An Apology In The Dark Of Night

In the dark of night, after a long weekend of political conventions an email was sent out to the media on behalf of Dick Blumenthal. The message was “I’m sorry” and for this Veteran the message and its delivery were too little too late. For Blumenthal who repeatedly misspoke about his service or lack thereof in Vietnam it was par for the course. Blumenthal should have begged forgiveness on Tuesday as he stood before a sea of cameras in a VFW, but instead he chose to wrap himself in the flag and claim to be the best candidate that a Veteran could ask for. He attacked the media and said well at least he had served.

For years I would have agreed with Blumenthal, I would have said yes he had served and thank you for your service. His service in my eyes was honorable until he lied about it and began to earn accept praise for service he had not done and in my eyes that is unforgivable. I ask a lot from the people who seek to represent me, I ask that they listen, that they do their best for me and my family and that they are honest. Without honesty they have no business in public office which as Rob Simmons has always said is a public trust.

Dick Blumenthal has violated that trust and a quiet apology sent in the middle of the night is not enough for me. Had he been truly sorry he would have apologized from the start but when his defiant tone at the VFW only added fuel to the fire did he reconsider his course of action. He saw his once unassailable lead in the polls disappear and he needed to stop the bleeding, so he apologized. He apologized not because he was sorry for stealing the valor that others had earned but he because he was sorry that it might cost him the opportunity to be a United States Senator.

Dick Blumenthal is another example of a typical politician doing what is right for himself and his campaign and his quest for higher office. He has done nothing to regain my trust only to strengthen my belief that he will say whatever needs to be said in order to prevail in November.

I think we as the voters of Connecticut must demand more from our elected officials.