At a ceremony honoring veterans and senior citizens who sent presents to soldiers overseas, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut rose and spoke of an earlier time in his life.
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Interactive Feature
Assessing Blumenthal's Military Service Records
“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Mr. Blumenthal said to the group gathered in Norwalk in March 2008. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”
There was one problem: Mr. Blumenthal, a Democrat now running for the United States Senate, never served in Vietnam. He obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war, according to records.
The deferments allowed Mr. Blumenthal to complete his studies at Harvard; pursue a graduate fellowship in England; serve as a special assistant to The Washington Post’s publisher, Katharine Graham; and ultimately take a job in the Nixon White House.
In 1970, with his last deferment in jeopardy, he landed a coveted spot in the Marine Reserve, which virtually guaranteed that he would not be sent to Vietnam. He joined a unit in Washington that conducted drills and other exercises and focused on local projects, like fixing a campground and organizing a Toys for Tots drive.
Many politicians have faced questions over their decisions during the Vietnam War, and Mr. Blumenthal, who is seeking the seat being vacated by Senator Christopher J. Dodd, is not alone in staying out of the war.
But what is striking about Mr. Blumenthal’s record is the contrast between the many steps he took that allowed him to avoid Vietnam, and the misleading way he often speaks about that period of his life now, especially when he is speaking at veterans’ ceremonies or other patriotic events.
Sometimes his remarks have been plainly untrue, as in his speech to the group in Norwalk. At other times, he has used more ambiguous language, but the impression left on audiences can be similar.
In an interview on Monday, the attorney general said that he had misspoken about his service during the Norwalk event and might have misspoken on other occasions. “My intention has always been to be completely clear and accurate and straightforward, out of respect to the veterans who served in Vietnam,” he said.
But an examination of his remarks at the ceremonies shows that he does not volunteer that his service never took him overseas. And he describes the
In 2003, he addressed a rally in Bridgeport, where about 100 military families gathered to express support for American troops overseas. “When we returned, we saw nothing like this,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “Let us do better by this generation of men and women.”
At a 2008 ceremony in front of the Veterans War Memorial Building in Shelton, he praised the audience for paying tribute to troops fighting abroad, noting that America had not always done so.
“I served during the Vietnam era,” he said. “I remember the taunts, the insults, sometimes even physical abuse.”
Mr. Blumenthal, 64, is known as a brilliant lawyer who likes to argue cases in court and uses language with power and precision. He is also savvy about the news media and attentive to how he is portrayed in the press.
But the way he speaks about his military service has led to confusion and frequent mischaracterizations of his biography in his home state newspapers. In at least eight newspaper articles published in Connecticut from 2003 to 2009, he is described as having served in Vietnam.
The New Haven Register on July 20, 2006, described him as “a veteran of the Vietnam War,” and on April 6, 2007, said that the attorney general had “served in the Marines in Vietnam.” On May 26, 2009, The Connecticut Post, a Bridgeport newspaper that is the state’s third-largest daily, described Mr. Blumenthal as “a Vietnam veteran.” The Shelton Weekly reported on May 23, 2008, that Mr. Blumenthal “was met with applause when he spoke about his experience as a Marine sergeant in Vietnam.”
And the idea that he served in Vietnam has become such an accepted part of his public biography that when a national outlet, Slate magazine, produced a profile of Mr. Blumenthal in 2006, it said he had “enlisted in the Marines rather than duck the Vietnam draft.”
It does not appear that Mr. Blumenthal ever sought to correct those mistakes.
In the interview, he said he was not certain whether he had seen the stories or whether any steps had been taken to point out the inaccuracies.
“I don’t know if we tried to do so or not,” he said. He added that he “can’t possibly know what is reported in all” the articles that are written about him, given the large number of appearances he makes at military-style events.
He said he had tried to stick to a consistent way of describing his military experience: that he served as a member of the United State Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era.
Asked about the Bridgeport rally, when he told the crowd, “When we returned, we saw nothing like this,” Mr. Blumenthal said he did not recall the event. happy new year
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Monday, May 17, 2010
Power outlets for coach airline passengers tough to come by
Toting laptops, cellphones and other gadgets, frequent travelers are more desperate than ever to remain plugged in for electrical power during long flights.
