Who are the CT vets who “hold off” condemnation of Blumenthal
There’s an article in the CT New Times entitled “Area Vietnam Veterans Hold Off Condemnation of Blumenthal” about the revelation that Connecticut’s Attorney General had been lying about his service during the Vietnam War. The reporter mentions five veterans who don’t seem to care much about Blumenthal’s lying – a couple even cite the “everybody does it” excuse.
One name jumped out at me – Paul Bucha. Now Bucha is an honest-to-goodness Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in Vietnam and I don’t mean to denigrate his service in the least, but Bucha said in the article;
“I hope it isn’t true,” said Paul Bucha, of Ridgefield, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam. “He’s a decent guy. I’d like to believe in our better angels.”
Bucha declined to speculate about what his opinion might be if Blumenthal were proved to be intentionally lying.
“My reaction might be far more dramatic than other people,” he said, nothing that some of the men he commanded in Vietnam were killed there.
But maybe the reporter should have mentioned that Paul Bucha is a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat who famously campaigned for President Obama.
There are rumors going around that Bucha is the fellow who advised President Obama’s staff that they could skip the “Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball” for Medal of Honor recipients. Only rumors, mind you, I don’t mean to lend credence to rumors.
There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Bucha supporting Obama, of course, but it seems to me that if the reporter wanted to give just a few examples of veterans’ opinions, he’d want us to know from whom those quotes are coming and who, exactly, was supporting Blumenthal’s duplicity.
Knowing this about Mr. Bucha makes me doubt the intentions of the other four veterans in the article.
Category: Media, Military issues, Veterans in politics
Paul Bucha NEEDS no defense…his distinguished service and history of patriotism is unchallenged. I have the utmost respect for “Bud” Bucha, both as a person and as a highly-decorated veteran whose personal belief’s prompted him to support and vote for Obama. (In fact, I made that same decision and hope my friends will understand, even if they disagree with me.) Americans come in all colors, political pesuasions and preferences. There is no RED Elephant or BLUE Donkey next to the 58,000+ names on the wall…despite the fact that some were liberals and some were conservatives. Bottom line, they were ALL men and women who loved their country and agreed to disagree. In the Blumenthal case, I happen to disagree with Bud Bucha, but I can assure you his take on this has NOTHING to do with politics, party, or liberalism or conservativism. You know what they say about opinions…”Like Assholes…everybody has one!”
From the excerpt you posted it sounds more like Mr. Bucha is trying to give Blumenthal the benefit of the doubt…probably because of his politics but that is just conjecture. I don’t like the fact that the article states if it’s proved he intentionally lied again, how do you accidentally lie about being in Vietnam? This isn’t just a single slip of the tongue, it’s a pattern. I’d hate to think someone like Mr. Bucha would put politics above integrity, I’m hoping he hasn’t.
And I think Tanker hits it in the black. It’s a pattern. one or two times over a 30-40 year period, that could be attributed to a reporter’s mis-quote, or something taken out of context, etc.
However, this AG has too many articles quoting the same thing, too many videos and radio spots to be a slip of the tongue.
I guess what kills me the most about this situation is this: Blumenthall is another Democrat who has no concept of shame, or of personal responsibility. Like Patches Kennedy, John Kerry, John Murtha, John Edwards, they all refuse to take the blame for their own words, actions, or the results thereof.
Compare to conservatives who also have these same failings, yet choose to resign their positions, to apologize, who act to take ownership of their actions and words.
Republicans don’t have much of a moral uplift over Democrats. Both groups are fallible humans who can and will make mistakes. Yet one side continuously seeks to make things right, while the other seeks to shift the blame, to avoid responsibility.
One side almost always man up. the other? Not so much.
“I wore the uniform in Vietnam and many came back to all kinds of disrespect. Whatever we think of war, we owe the men and women of the armed forces our unconditional support.” – Richard Blumenthal, Stamford Veterans Days parade, Nov. 9, 2008
“When we returned from Vietnam, I remember the taunts, the verbal and even physical abuse we encountered.” – Richard Blumenthal, Shelton CT military board tribute to veterans, May 18, 2009
…I think someone’s pants should be on fire…excuse me, I misspoke, I should have said ‘in’ a fire.
Using that logic, shoudldn’t the press have mentioned VFF’s ties to the Republican Party in the stories you posted yesterday?
Um, did VFF campaign for McCain? I think they’re forbidden from endorsing any candidacy.
This guy “misspoke” repeatedly over at least a seven year period and allowed numerous articles about him to repeat the falsehood without correction? Yeah. Right!
Just as I give the utmost in respect for McCain’s service and sacrifice to this country, that doesn’t mean I have to like his politics or positions on the issues, I can say the same about mr. Bucha.
Benedict Arnold was also a highly decorated, wounded veteran. What is Mr. Bucha’s opinion of him? If Mr. Bucha can still have one ounce of respect for a Valor-stealing liar, what does it take NOT to impress Mr. Bucha? Does he have the same respect for Jane Fonda, who actually “served” in Vietnam, even if it was with the enemy?
What is Mr. Bucha’s opinion of John Kerry? Here are a couple of quotes for him to digest:
“We came within 59,000 votes of setting this country on a better track…” John Kerry, recalling how he lost the 2004 Presidential election. No, John, there are 58,256 names listed on the Vietnam Memorial whom you called “war criminals” and “the army of Genghis Kahn” who would disagree and find you to be “Unfit For Command”.
“Today, Senator Kerry appeals to veterans in his quest for the White House. He invokes his Vietnam service at every turn. But an honest, enterprising reporter should ask Senator Kerry this: Were you lying in 1971, or are you lying now?” — Mackubin Thomas Owens, military historian
By the way, in case anyone thinks he didn’t devour every news report and press release with a fine tooth comb, he once called a reporter to demand a correction because the reporter had inserted a middle initial in his name…which he doesn’t have. No, he KNEW the lies about serving IN Vietnam were not editorial errors or “typos” or “poetic license” — they were LIES, and he let them stand. Misspoke? Naw, he lied.