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Subscribe to RSSIn a new ad, Connecticut Republican Linda McMahon is directly attacking her Senate opponent for incorrectly implying that he served in the Vietnam War.
The new spot comes just hours before the first debate between McMahon and Democratic candidate Richard Blumenthal, whose statements about his service in the war were first reported by The New York Times in May.
The spot includes a video clip of Blumenthal discussing the national reception that troops received “when we returned,” from Vietnam, suggesting that he had served overseas. It also replays a clip revealed earlier this year in which Blumenthal spoke about changes in American attitudes about war “since the days that I served in Vietnam.”
“Would you lie about serving in a war?" a narrator asks. "Dick Blumenthal did again and again. He covered one lie with another. He lied about Vietnam. What else is he lying about?"
According to the Times, Blumenthal received five military deferments between 1965-1970 and ultimately served in a Marine Reserve unit based in the United States. He has said that he has “misspoken” about his military record but that his "intention has always been to be completely clear and accurate and straightforward, out of respect to the veterans who served in Vietnam.”
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During the 1992 primaries candidates Bob Kerrey and Tom Harkin obtained documentation that Bill Clinton had dodged the draft and denied it throughout his political career. Ted Koppel asked Clinton for his side of the story on "Nightline" and Clinton responded "I didn't dodge the draft." Of course we have since learned to interpret Clintonspeak. That meant the manner in which Clinton avoided military service doesn't meet Bill Clinton's definition of "draft dodging"
"Misspoke" is totally difference than lying - - he can not admit he is a liar!! Scumbag politician!!
People have been lying about serving in Viet-Nam since us vets became "cool' as opposed to baby killers. I think I've personally met at least 3 million more than were actually there, all of them 11B's; never met one who claimed to be a cook, clerk or life guard at Cam Ranh Bay.
Afterthought. In 1992 John Kerry asked Bob Kerrey and Tom Harkin not to make an issue of Clinton's draft dodging since many of the Democrats' base had publicly opposed the war in Viet Nam. That prevented Kerry from making an issue of Bush and Cheney's draft evasion in the 2004 campaign.
It wasn't moral of Blumenthal to suggest that he served in Vietnam when he didn't, but it's a relatively small thing. It's hardly proof that he would "lie about anything if it would purchase him a single vote." And to drag in the SEIU for canvassing is to go absolutely GaGa.
We all burnish our resumes. We all lie every day. Social life is a tissue of lies. It often begins with this exchange: "How are you today?" "Oh, fine."
Blumenthal was careless and stupid in making his statement but that's not why we should vote for or against him. That's a tree, but there's a whole forest behind it.
The real questions have to do with important things. How will he govern? Not minor things like this, but this is what campaigning has turned into. One personal attack after another. Next question: Just how old WAS he before he stopped wetting the bed?
Time for voters to grow up too.
Has his party no better men/women than him? I bet there are a heck of a lot of purple heart winners in the Democratic party in Connecticut. Some probably well equipped to serve. Why pick a bum?
WWE on the congress floor? Awsome, at least more people will be watching CSPAN...It is a sad day for YOUR state when you have a choice between a Liar or former WWE CEO.
By the way, if you lied about serving your country when we have GREAT Americans who have served and died for what they believe in, you are a low life!
For the fat boy who said "no one is/ has died for his freedom, just keep thinking that way when someone kills someone you care about more than yourself ( or that big mac and fries) and you are wondering where those people are then...you selfish dung hole! They are in ARLINGTON......
More afterthoughts. Tom Harkin said he had served in Viet Nam. Strictly speaking that is a fact, but less than the truth. Harkin delivered planes to Viet Nam. Bob Kerrey was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient for his service in Viet Nam.
Yeah, those who served with him have written books about it.
unionbaby mus have never met martin luther king, he was a closet repub, also used prostitutes and lied about it all.but most dems deny all of it, it's their nature to deny deny deny
He used prostitutes? In a combat zone? OMG!
Ask any real combat veteran about the REMFs (rear echelon) that came back claiming to have seen combat.
