Chris Matthews Destroys Richard Blumenthal

[guido911]

Yep, I cannot believe it either.

[Conan71]

I'm rather unclear from his statements, did Matthews serve in Viet Nam?  Is it just me or did it seem he was implying it?

[guido911]

I'm rather unclear from his statements, did Matthews serve in Viet Nam?  Is it just me or did it seem he was implying it?

From what I have read he did not serve in Vietnam.

[Gaspar]

I'm rather unclear from his statements, did Matthews serve in Viet Nam?  Is it just me or did it seem he was implying it?

Matthews served in the United States Peace Corps in Swaziland from 1968 to 1970 as a trade development advisor.

[Townsend]

I'm rather unclear from his statements, did Matthews serve in Viet Nam?  Is it just me or did it seem he was implying it?

The wikianswer:

Matthews served in the United States Peace Corps in Swaziland from 1968 to 1970 as a trade development advisor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Matthews

[we vs us]

The Blumenthal snafu has been interesting, since to Xers, Yers, and later generations his lies/prevarications/obfuscations regarding his service in Vietnam have been standard issue politics stuff.  All things being equal, it's bad but not any more reputation-shattering than the run of the mill stuff that other politicians recover from every day. 

That said, the Boomers are infuriated about it, and it just brings back all the old did you serve/didn't you serve obsessions from back then.  If this video proves anything, IMO, it proves that no one who lived through Vietnam has forgotten Vietnam, and all the old wounds are still pretty much as fresh as they have been.   

[Conan71]

The Blumenthal snafu has been interesting, since to Xers, Yers, and later generations his lies/prevarications/obfuscations regarding his service in Vietnam have been standard issue politics stuff.  All things being equal, it's bad but not any more reputation-shattering than the run of the mill stuff that other politicians recover from every day. 

That said, the Boomers are infuriated about it, and it just brings back all the old did you serve/didn't you serve obsessions from back then.  If this video proves anything, IMO, it proves that no one who lived through Vietnam has forgotten Vietnam, and all the old wounds are still pretty much as fresh as they have been.   

Perhaps people are finally fed up with being flat out lied to on every front (including resume puffery) by politicians and candidates for office.

Townsend & Guido- Basically Matthews was a draft dodger, yes?

[Townsend]

Townsend & Guido- Basically Matthews was a draft dodger, yes?

I don't know.  He graduated from college in '67 then went into the peace corp.  I don't know if his number was called or if he refused service.

[Gaspar]

He received a 2-S draft deferment.

[guido911]

I don't know.  He graduated from college in '67 then went into the peace corp.  I don't know if his number was called or if he refused service.

I do not know either. But as I recall when I was in Vietnam in all out combat, I never met Blumenthal.

[Breadburner]

He received a 2-S draft deferment.

2-S.....So, the old double shower towel snapper.....Can't have that in combat......

[dbacks fan]

Here is a collection of other people who got some form of deferment:

http://www.nndb.com/event/806/000140386/

Draft Deferment: Vietnam
EVENT


Recipients of draft deferments during the Vietnam War era. Note that some of these men enlisted in the armed forces despite a deferment.

A total of 1,857,304 men were drafted between August 1964 and February 1973, drawing from the pool of men born on or before 1955.

Some common Selective Service classifications:

1-A Ready for immediate induction. (no deferment)
1-Y Qualified for military service only in time of national emergency (classification eliminated 10-Dec-1971)
2-S Student deferment (temporary delay)
3-A Extreme hardship to dependents
4-F Unqualified for military service (exemption)
See also Draft Deferment.


