HARTFORD — Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal‘s Republican challenger is reviving a six-year-old controversy about whether the Democrat intentionally distorted his Vietnam-era military service.
Leaders of veterans’ organizations contend that Blumenthal has been a strong ally during his first term in the U.S. Senate. Blumenthal is a ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
Republican state Rep. Dan Carter, an Air Force veteran, says many people he speaks with on the campaign trail are still angry that Blumenthal said he served “in” Vietnam. Blumenthal made the comments while he was attorney general. Blumenthal served stateside in the Marine Reserves.
When the controversy erupted on the campaign trail in 2010, Blumenthal said he had “misspoken” on a “few occasions” and he regretted it.
A campaign adviser calls Blumenthal a “tireless advocate” for vets.
