Mr. Blumenthal and Mrs. McMahon Reveal Why He Continues to Lose Support After 20 Years in Statewide Office.
If this continues, Attorney Blumenthal may take a two-month vow of silence around Labor Day to save his faltering campaign for the United States Senate. It’s hard to tell what does him the most harm, the claims he says he made in error or the ones he expects the public to believe. It’s becoming painful to watch Mr. Blumenthal twist himself into another incredible new creation.
He took a beating in May when The New York Times published several stories exposing Sergeant Blumenthal’s fantastic claims to have served in Vietnam, even to have worn “the uniform in Vietnam.” The saga damaged the 5-term attorney general’s credibility at an inconvenient time. Last month, Mr. Blumenthal denied he went to a trial lawyers’ Canadian convocation to raise money for his campaign. He persisted with the fiction even when he was confronted with evidence that the event featured a fundraising event for a gaggle of Democratic candidates, including Mr. Blumenthal.
It would be easier to believe that Richard Blumenthal was awarded a Bronze Star during the Tet offensive than to credit his claim Monday that he’s not a political insider. He worked in the Nixon White House, served as United States Attorney for Connecticut, was never known for leading rebellions as a state legislator, and has been a partisan pillar of the Democratic establishment during his 20 years as attorney general. The test of who was an insider in Connecticut Democratic politics was administered 4 years ago during the party’s Senate primary between Ned Lamont and incumbent Joseph Lieberman. Outsiders supported Lamont early, insiders, like Blumenthal, stayed with Lieberman through the primary, despite their discontent with his support for Bush administration policies in Iraq. So much of an insider is Blumenthal that he switched his support to Lamont after he beat Lieberman that sizzling August because an insider sticks with his party, not his candidate.
If the Blumenthal campaign strategy is to have him run as someone he is not, they should find a costume that fits. An outsider? Even unpopular incumbent Christopher Dodd, forced to relinquish the seat he’s held for five 6-year terms, couldn’t give his assent to Blumenthal’s newest incarnation. What a scene, one insider refuses to release another from the hoary team of Connecticut establishment figures.
This latest stumble comes at an inopportune time. Republican Linda McMahon is talking unscripted (or maybe it just sounds that way) sense as she emerges as a confident campaigner in the race for the Senate. She agrees that her record running the WWE is fair game for voters and takes all questions. That habit allowed her to share a piece of common sense that suggests she understands the limits of collective action. Talk about a teachable moment.
In response to questions about a tortured, addicted former WWE wrestler who died last week, Mrs. McMahon asked, “Who knows what causes people to have addictions and do what they do?” Finally, a candidate who acknowledges that the origins of some human flaws may be beyond our understanding and that the curse of addiction often comes with the torments of mystery and our own helplessness.
There are many contrasts between Mr. Blumenthal and Mrs. McMahon that each will try to exploit and minimize in their struggle to win this election. We saw this week the one that may prove decisive. Mrs. McMahon seems normal. For a lot of voters, that may be enough.
14 comments
I am glad that folks are finally figuring out what a fraud Richard Blumenthal is.
“Even unpopular incumbent Christopher Dodd, forced to relinquish the seat he’s held for 6 terms, ”
FIVE Kevin, not six. If you take 30 and divide it by 6, what do you get? Post your mailing address and I’ll mail you a calculator.
What is the plan for Senate debates? Can’t wait for Linda to kick Dick right in his “mispokes”.
McMahon has been making a lot of sense for a while now. Bloomie just gets slimier and slimier. It’s definitely time for a change. The lady is getting my vote.
Blumey needs to borrow Obama’s telepromter because he is a terrible speaker. He is the AG who thinks suing companies creates jobs. Maybe it does but only for lawyers. He has laid claim to being in Vietnam. He has driven business out of business and out of the state by overstepping his bounds and authority. He has sought the limelight every chance he gets. The Democrats have done a poor job of representing us. Our state govt is overspending and the unions control the legislature. Our Congressional delegation only gets 69% back of every dollar we send to DC. So there is little the Dems have done for us except drive us towards bankruptcy. With unions backing Blumey, nothing will change. Taxes will rise, money will be wasted and Blumey will be a miserable representative of the people just as Dodd was.
There are two other people in this race, specifically Warren Mosler (Independent) and John Mertens (CT For Lieberman).
Both make very precise, detailed arguments and have actual platforms – with depth. Both make the other two look like children arguing on the playground.
I don’t entirely agree with both, but let’s be honest for a minute – “I’m not Dick Blumenthal” isn’t a platform. And Blumenthal is right on par with McMahon’s lack of depth.
The Senate contest is between old money and new money.
I’ll take the new money. The experience getting it will provide the perfect platform to be an effective Senator.
“The experience getting it will provide the perfect platform to be an effective Senator.”
Yep, declaring bankruptcy, screwing people out of their money then making yourself rich and never paying them back. Sounds like a really bad plan to me Mrs. Smith.
The sad part about McMahon and Blumenthal is that the public was starting to have a serious discussion on the issues before they showed up. Starting to.
It didn’t take both major parties very long to grease skids on one end and palms on the other. Blumenthal’s party figured, “Why face my opponent when my buddies will simply lock him out 50% of the time?” McMahon figured, “Why be an insider when I can hire a ton of ’em?”
The only thing the both of them will do effectively is keep voters home.
“The only thing the both of them will do effectively is keep voters home.”
Any voter who sits it out on November 2 is just as bad as a Democrat and Mr. Obama. A child will go home and sulk. An adult will see the seriousness of the approaching abyss and do the right thing.
“A child will go home and sulk. An adult will see the seriousness of the approaching abyss and do the right thing.”
Good point Mrs. Smith. I wonder if the Daria Novak supporters will heed your advice?
Never for a minute should anyone support Republicans just because they are Republicans.
We can harp on all the personal qualities we’d like – but what matters is comprehensive solutions, not brand names.
And shilling for the GOP as a matter of course, no matter what it does, no matter how many big government unconstitutional things it supports, will only get you exactly where we are right now.
Raising the bar is a good thing, but that grants no license to lower it just because primary season has ended and the two party electorate has opted for more Democratic policies on both sides. Nothing will come of this. All of you know that.
It’s good politics, but politics is a black art.
Now the conventional wisdom has endorsed the superficial. Everyone who goes along with that to get along owns it. Everyone who lends their words in support doesn’t value it. The only purpose in doing so is to beg for scraps at the table, these being fewer every time.
“There is no fury like that against one who, we fear, may succeed in making us disloyal to beliefs we hold with passion, but have not really won.”
Daria, have you publicly endorsed Janet Peckinpaugh? A simple “yes” or “no” will suffice.
Dan Reale, the more I see you post stupid comments, the more I’m convinced you’re an uninformed, clueless buffoon who never fails to make an a$$ out of himself.
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