Name Occupation Birth Death Known for
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Basketball 16-Apr-1947   NBA records for most minutes, most points
Elliott Abrams Government 24-Jan-1948   Asst. Secy. of State involved in Iran-Contra
Lamar Alexander Politician 3-Jul-1940   US Senator from Tennessee
Muhammad Ali Boxing 17-Jan-1942   Floated like butterfly, stung like bee
Samuel Alito Judge 1-Apr-1950   US Supreme Court Justice
Wayne Allard Politician 2-Dec-1943   US Senator from Colorado, 1997-2009
George Allen Politician 8-Mar-1952   US Senator from Virginia, 2001-07
John Ashcroft Politician 9-May-1942   US Attorney General, 2001-05
Richard Axel Scientist 2-Jul-1946   Odorant receptors and olfactory organization
Gary Bauer Government 4-May-1946   Family Research Council
Bob Beauprez Politician 22-Sep-1948   Congressman from Colorado, 2003-07
William Bennett Government 31-Jul-1943   Former Drug Czar and gambling man
Don Black Activist 28-Jul-1953   Stormfront.org founder
Michael Bloomberg Politician 14-Feb-1942   Mayor of New York City
Roy Blunt Politician 10-Jan-1950   Congressman, Missouri 7th
Bill Bradley Politician 28-Jul-1943   US Senator from New Jersey, 1979-97
Phil Bredesen Politician 21-Nov-1943   Governor of Tennessee
L. Paul Bremer Government 30-Sep-1941   Director of the Iraq Provisional Authority
George W. Bush Head of State 6-Jul-1946   43rd US President, 2001-09
Richard Carpenter Musician 15-Oct-1946   The Carpenters
Saxby Chambliss Politician 10-Nov-1943   US Senator from Georgia
Dick Cheney Politician 30-Jan-1941   Dubya's VP, ex-CEO of Halliburton
Tom Clancy Novelist 12-Apr-1947   The Hunt for Red October
Bill Clinton Head of State 19-Aug-1946   42nd US President, 1993-2001
Norm Coleman Politician 17-Aug-1949   US Senator from Minnesota, 2003-09
Pete Coors Relative 20-Sep-1946   Coors scion
Howard Dean Politician 17-Nov-1948   Chairman of the Democratic Party
Tom DeLay Politician 8-Apr-1947   Indicted ex-House Majority Leader
Mike DeWine Politician 5-Jan-1947   US Senator from Ohio, 1995-2007
Brian J. Donnelly Politician 2-Mar-1946   Congressman from Massachusetts, 1979-93
Roy P. Dyson Politician 15-Nov-1948   Congressman from Maryland, 1981-91
David Eisenhower Author 31-Mar-1948   Camp David namesake
Daniel Ellsberg Government 7-Apr-1931   Pentagon Papers source
James Fallows Journalist 2-Aug-1949   Atlantic Monthly
Bobby Fischer Chess Player 9-Mar-1943 18-Jan-2008 Eccentric chess grandmaster
Steve Forbes Business 18-Jul-1947   Owner and publisher of Forbes magazine
Al Franken Politician 21-May-1951   US Senator from Minnesota
Bob Franks Politician 21-Sep-1951   Congressman from New Jersey, 1993-2001
Bill Frist Politician 22-Feb-1952   US Senate Majority Leader, 2003-07
Max Gail Actor 5-Apr-1943   Det. Wojciehowicz on Barney Miller
Dick Gephardt Politician 31-Jan-1941   Congressman from Missouri, 1977-2005
Newt Gingrich Politician 17-Jun-1943   Speaker of the House, 1995-99
Rudy Giuliani Politician 28-May-1944   Mayor of New York City, 1994-2001
Al Gore Politician 31-Mar-1948   US Vice President under Clinton
Phil Gramm Politician 8-Jul-1942   US Senator from Texas, 1985-2002
Lee Greenwood Country Musician 27-Oct-1942   God Bless the U.S.A.
Judd Gregg Politician 14-Feb-1947   US Senator from New Hampshire
Arlo Guthrie Singer/Songwriter 10-Jul-1947   Alice's Restaurant
George Hamilton Actor 12-Aug-1939   Well-tanned celebrity
Robert Hanssen Spy 18-Apr-1944   Russian mole inside the FBI
Dennis Hastert Politician 2-Jan-1942   Speaker of the House, 1999-2006
Roger Hedgecock Politician 2-May-1946   Mayor of San Diego, 1983-85
Douglas Hofstadter Author 15-Feb-1945   Godel, Escher, Bach
Brit Hume Journalist 22-Jun-1943   Fox News DC correspondent
John Irving Novelist 2-Mar-1942   The World According to Garp
Ted Kaczynski Criminal 22-May-1942   The Unabomber
Andy Kaufman Comic 17-Jan-1949 16-May-1984 Brilliant comic, prankster, professional wrestler
Bob Kerrey Politician 27-Aug-1943   Governor and Senator from Nebraska
Alan Keyes Radio Personality 7-Aug-1950   Illinois carpetbagger
Stephen King Novelist 21-Sep-1947   The Shining
Bruce Kovner Activist Feb-1945   Caxton Associates billionaire
Dennis Kucinich Politician 8-Oct-1946   Congressman, Ohio 10th
Ken Lay Business 15-Apr-1942 5-Jul-2006 CEO of Enron, 1986-2002
Ron Lewis Politician 14-Sep-1946   Congressman from Kentucky, 1994-2009
Lewis Libby Government 22-Aug-1950   Cheney's former Chief of Staff
Joseph Lieberman Politician 24-Feb-1942   US Senator from Connecticut
Rush Limbaugh Radio Personality 12-Jan-1951   Conservative talk show host
Trent Lott Politician 9-Oct-1941   US Senator from Mississippi, 1989-2007
Dan Lungren Politician 22-Sep-1946   Congressman, California 3rd
David Mamet Author 30-Nov-1947   Glengarry Glen Ross
Jim Marshall Politician 31-Mar-1948   Congressman, Georgia 3rd
Chris Matthews Talk Show Host 17-Dec-1945   Hardball with Chris Matthews
Mitch McConnell Politician 20-Feb-1942   US Senator from Kentucky
Michael Medved Critic Oct-1948   Traditional values pundit, film critic
Bob Metcalfe Business 1946   Co-Inventor of Ethernet
John Milius Film Director 11-Apr-1944   Conan the Barbarian
James C. Miller III Economist 25-Jun-1942   Conservative economist
Dan Moldea Journalist 27-Feb-1950   Muckraker
Joe Namath Football 31-May-1943   Football player and pantyhose wearer
Ted Nugent Musician 13-Dec-1948   Rock star, bowhunting enthusiast
Bill O'Reilly Talk Show Host 10-Sep-1949   The O'Reilly Factor
P. J. O'Rourke Author 14-Nov-1947   Political satirist
Bill Owens Politician 22-Oct-1950   Governor of Colorado
Gram Parsons Musician 5-Nov-1946 19-Sep-1973 Flying Burrito Brothers
George Pataki Politician 24-Jun-1945   Governor of New York, 1995-2006
John Perkins Activist 1945   Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Dan Quayle Politician 4-Feb-1947   Vice President under George H.W. Bush
Marc Racicot Politician 24-Jul-1948   Governor of Montana, 1993-2001
Robert Reich Government 24-Jun-1946   US Secretary of Labor, 1993-97
Bill Richardson Politician 15-Nov-1947   Governor of New Mexico
Donald L. Ritter Politician 21-Oct-1940   Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1979-93
Dana Rohrabacher Politician 21-Jun-1947   Congressman, California 46th
Mitt Romney Politician 12-Mar-1947   Governor of Massachusetts, 2003-07
Karl Rove Government 25-Dec-1950   Political Strategist to George W. Bush
Robert Shapiro Attorney 2-Sep-1942   One of OJ Simpson's attorneys
Ron Silver Actor 2-Jul-1946 15-Mar-2009 Wiseguy
O. J. Simpson Football 9-Jul-1947   Searching tirelessly for the real killers
Richard E. Smalley Chemist 6-Jun-1943 28-Oct-2005 Co-Discovered first fullerine
David Souter Judge 17-Sep-1939   US Supreme Court Justice, 1990-2009
Bruce Springsteen Musician 23-Sep-1949   The Boss
Sylvester Stallone Actor 6-Jul-1946   Rocky, Rambo
Ken Starr Government 21-Jul-1946   Special Prosecutor, Clinton's impeachment
David Stockman Government 10-Nov-1946   Ronald Reagan's chief economist
John Stossel Journalist 6-Mar-1947   Libertarian reporter
Tom Tancredo Politician 20-Dec-1945   Congressman from Colorado, 1999-2009
John B. Taylor Economist 8-Dec-1946   Council of Economic Advisers, 1989-91
Clarence Thomas Judge 23-Jun-1948   US Supreme Court Justice
Garry Trudeau Cartoonist 21-Jul-1948   Doonesbury
Scott Turow Novelist 12-Apr-1949   Presumed Innocent
Steven Tyler Singer 26-Mar-1948   Frontman for Aerosmith
Mark Udall Politician 18-Jul-1950   US Senator from Colorado
Douglas A. Warner III Business 9-Jun-1946   CEO of JP Morgan, 1995-2000
Henry Waxman Politician 12-Sep-1939   Congressman, California 30th
Andrew Weil Author 8-Jun-1942   New age ethnopharmacologist
Bill Weld Politician 31-Jul-1945   Governor of Massachusetts, 1991-97
Curt Weldon Politician 22-Jul-1947   Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1987-2007
George Will Columnist 4-May-1941   Conservative pundit, baseball lover
Joseph Wilson Diplomat 6-Nov-1949   Ambassador to Gabon, Valerie Plame's husband
Paul Wolfowitz Government 22-Dec-1943   President of the World Bank, 2005-07
Steve Wozniak Computer Programmer 11-Aug-1950   Co-Founder of Apple Computer

