Deja Vu Lieberman Dodd

"You're over it!" the kids say about anything not worth dwelling on. I thought I was "Over it," since it has been 36 years and old news by now. But maybe not--When Joe Duffy, anti-Vietnam War senatorial candidate won the democratic nomination from Connecticut in 1970, I was a lowly campaign worker who saw a chance for one man to make a difference.

When Joe Duffy became the democratic candidate for senator, I went back to college in the fall and crossed my fingers hoping against hope that he would be the next senator from CT, whose entire platform consisted of determining to vote to pull US troops out of Vietnam.

The incumbent democrat, Tom Dodd, had been censured by the senate for misusing campaign funds for personal purposes--something that today would be considered minor and probably overlooked entirely. But in the 1960's, prior to Watergate and the Nixon shenannigans which diddled with the Constitution on a scale unheard of til then, Dodd's indiscretions were a matter to be dealt with sternly by his fellow senators--and, he was caught in the act, however minor it was.

So while Joe Duffy, an ordained minister and "machine-backed" candidate stumped for election, Tom Dodd decided to ask for votes as an "Independent," in order to be able to run on the ballot, and without the core democratic backing he was used to. Dodd was also a Vietnam War hawk--backing Nixon regarding the commitment to money, arms and troops for the Vietnam conflict. Sound familiar??? Lieberman wears Dodd's shoes.

What transpired could not have been written in a novel, because no author could have foreseen the events that were to come: Duffy and Dodd split the democratic vote which allowed the republican nominee, Lowell Weicker, a wealthy up-and-comer from the New York suburbs, to be elected senator. Forget about my crossed fingers, and Duffy's anti-war stance, and Dodd's pro war stance--Weicker was now senator from Connecticut.

Those of us over the age of 40 may remember that a major nemesis to Nixon and all that he stood for in the Watergate debacle, was Senator Lowell Weicker from Connecticut. Without Weicker's incessant and dogged nagging, there may never have been the revelations of the criminal acts of Nixon and his cronies. Weicker was a beacon of light and justice amidst the dinn of iniquity and disgrace.

The question will always remain, what would have happened if Duffy were elected senator instead of Weicker? How would that have effected the Vietnam War? Would Weicker's absence have meant less of a just outcome with Watergate?

I only know that--deja vu-wise--if Lieberman runs for senator from Connecticut as an independent candidate, he has forgotten the lessons of history. If your party doesn't want you, chances are you are not wanted--period.