Today's NY Times gave page one coverage to an article leaked to them by the McMahon campaign accusing Senate candidate Richard Blumnethal of falsely claiming to have served in Vietnam. The article had only one direct quote from Blumenthal stating that he had served in the Vietnam War instead of saying that he had served during the War.
The article is more innuendo than fact. It makes a big deal out the 5 deferments he received as a student and later a White House intern. It also calls into question his joining the Marine Corps. Reserve. The times cites other press accounts that claimed Blumenthal had served in Vietnam, without providing any evidence that Blumenthal was responsible for those errors.
At a press conference today, Blumenthal responded vigorously. He stood on stage with dozens of other Marine Corps. vets, several of whom vouched for his honesty and integrity, as well as his longstanding leadership on veterans' issues. They also pointed out that Blumenthal had delivered 100 of speeches to veterans groups, and that he had always made it clear that he never served overseas.
Then Blumnethal took the mike and forcefully denied the charges, but acknowleded that he may have misspoke on a few occasions. He accepted responsibility for anything that he may have said which gave people a wrong impression about his service. He strongly defended his service in the Marines - he served six years, rising to the rank of Sergeant.
He emphatically denied that any misstatement of his was deliberate and he refused to attack his opponent although he acknowledged that their actions in this matter spoke volumes about them. He also pushed back against the Times, accusing them of "denigrating service in the Reserves".
Blumenthal's Press Conference