Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer
Published: 07:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tripped up during the campaign by the revelation that he exaggerated his military record, U.S. Sen.-elect Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is seeking a seat on Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Blumenthal, 64, plans to use the clout of his new office, which he will assume on Jan. 3, to champion improvements to the social safety net for veterans.
"The goal is to keep faith with our veterans and keep our promises to them," Blumenthal told Greenwich Time Friday during a wide-ranging interview on his transition from longtime state attorney general to senator.
Blumenthal will call for a comprehensive No Veteran Left Behind program when he fills the seat of fellow Democrat Chris Dodd, who is retiring.
"Essentially, No Veteran Left Behind is a program that I've advanced, along with others, to improve job training, educational opportunities, employment openings and health care for veterans, including aid for homeless veterans," said Blumenthal, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam War but did not see combat.
Jimmy Sparrow, 63, a veterans' advocate from Stamford who was a Marine Corps rifleman in Vietnam, said Blumenthal wholeheartedly deserves to be on the committee.
"He's always, always been a friend of the veterans," Sparrow said. "I think he would be an excellent choice. This thing that happened, clearly he misspoke, and they're making a big deal about it."
Read more: Blumenthal seeks seat on Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
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