Something to compare: Videos of Richard Blumenthal saying, in March 2008, that he served in Vietnam and, in March 2010, saying he didn’t.
Blumenthal, Connecticut’s popular attorney general and Democratic Senate candidate, served in the Marine Reserve during the Vietnam War, but was never sent overseas. A New York Times story published yesterday showed that in speeches, many of them to veterans’ groups, Blumenthal’s ambiguous language suggested he had fought in Vietnam. And, in one instance, he clearly said he had served there.
First, the video of Blumenthal saying he served in Vietnam (conveniently posted on the YouTube page of one of his Republican opponents, Linda McMahon):
Second, video of the attorney general saying in a debate this year that he hadn’t served there (via Greg Sargent):
McMahon’s campaign has, more or less, taken credit for the story, sending around a blog post claiming the campaign fed the footage to the Times. The Times, however, says its story was the result of “extensive independent reporting.”
Blumenthal will stay in the Senate race, a Connecticut Democratic Party spokeswoman told Bloomberg today. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), chair of the DSCC, also said he expects Blumenthal to stay in the race, and said the DSCC will continue to support him.
Blumenthal will give a press conference at 2 p.m. ET to address the story.
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