Did Dick Blumenthal 'Apologize' While Accompanied by Another Phony?

Senate candidate Dick Blumenthal (D-CT) apologized today for 'misstatements' concerning his (non-existent) Vietnam military service. The staged press conference featured a handful of Marine vets ostensibly lending their support.

An eagle-eyed observer just sent us this photo with the caption:

"Look carefully at the face of the man on the right. Now compare that face to this man."

This is William Joseph Trumpower (AKA Eliot Storm), a man listed on POW Network's Phony Vets Database.

Trumpower, like Blumenthal, is a Connecticut resident and has made quite a name for himself hawking books on the Vietnam experience. The 'POW Networks Phony' database lists Trumpower's bogus credentials as follows:

CLAIMING BRONZE STAR w/VALOR device... Claims 2nd Lt, Claims... Wears 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars w/V. The jacket in EARLIER pictures boasted 8 ribbons. This NEW pic has more and includes V device on Bronze Star and 2nd Lt bars...

It's entirely fitting if the staged Blumenthal apology was, as our anonymous contributor asserts, accompanied by another puffed-up bloviator.


Update: William Jacobson writes, "Well, the Storm guy was there, confirmed, so if he is a poser, then you have it."