An Australian television news program on phony military veterans in the U.S. includes a segment on Connecticut's Democratic attorney general and candidate for U.S. Senate Richard Blumenthal.
The half-hour show, "Foreign Correspondent," will air tomorrow night on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (similar to the BBC in Britain.) The episode, "Heroes, Frauds and Imposters," explores the concept of "stolen valor" and focuses on people who falsely claim to have military experience or military medals in order to gain sympathy or support.
In addition to the story of a Colorado man who fabricated an identity as a highly decorated Iraq war veteran, the program devotes time to Blumenthal and Illinois Republican Mark Kirk. Both men have misstated their military records.
"While Blumenthal was not in breach of the Stolen Valor Act, veterans we interviewed felt that falsely claiming war service was as bad as falsely claiming medals [which is covered by the Act],'' Mark Corcoran, the program's award-winning correspondent, said via email.
Corcoran said he tried to interview Blumenthal. A crew went to the attorney general's Hartford office earlier this year, accompanying conservative activists who were there to ask him for a legal opinion on the Gadsden flag controversy.
"To everyone's surprise we were ushered into Mr. Blumenthal's office, for what we thought would be a meeting,'' Corcoran said. "Instead, we ended up talking to Mr. Blumenthal via a conference call speakerphone. He told us he was out of town on family business. Attending his son's graduation ceremony with the US Marine Corps.
"After some initial discussion on lining up a further meeting with the delegation. I introduced myself to Mr. Blumenthal and said I'd like to discuss his military service. He said he wasn't talking to the media. End of conversation,'' Corcoran said.
Blumenthal campaign strategist Marla Romash said the candidate has addressed the Vietnam issue many times.
"The people of Connecticut have made it clear that they are much more interested in issues that are effecting them now,'' Romash said.