Blumenthal's swim record

[deminks]

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
It looks like Richard Blumenthal was a member of a Harvard swim team, after all, according to the Hartford Courant. (Hat tip: Ben Smith)

There are photos that show the Connecticut U.S. Senate hopeful participating in a meet against Princeton. A caption from one of the photos reads, "Bob Padway on the block, with teammate Dick Blumenthal waiting, in the 400-yard freestyle relay against Princeton."

That Blumenthal was on the team is contrary to a New York Times report that said, "Records at the college show that he was never on the team." It also noted that profiles in Slate and The Hartford Courant described Blumenthal as the captain of the team.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/20/2324161.aspx

In their front page attempt to portray Richard Blumenthal as a 'serial embellisher', the Times' story continues to fall apart. How's that for a headline?

[connecticut yankee]

1. The New York Times

is turning into the National Enquirer.

[Dogmudgeon]

2. A "serial embellisher"? Didn't they also call Gore a "serial prevaricator"?

I knew that the NYT had some bad days, but L'affair Blumenthal looks to set a new high in low journalism.

--d!

[CTyankee]

3. Blumenthal is a really serious guy. But I doubt if he ever gave the impression to anyone

that he was the captain of the swim team and he laughed off the story that he was the team's captain and then probably forgot about it because it was so frivolous. I don't see that as a fatal mistake...I just don't.