# Senate candidate lies about service in Vietnam. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 18, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875 "2010-05-18T13:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/61 "2010-05-18T17:15:45Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Sadly, though, they’re right about at least one person on this forum, as **RTFirefly** acknowledges. I’m not sure I agree with your analysis. Here are the quotes from the “other forum”: > [@](#): > > remember the Dem motto: “Character ? that don’t mean \*\*\*\*.” > > Pretty revealing of the liberal mindset huh? > > A Dem would rather vote for a liar than an honest person any day. > > The truth may not bother the Dem voters. He has such a huge lead, and the fact that his integrity is challenged may just be ignored by them. I don’t recall the members of that party ever being bothered by a lack of character in previous candidates. > > There’s nothing new or “bombshell” about a Dem, any Dem, telling a lie > to get elected, after they’re elected, or to get re-elected. Which one do you think is true about **RTFirefly**? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/62 "2010-05-18T17:16:27Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > Worship of the military must be a close second behind some brand of Christianity when it comes to popular US religions. So he probably did feel as such. Well, as long as he didn’t work on a boat. Everyone knows that boats on Vietnamese rivers were far less dangerous than flight school in Texas. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/63 "2010-05-18T17:18:08Z")
What **MaxTheVool** said. I await further explanation from **Bricker**. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/64 "2010-05-18T17:25:03Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Damn, you are fucking dense. > > I’ve pretended to be or have done or suffered a gazillion things to set myself up for a “good” joke/line/comeback/snark/whatever. I seriously doubt I am the only one. > > Bush was trying to make a comedy comparision between war and raising twin girls. I am sure just about any parent could “get it”, even if they didnt find it particularly funny. > > And its not like he was telling this to a vet who had his legs blown in real action during a serious press conference so he could mislead folks about his frontline service. He was telling this to a fellow PARENT. > > If you want to bitch about his flyboy days not being real service or that whole AWOL thing, have at it. His poor decisions as president, got plenty to bitch about there. > > But your fucking retard fixation on an OFFHAND JOKE as some kind of solemn oath by Bush that he had in fact served on the frontlines and had seen combat just highlights you for the rabid, fucking, mega retard, Bush hater that you obviously are. > > And congrats on dragging up irrelevant ancient Bush history. Maybe we can get one of your retard cohorts from the Republican side to drag Clinton into this as well and totally derail a perfectly decent pitting of someone that deserves it. Goodness, you’re a dick, aren’t you? I got Bush’s joke. I understand that he was saying that raising twins is more difficult than war. Ha ha. Whatever. What \*\*Mr. Moto \*\*was trying to argue, though, was that Bush wasn’t talking about war at all. He was trying to say that what Bush meant by “war” was the twins “turning the house into a war zone”. **Mr. Moto** seems to think that the reason we shouldn’t get upset about this is that Bush was in no way implying - jokingly or not - that he meant anything other than the metaphorical war zone created by two rambunctious kids. That would be a pretty nonsensical joke, if that’s what Bush was trying to say, wouldn’t it? Am I going to have to fire up Microsoft Paint and draw a diagram for your rude-ass self? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/65 "2010-05-18T17:28:34Z")
I think Blumenthal was probably caught up in it. He started out by exaggerating his military service and implying he was a combat veteran while never explicitly lying. And he did this while holding relatively low-profile public offices where there was minimal media scrutiny. Then people repeated the things he had implied as facts and he chose not to correct them. And he was rising into higher offices where he received more media attention which increased the paper trail. Eventually he’s openly lying about his war record while running for a Senate seat - there was no way he was going to get away with it. The smart thing he should have done was cut his losses at some early point. Have a public press conference and declare that while he is a strong supporter of war veterans, he is not one himself and he regrets it if anything he said was misunderstood otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/66 "2010-05-18T17:29:47Z")
How many other times has Bush claimed to be a combat veteran? I can’t find any. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/67 "2010-05-18T17:29:48Z")
This guy is an idiot for thinking he could keep is up and not get caught, and it sucks that he’s giving material to right wing, asshole media chickenhawks who have still done less than Blumenthal did, but the bottom line is that all that really matters is how he’ll vote on bills. Character is irrelevant. Senators are just red and blue votes with feet. As long as he didn’t do anything illegal, I don’t give a shit. Even a one of them does do something illegal, I don’t _automatically_ give a shit. Depends on what they did. If it’s not too late, maybe it would be better for Blumenthal to withdraw from the race and get another Dem on the ticket who doesn’t have shit on his tie, but even if he stays in, it’s not a good enough reason to give Dodd’s seat to a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/68 "2010-05-18T17:31:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think Blumenthal was probably caught up in it. He started out by exaggerating his military service and implying he was a combat veteran while never explicitly lying. And he did this while holding relatively low-profile public offices where there was minimal media scrutiny. Then people repeated the things he had implied as facts and he chose not to correct them. And he was rising into higher offices where he received more media attention which increased the paper trail. Eventually he’s openly lying about his war record while running for a Senate seat - there was no way he was going to get away with it. > > The smart thing he should have done was cut his losses at some early point. Have a public press conference and declare that while he is a strong supporter of war veterans, he is not one himself and he regrets it if anything he said was misunderstood otherwise. Bingo, ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/69 "2010-05-18T17:32:20Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Remember, as the **wise man** said, “all democrats are liars.” Are you a Democrat? If so, then I’m not sure I believe you. Then again, if you say you’re a Republican, maybe you’re actually a Democrat and you’re just lying about it. I — _head asplodes_ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/70 "2010-05-18T17:36:32Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The man is a lying sack of shit, but even worse are all you left-wing liberal eggheads that are closing ranks and blindly supporting him just because he’s a demon-crat. Have you no shame? Fuck that and your cheap shot. As a Vietnam Vet, I take extreme exception to this sack of pus dishonoring those who died, regardless of the correctness of the cause. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/71 "2010-05-18T17:40:07Z")
