Wednesday, May 26, 2010
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Connecticut AG (and former Harvard Swim Team Captain grad) Richard Blumenthal has bared his soul and delivered a tearful apology for earlier comments suggesting he had military service in Vietnam.
Okay, I made up the bit about it being tearful…I may even be making up the part about it being from him. What we actually got…well, we didn’t actually get it, the Hartford Courant got it…was a statement from his spokesperson…well, it was really just an email and…anyway, you have to love the opening:
"At times when I have sought to honor veterans, I have not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves…”
“At times when I have sought to honor veterans…”
Roll that phrase over in your mind a few times.
Doesn't it read as if perhaps Richard Blumenthal thought Vietnam veterans would be “honored” if a person of his ilk (did I mention he went to Harvard) would so deign to be associated with them?
Side Note: In 1973, being in the military wasn’t cool and having been in Vietnam less so. So, while he was at Yale Law School then, how many times do you think Mr. Blumenthal mis-spoke about his time in Vietnam…or that he even mentioned his "pride" in his service (he was still in the Reserves)?
Okay, I made up the bit about it being tearful…I may even be making up the part about it being from him. What we actually got…well, we didn’t actually get it, the Hartford Courant got it…was a statement from his spokesperson…well, it was really just an email and…anyway, you have to love the opening:
"At times when I have sought to honor veterans, I have not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves…”
“At times when I have sought to honor veterans…”
Roll that phrase over in your mind a few times.
Doesn't it read as if perhaps Richard Blumenthal thought Vietnam veterans would be “honored” if a person of his ilk (did I mention he went to Harvard) would so deign to be associated with them?
Side Note: In 1973, being in the military wasn’t cool and having been in Vietnam less so. So, while he was at Yale Law School then, how many times do you think Mr. Blumenthal mis-spoke about his time in Vietnam…or that he even mentioned his "pride" in his service (he was still in the Reserves)?
