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Reporting The Facts – It’s All About Tone.

The NYT caught a Democrat lying about his service in Vietnam. No, it not another article about John Kerry. Unlike the subject of this article, John Kerry did indeed served in Vietnam. This one is about Democrat Richard Bluumenthal, soon to be ex-Senate candidate running for Chris Dodd’s seat, and, I imagine, also soon ex-Attorney General of Connecticut. He for years has been saying that he went, when in fact, he didn’t. Here is a snippet from 2008:

“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,….”

He, like Cheney, got several deferments, and, when he was on his last one, like Bush, got himself enrolled in a reserve unit, almost guaranteeing he would not be shipped off to Vietnam. Yet when you read the Times article, compare the tone to the way the press really went after Bush and Cheney because they never set foot in the war zone. Here is what they say about Blumenthal, a guy who not only didn’t go to Vietnam, but who lied about it as well:

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.

The whole article treats the guy with kid gloves. Question: will the press follow the lead of the Time and go easy on him, or will they lay in to him? After all, he not only got deferments, a la Cheney, but he has lied about going to war. Even Bush never claimed that, yet he was savaged for years for less.

We”l have to wait and see.