(Updated: 8:41 p.m.) After he easily won the blessing of the Democratic Party for his U.S. Senate bid, Dick Blumenthal sought to put controversy behind him and rallied a newly united party behind a populist theme.
Blumenthal won his party’s nomination at the state Democratic party convention Friday night. His sole opponent, longshot contender Merrick Alpert, withdrew his name from nomination mid-roll call, after it became apparent that he did not have the votes to land a place on the ballot. The party then endorsed Blumenthal by acclamation.
As Blumenthal prepared to accept his party’s endorsement for Connecticut’s open U.S. Senate seat Friday night, the big question was once again whether he would utter two words: I’m sorry.
He didn’t.
“I’m not perfect,” he said. “I make mistakes. But you also know that I’m a fighter.”
He then turned to his party and repeated a refrain that “Washington is not listening.” He vowed to “grow the economy for ordinary people,” end bailouts, cut waste and fraud in government, and work under the new health law to ensure health care is “affordable and available to all.”
After basking in the victory spotlight and waving to supporters with his wife, Cynthia (pictured above), he made an uncharacteristic move for a man who reportedly never met a camera he didn’t like. Blumenthal avoided the press after his remarks and ducked into a car.
Click on the play arrow to watch clips of his speech and his exit.
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Friday night’s convention was supposed to be a coronation of the state’s most popular Democrat as he seeks to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd.
Instead it capped a week when some observers wondered whether Blumenthal would survive the campaign, let alone win it, after a controversy over how he represents his Vietnam Era-military service. The New York Times Monday night accused him of misleading the public on multiple occasions about his service, which included a stateside stint in the marine reserves, not combat service overseas. Blumenthal’s statewide support immediately plummeted.
Politicians from both his own party — beginning with New Haven Mayor John DeStefano—and the Republican Party called on Blumenthal to apologize to veterans for what he acknowledged were “misstatements.” Instead, Blumenthal struck a defiant pose in a Tuesday press event at a VFW hall. Afterwards he declined to issue an apology when pressed about it in a conversation with reporters.
Since then Blumenthal has sought to put the controversy behind him. It hasn’t worked. And on Friday the apology question resurfaced — inadvertently thanks to his own party’s national chairman.
Seeking to defend Blumenthal on the TV show “Morning Joe,” Democratic National Chairman Tim Kaine said, “His statements were wrong. He needed to apologize, and he did.”
That prompted another gleeful press response from one of the two Republicans seeking to win the Senate seat, former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons. He issued a release noting Kaine’s comment — and noting that in fact Blumenthal has declined to apologize. Simmons then repeated what he has said all week — that “Richard Blumenthal continues to owe those who served in Vietnam and their families an apology.” Simmons has had the most to gain from the Blumenthal controversy since he did serve in Vietnam, for 19 months, and won two Bronze stars, according to his campaign.
Simmons continued to milk the controversy Friday, releasing a video about his own service in the war and emphasizing the soldier issue in conversation with the press as the Republican state convention opened in Hartford.
As he worked his way through the crowd at the convention on Friday evening, Mayor DeStefano was asked if Blumenthal needs to apologize.DeStefano said only, “He said what he said, it’s time to move on.”
Blumenthal apparently agreed.
He first declined to answer questions from a half-dozen reporters. He started walking briskly towards the door. When one reporter noted how rare it was for him to decline the chance to speak to the press, Blumenthal smiled and kept walking. He was asked if he feels he owes people an apology for misleading them over his record on Vietnam.
“I know I’ve said what I had to say for right now.”
Asked for clarification, Blumenthal kept walking, got into a hybrid Ford Escape, and waved goodbye.