Wonder when she'll discuss laying off workers to maximize profits (most of which ween to her and her family)...yet taking economic development $ from the State? Or how rampant growth-enhancing and painkilling drug use was within the promotion while she ran it. And her actions to interfere with a criminal investigation regarding the whole Zaharian/WWF steroid situation?
Then there's the wrestling company she ran and her husband runs now holding a WWE campaign rally....er... "WWE fan appreciation day" in Hartford only days before the election.
Sorry, there's enough lies and hypocrisy to go around for ALL parties concerned.
I can't believe anyone, regardless of their political affiliation is not disgusted at the sight of blumenthal. We expect all politicians to exaggerate, obfuscate, and lie, but claiming to have fought in a war that you did not even witness dishonors the more than fifty thousand brave young boys killed in vietnam, as well as those who have served since.
blumenthal has sunk far below the usual politicians lies and shown himself to be without morals, integrity, or even common decency; and the question is justified; of course, if he lies about this, he will look anyone in the eye, and lie about ANYTHING.
This man is the lowest form of human, and those who try to defend him should look at their own lack of integrity for placing party above honesty. Those who try and justify what he did should explain to the next combat vet they meet that defending our country is no big deal, and is an honor anyone should be able to claim.
Can the people sitting in the US and directing the drones over Iraq/Afghanistan claim to be in those wars? He did serve in the USMC reserve for six years in an administrative position. When there is a war effort everybody contributes in some way (even the non-military citizens), some more than others but that does not make him a liar.
BTW he never said he was in combat. I would say bad choice of words coming from a person with legal background.
Heard Mcmahan wants to cut minimum wage and she did not know what the pay scale is for minimum wage . Don't care too much about the past but the future is a cut from making 7.50 an hour is a horrific idea. Can't live off 7.50 an hour and she doesn't have a clue being rich all her life living off of minimum wage earners.
I am not happy about Blumenthal fantasizing about serving in Vietnam but when it comes time to vote I will ask myself who has a proven record of serving the average Connecticut citizens and which one has abused us.
Is men like him Connecticut's best? What's the population over there? 3?
Blumenthal has been a terrific AG for Connecticut. He and his office went to bat for me personally when I was scammed by one of the big (now defunct) telecom companies. They were forced to issue me a refund in the hundreds of $$$. He has done the same for countless Connecticut residents
I think Blumenthal's willingness to take on big businesses when they try to rip-off the little guy is a big reason he is hated by Republicans. He spoke often of his military service, many times saying he was not in combat in Viet Nam. The very few times that his exuberance or use of the collective "we" gave the wrong impression is being exploded into a major lie and insult to the military. And the same people doing it are the ones who re-elected the author of the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner. The word hypocrisy doesn't begin to cover it.
Linda McMahon has no experience in politics and her only claim to fame is her association with a sleazy business based on fakery, violence and sex. That she thinks she can buy her way into the US Senate is astounding.
Without contributions coerced from big business, neither candidate would be on their respective tickets.
To balance things out, here are some comments from Blumenthal’s opponent:
"The minimum wage now in our country, I think we've set that, so there are a lot of people have benefited from it in our country, but I think we ought to review how much it ought to be, and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage," McMahon said at a press conference.
Translation: The McMahons are super rich; own the WWE; own a mansion in Greenwich, CT and would love to lower the minimum wage to put those peons in their place. (Not that Blumenthal is a pauper, he isn’t) but when you have two super rich candidates, the money part can be cancelled out in this political equation.)
“McMahon has valued her assets at between $156 million and $400 million. She already has spent $24 million on her self-financed campaign and has vowed to spend as much as $50 million.”
http://www.ctmirror.org/story/7774/blumenthal-steps-criticism-mcmahon-over-wwe
Why would someone pay up to 50 million to get a Senate seat which pays around a million over a 6 year period?!?!?! You don’t think she has another agenda do you? LOL!
After the event, "McMahon admitted she didn't know what the current minimum wage is or if any of her employees at World Wrestling Entertainment are paid it," CTNewsJunkie.com reported. McMahon was CEO of the WWE before launching her Senate campaign.
