links for 2010-05-21

DeVore stood by his account at an appearance before a group of Republican women in Riverside. He played portions of the tape that he recorded during the 1984 episode. It included sounds of gunfire, narration from DeVore and discussion with the men he describes as the Israeli soldiers who accompanied the group.

DeVore provided his own narration during the Riverside event. After listening to one of the popping rounds of gunfire, he told the audience: “Hear how quiet everything got after that? It’s because they were whistling over heads at that point.” “Hear that? That’s the Israeli officer going: OK, we’re through. You’re all off the hill.”

The officer’s words are difficult to decipher on the tape, which DeVore has posted on his website. Though DeVore’s transcript says the officers “were clearly concerned for our safety,” on the tape it sounds like the officer could have said, “OK, are we all through?”
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Good grief. Is DeVore really serious?

It is true that DeVore has been in the Army Reserve and the California Army National Guard (and now the Army Reserve again) for 24 years. He's also basically a career politician.

Chuck DeVore worked in the Reagan administration, then for Chris Cox's campaign, and in Cox's congressional office. He ran for office multiple times. While in the private sector, working for an aerospace consulting firm, he was also an Irvine city commissioner and on the Irvine Community Services Commission.

But "military reservist" just reads way better, doesn't it? It also sounds awesome to say, as DeVore did in a debate, that you were "shot at in Lebanon." What DeVore meant, though, was that he was shot near in Lebanon, while he was a college student on a media tour.
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But Chuck has sound of the shots….while he was a college student.

Chuck DeVore, the conservative candidate in California's U.S. Senate election, has apparently embellished an incident in which he says he was "shot at in Lebanon."

As the L.A. Times reports today, part of DeVore's personal mythology is that he was "shot at in Lebanon." He said it in a recent debate, in interviews, in a Facebook post about whether the Council for American-Islamic Relations is really a "terror-loving group."

He often mentions the 1984 incident in the same breath as his service in the Army reserves, although he wasn't in Lebanon as part of his military duty, but as a student on a media tour.
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Press conference Chuck – not lame audio recordings and favorable blog posts from political hacks

Republican Senate candidate Chuck DeVore, currently trailing third in the California polls behind Carly Fiorina and Tom Campbell, has been caught overstating and misrepresenting his military record. According to the Los Angeles Times:..
It seems like this story is one-part Dick Blumenthal serving in Vietnam, one-part Hillary Clinton facing sniper fire in Bosnia. And it can't help that DeVore has made his service a cornerstone of his campaign. The Times reports: "Chuck DeVore made sure that the June 8 ballot described him as 'Assemblyman/Military Reservist' because, the Irvine lawmaker said, he didn't want to be mistaken for just another politician."
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Chuck DeVore needs to have a press conference to clear the air.

Folks – this is not one of my sarchastic swipes at DeVore. This one hits at the core – My grandfather, 94 installed Radar on Navy ships in WWII as a Civillian Contractor. My other Grandfater (Father’s Side) was a Master Sargeant in the Army (why I cherish my title as CRA Sgt at Arms).

Great Uncle – Air Force Officer, Father Navy, Brother Army Guard, Uncle reitred Colonel, Green Beret in Vietnam (Silver Star, Congressional Medal of Merit) and I was a Sailor.

… and Chuck DeVore is a fraud. Again. This time it is not political – it is on a personal level. Those that support Chuck DeVore should take a long look.

Chuck DeVore has had his Dick Blumenthal moment. He has been caught in three and maybe more misrepentations (see also lies) about his military service.
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A rRchard Blumenthal moment

It's hard not to get caught up in Carly Fiorina's passion and charisma, hard not to be impressed with her personal business achievement and acumen. She's smart, feisty and energetic.

But California's Republican nominee for U.S. Senate ought to be thoughtful, soft-spoken Tom Campbell, the candidate most ready to step right into the job — and the one best able to get there by first defeating three-term incumbent Barbara Boxer in November.

Campbell will hit the ground running because, as a former state legislator and five-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he understands how the game is played.
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So, you elect a career politician?

Uh NO!

Both DeVore and his press aide contacted me, quite exercised about my post regarding his military service. I imagine the Los Angeles Times is getting the same treatment. DeVore e-mails:

I actually have the micro-cassette recording of Lebanon. You can hear multiple bursts of automatic weapons fire with the Israeli officer finally saying “OK, we are done” and then ordering the press off the hill. Zelnick stayed to complete his report, BTW, much to the discomfort of his cameraman.

But the issue of proximity, of course, is what is in question….

Well, you have the account of the candidate and of a well-respected (by liberals and conservative alike) press reporter. And there is a transcript of the debate. Voters will have to decide whether DeVore was exaggerating his service. Maybe he should hold a press conference and let the media ask all the questions they like.
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Now we’re into the territory of Hillary Clinton’s Bosnian gunfire fantasy. The Times tracks down former ABC News correspondent Bob Zelnick (not a partisan liberal by any means) to debunk DeVore’s story.

This is not as damning as Blumenthal’s repeated and direct lies, but it doesn’t help his cause. DeVore is a solid conservative with a firm pro-Israel position who hasn’t gotten much traction in the race. He shouldn’t have puffed up his military background to try to distinguish himself. Conservatives often surge late in Republican primaries, but this may well hold down his level of support among conservatives who have spent the better part of a week pointing out that there are few things lower than misleading voters about your military record.
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