[Red Arrow]

2-S deferment allowed one to finish their degree as long as they made satisfactory progress, ie. no flunking a year to extend the deferment.
1-S deferment allowed one to finish the semester they had already started.

The first (recent?) draft lottery was drawn in fall of 1969 for those 19 or older.  I forget the exact cut date on the birthday, may have been 1 Jan.

Those with a 2-S deferment kept their draft lottery number until they had their year of exposure to being drafted.  Having a deferment didn't get you any chance of a better lottery number.  The last "Greetings, you have been selected.." letters went out in July (Maybe very early Aug) of 1972.  Delayed entry programs allowed some of the draftees to actually go to boot camp several months later.

[waterboy]

Add me to the list. I was a 2-S until my year of exposure which ended about the time the draft ended. Wasn't there also a marriage deferment? Or maybe that was the dependent one. I seem to remember that I voluntarily dropped it in my jr. year. Anyway, I was ready to serve during my year of exposure though I had looked into moving to Canada or to my wife's family in Mexico as an alternative. Funny, I had family and friends who went. Not a one of them ever considered me a draft dodger or less than patriotic. In fact I was often told to avoid the military if possible. Not for fear of combat, but just that it was a frustrating, boring, job. My brother in law received a 2-S till he finished college then went to OCS and was shipped off.

[guido911]

More dems are piling on this a-hole: