in some cases.

Blumenthal mentioned serving "in" VN or experiencing hostility on return on only a few occasions--against dozens or hundreds of occasions when he clearly stated that he did NOT serve in-country. And you didn't have to serve in-country to face hostility--you only had to be wearing a uniform.

And one thing that struck me was that it seemed that the times when he screwed up were when he was describing the difficulties faced by VN vets and advocating action to meet vets' needs.

From what I can see, he's not like the wannabes at all. And he's been a staunch advocate for vets and for currently-serving troops and their families. The vets in CT seem to be standing by him still, and I respect that--and I'm inclined to trust their judgment.

[Mike K]

34. Actually, phony veterans are not at all uncommon.

Go here: http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies5.htm

[CTyankee]

35. Bluemnthal is NOT a "phony veteran." He served in the Marine Corps Reserve

during the Vietnam era. Despite what you think, THAT IS TRUE!

He has also fought, as attorney general of the state of CT, for those veterans. there are PLENTY of veterans who can testify that Blumenthal HIMSELF went to bat for them personally, for their benefits and to help them.

So we have to differentiate the real veterans from the phony veterans. Dick is a REAL veteran. NO WAY can you say he is not. He served honorably in the Marine Corps Reserve during the VN era. Period, the end!

[joeybee12]

37. More than happy to unrec this ridiculous post, straight from the RNC to your fingers....

Dig a little more on the story and see just how bad it is...pathetic...go back to Linda McMahon's campaign staff.