What an @!$%# and a liar to boot!
"Linda McMahon laid off ten percent of her workers and takes home $46 million a year so it's no surprise she's thinking about lowering the minimum wage," said a spokeswoman for Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D).
John Olsen, president of the AFL-CIO in Connecticut, also jumped on the remarks: "It is outrageous that multi-millionaire McMahon is open to reducing the minimum wage, and mind boggling that she doesn't even know how much it is."
http://www.ctmirror.org/story/7774/blumenthal-steps-criticism-mcmahon-over-wwe
http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/LINDA-McMAHON-406059.php
What a great ad !!!!!!!!I live in ct. and I'll tell you this much about Blumenthal this guy is a true scum bag he would Fail a lawsuit against anyone or against any company....He is a true scum bag lawyer that would lie about anything. The thing that is funny here in CT. the liberal media hasn't asked him anything about this story ?
I get it if someone mis speaks about something that happened in the past but this guy was telling this war story time and time again this was not something he didn't realize he just got caught.......
I can't believe what I'm reading. Someone starts a comment " to balance things out",and talks about minimum wage; Robert Maxwell says lying about combat service is a small thing. Noiseproof says that during war, everyone serves. Are people nuts? It is a huge thing, there is no balancing it out. Brave men died so both of these politicians could try to buy our vote. During war, everyone doesn't serve. We are not all heros, just because we want to be. PEOPLE, he let the people of CT believe he risked his life for America, when in fact, he did everything he could to do the opposite. I'd have more respect if he protested the war and ran to Canada. Get it, the man's a LIER, a COWARD, a POS.
He has a psychological or mental problem, more than a problem of simple lying. Like Walter Mitty, he has some underlying need or desire to be affiliated with the military. No sane person would make such an outlandish statement, which could be easily checked out. He should not be ridiculed about this; he genuinely needs psychological help and counseling. His need to be a part of the fighting men who served in Vietnam is admirable, as it shows that he is pro-American and a patriot, but somewhere along the line his memory, or his perception of reality and fantasy got all tangled up. He needs compassionate treatment, not a bashing in the media. I believe that he cannot help this; it is a true psychiatric condition.
No, he used this lie when running for less visible office, with the thought it would never be checked. Running for the more visible offices made his lie apparent, and so now those who revel in liars 'phoo-phoo' it.
Sure I'd lie....IF I was in some nightclub trying to pick up a hot date AND I didn't care about ever seeing again. Lying in this circumstance is expected and engaged in by both sides.
But what kind of scum would lie to voters about military service?
Probably the same kind of scum who will lie about just about anything else to get elected.
Its sad both candidates and obviously voters alike spend so much time attempting to make the other party look bad. Many of you have stated the problem is having candidates that are insufficient on both sides. Have you ever thought about running yourself or supporting a 3rd party. Instead everyone sits on here complaining about what is wrong with this country and its political agendas, but no one takes action.
It's because their policies and plans are identical; greed and self-aggrandizement. The only difference between them is each one has a different though sleazy past.
Blumenthal's lie had to have been calculated to garner votes. No one mis-speaks by saying "When I served in VietNam" when they, in fact, haven't. This is an unforgiveable statement with respect to integrity, ethics and a variety of other properties we look for in public service. It is also a statement of disrespect for those who served and gave of themselves in a country in a far-away land.
Do not take this statement about Blumenthal to be in any way a note of support for McMahon.
I don't care if their Dems or Reps, their ALL liars and tuned into one radio station WIFM ( what's in it for me ).
The bottom line is that he insinuated that he was in combat in Vietnam. By doing that he disrespected everyone that really was there. The ones that died, were wounded, suffer from Agent Orange or or PDST and the ones that are still MIA, and the ones that came back but will never forget the horror of combat. I for one cannot accept what he did. I have no political ax to grind so it doesn't matter to me if he's a dem, repub, or independent.
Why would anyone want to lie about going to war? Why would anyone want to say they killed and watched buddies die? There is no honor in war. I have been and I wish I had not. It is something thing one does for their own reasons. Lying about that is like bragging about how they clean septic tanks for a living.