Posted on 10/03/2018 3:29:16 PM PDT by jazusamo
Tweets at link.
On Monday, President Trump defended Brett Kavanaugh in part by tearing apart the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He had particularly choice words for Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who claimed that placing Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court would forever be a "stain" on the institution. He has also stated that Trump's prior reluctance to call an FBI probe into the allegations against the nominee was "tantamount to a cover-up." So, Trump took that as an opportunity to zing Blumenthal this week for fabricating his military service back in 2010.
In a campaign speech Monday, Trump gave Blumenthal a new infamous nickname, "Da Nang Blumenthal."
"You have the great Vietnam War hero - who didn't go to Vietnam - [Sen. Richard] Blumenthal," Trump said . "How about Blumenthal? We call him 'Da Nang Blumenthal.'"
Blumenthal said the president is spewing "nonsense."
Snopes had different facts , noting that the claim Blumenthal misrepresented his military service was "mostly true."
Back in 2010, when Blumenthal was running for the Senate, he told a group of veterans he had served in Vietnam.
“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Blumenthal said. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”
Those remarks became pretty awkward after The New York Times obtained Blumenthal's Selective Service Record. The document showed he received five separate draft deferments while a college student and then, when those deferments ran out, secured a spot in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, which was not in Vietnam.
The Times exposed the misleading statement in a piece entitled, "Richard Blumenthal's Words on Vietnam Service Differ from History."
The senator later admitted he had "misspoken."
Trump noted it was more than just a mere misstatement, and it's especially relevant now that he's trying to assassinate Kavanaugh's character.
"For 15 years as the attorney general of Connecticut, he went around telling war stories," Trump told the crowd. "'People dying left and right -- but my platoon marched forward!' He was never in Vietnam. It was a lie. And then he's up there saying, 'We want the truth from Judge Kavanaugh.' And you're getting the truth from Judge Kavanaugh."
66-70, and I make sure it is understood that I am an Era Vet.
Ooops...I must apologize.MIT,unlike most colleges, doesn't have an athletics program.My post was meant to poke not so good natured fun at Bluementhal but I forgot that not everyone is a sports fan! :-)
Exactly.Everyone who's served honorably in our Armed Forces has sacrificed *something*.But those who have served in combat have sacrificed enormously.Of course to claim yourself to be greater than you actually are is beyond disgraceful...particularly in this kind of situation.
Ex-Democrat governor of Florida admitted to “purposeful misstatements” when phone banking voters about Social Security.
DEMOCRATS ALWAYS HAVE “PURPOSEFUL MISSTATMENTS”. THEY CAN’T EVEN ADMIT TO LYING!!
I would put a lot of emphasis on the word "relatively".
I spent my time "behind the wire" for the most part. The greatest risk I probably faced was getting killed or injured in a vehicle accident. I've never seen the actual numbers but have heard that a very high number of troops died in "non-combat" accidents.
Next in line to that might have been a form of "friendly fire" caused by high numbers of unhappy, hard-drinking (or drugged up) troops.
Finally there was some risk from disease. Not that long ago there was a medical alert sent out recommending that Vietnam Era Veterans get tested for hepatitis. Despite having not been a drug abuser, I found through testing that I had naturally occurring immunity to hepatitis A and B. Some believe that the air-gun vaccine injectors were responsible for spreading blood borne diseases. It's also possible that I contracted hepatitis from finding myself taking care of biological necessities while being in ankle deep sewage for weeks on end.
I think that I have read that every soldier in combat requires five or more soldiers behind the lines for support. I spent a lot of time on guard duty; ready to face whatever arrived. I once spent 17 hours one day without a break. I was very fortunate that the enemy went elsewhere.
I would guess that some of the veterans who returned having faced violent combat consider themselves very fortunate compared to those who were killed or seriously injured. I don't think it is as simple as those in combat and those "behind the wire".
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