Blumenthal still in the race (CT)

[pinboy3niner]

Source: NEWS8 (WTNH), Hartford CT



Trouble or bump in road for Blumenthal
Fallout persists over military record

Updated: Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 6:34 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 4:42 PM EDT

By: Mark Davis

Hartford, Connecticut (WTNH) - The fallout over what Blumenthal describes as "mis-speaking" about his military service during the Vietnam War continues as the Connecticut Democratic State Convention approaches.

There's no question that Blumenthal will get the convention endorsement for the U.S. Senate seat, but his only Democratic opponent says he has seen some movement his way.

If there is any erosion of Dick Blumethal's popularity in the aftermath of this controversy, it was hard to detect at his only public event Wednesday -- the annual memorial for fallen police officers at the State Police Academy in Meriden.

Read more:
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/trouble-or-bump-in-road-for-blumenthal

[greencharlie]

1. ok... if he stays then expect a close race... within 2-3 pct points. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I am glad he has not capitulated to this hit piece by McMahon's campaign

[imurhuckleberry]

3. The Times' Blumenthal hit piece continues to unravel

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005190069

Earlier today, Media Matters' Jamison Foser noted that the Associated Press had discovered a flaw in The New York Times' reporting on Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's description of his military service. The AP noted that the Times story "included quotations and a video of Blumenthal saying at a 2008 event that he had 'served in Vietnam,'" but left out that Blumenthal began that speech by accurately saying that he "served in the military, during the Vietnam era."

[pinboy3niner]

6. The flaws in the NYT Blumenthal story

Source: blogs.courant.com (The Hartford Courant)

The flaws in the NYT Blumenthal story

By Colin McEnroe on May 19, 2010 3:10 PM

I think it may be appropriate for the New York Times public editor to look at the paper's initial Blumenthal bombshell story.

The whole article, as I have written before, seemed like weak journalism with very little meat on its bones. There was one "smoking gun" -- the Norwalk clip. The rest of the story relied heavily on implication and suggestion and the vague claim that the idea of Blumenthal's service in Vietnam was a widely accepted part of his "public biography." . . . .

Read more:
http://blogs.courant.com/colin_mcenroe_to_wit/2010/05/the-flaws-in-the-nyt-blumentha.html

[MadBadger]

4. Rasmussen has it a 3 point lead as of today over Mcmahon

I honestly dont see it getting closer than that. He'll win some people back over the next six months

[Dawson Leery]

5. Kos has the story now! The Son of a B**TCH New York Times strikes again!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/19/867993/-CT-Sen:-NY-Times-blows-Blumenthal-story

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/19/867993/-CT-Sen:-NY-Times-blows-Blumenthal-story

[pinboy3niner]

7. What news reporters, anchors and columnists say about it:

Mark Pazniokas of the Connecticut Mirror, who may have covered Blumenthal more often than anybody else, referred me to his quote in an NPR national story: "Every time he talked about his military record, he was quite clear that he had been a military reservist and never came close to suggesting he was in Vietnam."


Greg Hladky of the Hartford Advocate, formerly of the New Haven Register and Bridgeport Post, right up there with Paz in Blumenthal coverage: "Never personally heard say he was in Vietnam. I knew he had been the the Marine Corps Reserve, talked about that briefly during interview for a profile I did recently, and he never mentioned being in Nam."


Daniela Altimari of the Courant: "I have not been covering Blumenthal for very long, but I do know that last month, when I asked his campaign about his military service, they said very clearly that he served during the Vietnam era but did not serve in a combat arena."


Duby McDowell, former WFSB political reporter: "I have always been under the impression that he was in the marine reserves."


Doug Dalena: "I covered Blumenthal a bit at the Stamford Advocate, and I went to at least one Veterans' Day event where he was the guest, and I don't recall him ever making that claim. In addition, in researching a lot of old clips back in late 2007/early 2008 when we thought he 'might' run for governor, I don't remember coming away with the impression that he had served in Vietnam or had claimed to. I remember sitting at the Alpert debate and hearing him clearly make the distinction that he served during the Vietnam War, but not in Vietnam."


Dennis House of WFSB: "As I reported ...on Eyewitness News I do not recall Richard Blumenthal ever saying to me that he served in Vietnam. Our computer archives date back to 1994, and my search of them also found no indication Blumenthal ever made that claim in front of an Eyewitness News camera. I should point out, not every sound bite is transcribed, so it is possible what a person said to us is not listed in the computer ...In conclusion, I do not recall Blumenthal ever saying he served in Vietnam and our archives do not indicate he ever said it to us. However we can't be 100% sure."


Ted Mann of the New London Day: "I checked our archive and discovered I've never quoted him saying that, and neither has anyone else at our paper since it started keeping its archives digitally a decade ago. Personally, I've never been under the impression he served in Vietnam."

David Owens, Hartford Courant, "I heard him say he was a Vietnam-era vet, but never say or suggest he was in Vietnam.I was surprised by that video. It's kind of funny that the anonymous commenters are bashing us in the press for not revealing this before. There was nothing to reveal."


http://blogs.courant.com/colin_mcenroe_to_wit/2010/05/the-flaws-in-the-nyt-blumentha.html