Tucked away below seat-pans or elbow rests, power outlets usually aren't the most sought-after in-flight perk for occasional leisure travelers. But workaholic, e-mail-addicted business travelers just can't get enough. The advent of Wi-Fi on U.S. carriers last year ratcheted up demand. Travelers who want to bring their own in-flight entertainment have further raised the desire to be plugged in while in the air.
"It's definitely an important issue," says profesional speaker Don Schmincke of Baltimore, who travels frequently for business. "My productivity goes up tremendously — access to the Web for research and networking. Also, relaxation (with) more options for entertainment."
The airline industry's response to the issue has been similar to its approach for other in-flight amenities: First- and business-class passengers are covered; back-of-the-plane customers are pretty much on their own.
Few U.S. airlines offer the perk in economy seats for short flights. Even in aircraft used for longer flights, such as Boeing 767s and Airbus 330s, coach passengers will find them placed only sporadically throughout the cabin — say, an outlet every two or three rows.
"There's really nothing in economy (on U.S. carriers)," says Matt Daimler, founder of Seatguru.com, which provides detailed information about aircraft cabins. "They're thinking it'll help up-sell. They clearly see that it's a differentiating factor for business travelers."
European and Asian carriers are more generous about providing electrical power, Daimler says, noting Cathay Pacific has outlets at all seats.
U.S. carriers stingy
Among major U.S. carriers, only American Airlines has economy-seat power ports — installed every three rows — in the majority of its fleet, according to Daimler.
Virgin America is the only U.S. carrier to install outlets in all seats. Although it flies only 28 planes, the carrier has not been shy about touting the advantage in marketing.
"Power outlets is one of the reasons why they fly with us," says Virgin spokeswoman Abby Lunardini, adding that 53% of its customers travel with laptops.
Other discount carriers, such as AirTran and Southwest, don't offer them at all, even as they provide or have plans for in-flight Internet that customers pay to use.
Frequent traveler Geoffrey Ashton, a financial-industry executive in San Francisco, laments that "the domestic traveler always gets the rough end of the stick."
"I always make sure I pack a car charger and to charge up my Bluetooth headset," he says. "Leaving home without a charger is a disaster."
Some airlines are starting to pay attention to disgruntled coach passengers, especially given that their Wi-Fi service drains laptop battery power 30% faster, says Mark Peabody of Astronics, which makes electronics for aircraft."You pay $9.99 for Wi-Fi, and your battery dies after an hour and a half," he says. "You're not a happy camper. Airlines are looking at this."
American Airlines says it's installing power outlets in all seats for new Boeing 737s. In 2005, United introduced power outlets to non-premium passengers for the first time when it installed them in all "Economy Plus" seats in select Boeing 757s that fly transcontinental routes.
Amping up the wattage
Carriers also are converting old 75-watt plugs — a common outlet type still available — to regular AC outlets that can transmit more power and won't require adapters. Travelers toting large laptops may find that 75-watt outlets aren't sufficient. American, United, Continental and Delta have already switched or are in the process, Peabody says. The aircraft power system provides the electricity, which is converted into power that's useable for the outlets.
The standard for batteries currently shipped to airlines has increased to 150 watts to 200 watts, Peabody says. The new Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, which are long-haul aircraft still in development, will likely have 150-watt ports in all seats when they are finally shipped, he says.
Many wide-body jets also have new in-flight entertainment systems that come with USB ports that can be used to power electronic gadgets. Astronics says it'll introduce later this year a new type of power outlet that will also have a USB connection.
The improving quality of laptop batteries also has helped travelers deal with the scarcity of in-flight power. Batteries introduced in the last few years typically last longer, with some running up to six hours. Some smaller netbooks, including the iPad, have batteries that exceed eight hours.
David Carter of East Lansing, Mich., a Delta frequent flier, says he hasn't noticed upgrades by airlines to provide more power, but srugs off the issue.
