New York Times headline writer allergic to the word "liar"

Connecticut Attorney-General Richard Blumenthal gave a speech to military vets in which he claimed that "I served in Vietnam." However, Blumenthal "obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970" and "landed a coveted spot in the Marine Reserve, which virtually guaranteed that he would not be sent to Vietnam. He joined a unit in Washington that conducted drills and other exercises and focused on local projects, like fixing a campground and organizing a Toys for Tots drive."

The New York Times has an excellent story on this.

But as John Naughton points out, the Times' headline writer didn't get the memo. The story is headed "Candidate's Words on Vietnam Service Differ from Reality."

Euphemism, NYT-style