With several references to his problems of the past week, Richard Blumenthal accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate on Friday night by saying that he might be outspent but will never be outworked or intimidated in this fall’s election.
Blumenthal’s campaign is still reeling from the controversy caused by his videotaped speech in Norwalk in 2008 in which he said he had served in Vietnam – when he actually served stateside during the war in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
“I have made mistakes,” Blumenthal told the crowd at the state Democratic Party nominating convention in Hartford. “I regret them. And I have taken responsibility. But this campaign must be about the people of Connecticut.”
In an acceptance speech that lasted 12 minutes, Blumenthal never once mentioned the word “Vietnam.”
He mentioned his troubles, however, in the speech.
“This week, as you all know, I have a little bit of a tough time myself,” Blumenthal told the crowd at the beginning of his speech at about 8:10 p.m. “You all have been hearing what my wife, Cynthia, has been telling me for almost 30 years – that I am not perfect. That I make mistakes.”
To the fighting tune of “I Won’t Back Down” by rock artist Tom Petty, Blumenthal walked onstage for his speech. The song played again as he waved to the crowd, with his wife, Cynthia, after his remarks.
He turned to saying he has been a fighter for decades, criss-crossing the state as attorney general. Blumenthal is known as one of the hardest-working politicians in the state, visiting Democratic town committees and attending funerals of veterans on a constant basis. His whirlwind schedule runs into long days and spills over into the weekend on a regular basis.
He talked about problems with jobs, the economy, and frustration with the elected representatives in Washington, D.C.
“We want good schools and affordable electricity and clean energy jobs,” Blumenthal said as many delegates continued talking and a general din remained over the convention hall. “But Washington isn’t listening!”
On the night that Democrats intended to coronate Blumenthal as their nominee for U.S. Senator, his opponent, Merrick Alpert, was initially prevented from speaking at the party convention. But after votes had been cast for Blumenthal by many delegations, Alpert suddenly appeared at the podium.
“I would like to formally withdraw my name from nomination,” Alpert said shortly before 8 p.m. That line generated enthusiastic applause from the crowd. “We’re going to have an early dinner. Good night.”
Immediately after Alpert’s remarks, Blumenthal was nominated by acclamation.
Alpert originally intended to deliver a speech to more than 1,800 delegates at the Democratic Party convention at the cavernous Expo Center in Hartford’s North Meadows, but the rules committee prevented it, according to Alpert.
Alpert released a copy of the speech that he intended to deliver – as he struggled to try to reach the minimum of 15 percent of the delegates that are necessary to force a primary.
“You deserve a primary. We need a primary,” Alpert said in his prepared remarks.
Known for his outspokenness, Alpert had prepared to tell the delegates that he believes the recent controversies of the past week would cause the Democrats to lose the U.S. Senate election in November. He included remarks that many of the delegates clearly would not want to hear on their party’s big night.
“We’re not ready to win the Senate election,” Alpert said in his remarks. “My assessment is if the general election were held this Tuesday, we would lose. After the events of this week, the polls confirm my assessment.”
Alpert did not expressly mention the recent controversy surrounding Blumenthal, who delivered a speech that was captured on videotape in Norwalk in 2008 in which he said that he had served in Vietnam. Since then, other speeches have been unearthed in which he said similar things. In fact, Blumenthal remained in the United States throughout the conflict and never served in Southeast Asia.
“We need a candidate who is straight with himself and straight with the people of Connecticut,” Alpert said. “We need a candidate who has fought and earned the nomination, not one who has sat quietly while the crown of coronation has been placed on his head. And, we need a candidate who has been completely vetted so we have no more unpleasant surprises. Think about it in your own life: if you have a son who will play football in the fall, do you keep him in the house over the summer to keep him safe or do you have him running contact drills to toughen him up?”
The nominating speech for Blumenthal came at 7:15 p.m., and it was quite brief – much shorter than the speech delivered for Alpert. Soon after, the roll call for Blumenthal’s nomination began – in a pre-determined nomination. Starting in the Fourth Congressional District, the first 64 votes came in from Bridgeport – an overwhelmingly Democratic city. Only three votes were cast for Alpert in Bridgeport.
In Blumenthal’s current hometown of Greenwich, 18 votes went to him and 8 went to Alpert from the 26-member delegation.
Earlier, party chairwoman Nancy DiNardo gaveled the convention open at about 6:15 p.m. Friday and tried to gain the attention of the distracted delegates who were still filing into their seats. She called for order several times in an attempt to corral more than 1,800 activists who were talking politics in the aisles and in the delegations. The sergeant at arms then took the podium several times and tried to regain order, asking the assistant sergeants at arms to clear the aisles.
“We are the party of the people,” DiNardo told the crowd in her opening remarks.
Throughout the beginning of the convention, Alpert supporters could be heard shouting, “Let’s go, Merrick!”
Alpert also bashed wrestling entrepreneur Linda McMahon, who is battling for the Republican nomination against former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons of Stonington and investor Peter Schiff of Weston.
“I am running because I cannot stand the thought that Linda McMahon from World Wrestling can buy it, and you can’t tolerate that, either,” Alpert said. He added, “We all know that the highly effective attack in Tuesday’s New York Times was hatched in Linda McMahon’s office. If we settle on our nominee tonight, that exceedingly well-funded and vicious machine, created by Karl Rove but now housed at World Wrestling, will be gifted three additional months to ruin our candidate.”
At about 7 p.m., Gregory Schulte delivered the nominating speech for Alpert. In essence, he read Alpert’s four-page speech that is quoted above. As such, Alpert was able to get his thoughts officially delivered to the convention.
“The rules committee changed the rules today, and he will not be permitted to speak to you,” Schulte said from the podium as he began his remarks.
A short seconding speech was delivered by Shawn Asselin, who said a primary is necessary.
“My strong support for Merrick Alpert is not an attack on Dick Blumenthal at all,” Asselin said. “I believe Merrick Alpert is the strongest candidate. … Let’s have a primary. … Let the voters decide. To me, the choice is clear. Merrick Alpert is our best candidate for United States Senate.”
The convention adjourned at about 8:25 p.m. and will reconvene Saturday with nominations for governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller, treasurer, attorney general, and secretary of the state.
While Blumenthal and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz capturing the headlines this week, relatively little has been said about Ned Lamont and Dannel Malloy – the two Democratic candidates for governor. A fellow Greenwich resident, Lamont said that he left a message for Blumenthal about his troubles.
“He’s a good friend,” Lamont said of Blumenthal. “Whatever happens, we’re sticking with him.”
(In photo, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and his wife, Cynthia, wave to delegates after accepting the nomination for the U.S. Senate seat. Cloe Poisson / Hartford Courant)