"Even on a New York-to-Los Angeles run, most modern laptops and iPods have sufficient battery power," he says. "(Outlets) are far more valuable on international flights."from and go
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Tucked away below seat-pans or elbow rests, power outlets usually aren't the most sought-after in-flight perk for occasional leisure travelers. But workaholic, e-mail-addicted business travelers just can't get enough. The advent of Wi-Fi on U.S. carriers last year ratcheted up demand. Travelers who want to bring their own in-flight entertainment have further raised the desire to be plugged in while in the air.
"It's definitely an important issue," says profesional speaker Don Schmincke of Baltimore, who travels frequently for business. "My productivity goes up tremendously — access to the Web for research and networking. Also, relaxation (with) more options for entertainment."
The airline industry's response to the issue has been similar to its approach for other in-flight amenities: First- and business-class passengers are covered; back-of-the-plane customers are pretty much on their own.
Few U.S. airlines offer the perk in economy seats for short flights. Even in aircraft used for longer flights, such as Boeing 767s and Airbus 330s, coach passengers will find them placed only sporadically throughout the cabin — say, an outlet every two or three rows.
"There's really nothing in economy (on U.S. carriers)," says Matt Daimler, founder of Seatguru.com, which provides detailed information about aircraft cabins. "They're thinking it'll help up-sell. They clearly see that it's a differentiating factor for business travelers."
European and Asian carriers are more generous about providing electrical power, Daimler says, noting Cathay Pacific has outlets at all seats.
U.S. carriers stingy
Among major U.S. carriers, only American Airlines has economy-seat power ports — installed every three rows — in the majority of its fleet, according to Daimler.
Virgin America is the only U.S. carrier to install outlets in all seats. Although it flies only 28 planes, the carrier has not been shy about touting the advantage in marketing.
"Power outlets is one of the reasons why they fly with us," says Virgin spokeswoman Abby Lunardini, adding that 53% of its customers travel with laptops.
Other discount carriers, such as AirTran and Southwest, don't offer them at all, even as they provide or have plans for in-flight Internet that customers pay to use.
Frequent traveler Geoffrey Ashton, a financial-industry executive in San Francisco, laments that "the domestic traveler always gets the rough end of the stick."
"I always make sure I pack a car charger and to charge up my Bluetooth headset," he says. "Leaving home without a charger is a disaster."
Some airlines are starting to pay attention to disgruntled coach passengers, especially given that their Wi-Fi service drains laptop battery power 30% faster, says Mark Peabody of Astronics, which makes electronics for aircraft."You pay $9.99 for Wi-Fi, and your battery dies after an hour and a half," he says. "You're not a happy camper. Airlines are looking at this."
American Airlines says it's installing power outlets in all seats for new Boeing 737s. In 2005, United introduced power outlets to non-premium passengers for the first time when it installed them in all "Economy Plus" seats in select Boeing 757s that fly transcontinental routes.
Amping up the wattage
Carriers also are converting old 75-watt plugs — a common outlet type still available — to regular AC outlets that can transmit more power and won't require adapters. Travelers toting large laptops may find that 75-watt outlets aren't sufficient. American, United, Continental and Delta have already switched or are in the process, Peabody says. The aircraft power system provides the electricity, which is converted into power that's useable for the outlets.
The standard for batteries currently shipped to airlines has increased to 150 watts to 200 watts, Peabody says. The new Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, which are long-haul aircraft still in development, will likely have 150-watt ports in all seats when they are finally shipped, he says.
Many wide-body jets also have new in-flight entertainment systems that come with USB ports that can be used to power electronic gadgets. Astronics says it'll introduce later this year a new type of power outlet that will also have a USB connection.
The improving quality of laptop batteries also has helped travelers deal with the scarcity of in-flight power. Batteries introduced in the last few years typically last longer, with some running up to six hours. Some smaller netbooks, including the iPad, have batteries that exceed eight hours.
David Carter of East Lansing, Mich., a Delta frequent flier, says he hasn't noticed upgrades by airlines to provide more power, but srugs off the issue.
"Even on a New York-to-Los Angeles run, most modern laptops and iPods have sufficient battery power," he says. "(Outlets) are far more valuable on international flights."from and go
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