It’s got nothing to do with being a liberal, by the way. I think it’s emblematic of the modern trend towards people in general trying to inflate their resumes. The Bush joke doesn’t bother me either. I think it’s pretty obvious he wasn’t trying to say he’d ever literally been in military combat. It bothered me more when he costumed himself in that flight suit like he’d ever really done anything more than take a few flying lessons in Texas. Even more than that, it bothered me that he allowed his attack dogs to smear genuine Vietnam vets (Kerry, Cleland) to win elections. But try to pass himself off as an actual combat vet – no, he never did that. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/72 "2010-05-18T17:41:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Fuck that and your cheap shot. As a Vietnam Vet, I take extreme exception to this sack of pus dishonoring those who died, regardless of the correctness of the cause. And that seems to be the majority view. It’s worth noting, though, that it’s not the unanimous view: **Diogenes** and **RTFirefly** have said – to their credit, honestly – that it’s the (D) that’s important, not the candidate or whatever lies he might have told. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/73 "2010-05-18T17:44:02Z")
> [@C3](#): > > That would be a pretty nonsensical joke, if that’s what Bush was trying to say, wouldn’t it? Am I going to have to fire up Microsoft Paint and draw a diagram for your rude-ass self? So, you got your liberal panties in a twist that Bush told a retarded joke in YOUR opinion (which is pretty fucking funny given that I have to explain joke theory to you). I thought it was a liberal given that Bush was a retard that always had his foot in his mouth and couldnt logic his way out of a wet paper bag? What ELSE DID YOU EXPECT THEN? And thats just a bit different from a misleading lie isnt it? Asshole (just staying true to form here). ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/74 "2010-05-18T17:46:09Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It bothered me more when he costumed himself in that flight suit like he’d ever really done anything more than take a few flying lessons in Texas. He had over 300 solo hours in the F-102 Delta Dagger. > [@](#): > > Even more than that, it bothered me that he allowed his attack dogs to smear genuine Vietnam vets (Kerry, Cleland) to win elections. Agreed. That was crappy, although I don’t know how much Bush had to do with it. But as leader of the party, he was certainly in a position to stop it, and he did not. That was moral cowardice. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/75 "2010-05-18T17:46:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Fuck that and your cheap shot. As a Vietnam Vet, I take extreme exception to this sack of pus dishonoring those who died, regardless of the correctness of the cause. You have been whooshed. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/76 "2010-05-18T17:47:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > But try to pass himself off as an actual combat vet – no, he never did that. Dio, I gotta give you credit for not drinking the party line Koolaid on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/77 "2010-05-18T17:47:22Z")
He needs to come up with a really good excuse, pronto. Like Tom Delay: > [@](#): > > He and Quayle, DeLay explained to the assembled media in New Orleans, were victims of an unusual phenomenon back in the days of the undeclared Southeast Asian war. So many minority youths had volunteered for the well-paying military positions to escape poverty and the ghetto that there was “literally no room for patriotic folks” like himself. Satisfied with the pronouncement, which dumbfounded more than a few of his listeners who had lived the sixties, DeLay marched off to the convention. Or Mark Kemp, who was “too injured” to deploy for active duty in 1961 but healthy enough to lead the Chargers to an AFL Western Division title. Or Joe Biden, who couldn’t deploy because of childhood asthma but was able to play varsity high school football. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/78 "2010-05-18T17:52:59Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > It’s worth noting, though, that it’s not the unanimous view: **Diogenes** and **RTFirefly** have said – to their credit, honestly – that it’s the (D) that’s important, not the candidate or whatever lies he might have told. That’s not really that horrible … or unique. I’m sure there are plenty of Republicans who would happily vote for a puppy rapist with an (R) on the end, over Jesus Christ himself if he was running as a Democrat. I don’t give such short shrift to the character thing – I think I’d rather not cast any vote than throw a vote to an opposing party. And I’m sure I’ve voted for a few grade-A dickheads in my time, as I haven’t cast a vote for a Republican since the 80’s … that includes Second Assistant Sewer Inspection Clerk at Large or Deputy Dog Catcher or whatever. Which means, if you’re keeping score, that as a Democratic resident of Maine, I haven’t voted for a Senatorial winner … ever. But I’m pleased with my votes against Snowe and/or Collins. Basically, what I’m saying is that R’s vote R and D’s vote D. No big surprises there. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/79 "2010-05-18T17:53:32Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > He had over 300 solo hours in the F-102 Delta Dagger. It was flight training. Calling it “flight lessons” was (I thought pretty obviously) facetious, but I still thought the theater of the flight suit and the staged landing on the aircraft carrier was intended to give an impression of military cred which he hadn’t really earned. It wasn’t _that_ big a deal, though – just the closest he ever came to trying to puff up his military service beyond what it ever really was. It was still not an outright lie, like what Blumenthal has been doing (and I’m astonished that Blumenthal thought he could get away with it). ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875/80 "2010-05-18T17:56:55Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > So, you got your liberal panties in a twist that Bush told a retarded joke in YOUR opinion (which is pretty fucking funny given that I have to explain joke theory to you). I thought it was a liberal given that Bush was a retard that always had his foot in his mouth and couldnt logic his way out of a wet paper bag? What ELSE DID YOU EXPECT THEN? > > And thats just a bit different from a misleading lie isnt it? > > Asshole (just staying true to form here). He wasn’t decrying any explanation by Bush, his post was about **Mr. Moto** ’s contortions in that regard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-candidate-lies-about-service-in-vietnam/539875.md?page=5)