Weicker watch - Senator Lowell Weicker

National Review, Sept 30, 1988

THE CAMPAIGN begun in Connecticut to retire Senator Lowell Weicker (see NR, Sept. 2, p. 24) shows signs of becoming a national movement. The bumper sticker advertised in that issue-DOES LOWELL WEICKER MAKE YOU SICK?-has been heavily purchased ($2 per sticker), and, remarkably, two-thirds of the purchasers are from out of state. It turns out that in Oklahoma and Hawaii they are also eager to see Mr. Weicker out of the Senate.

Connecticut State Senator Mike Morano reports, "I ran [Weicker's] first Senate race 12 years ago and ask God's forgiveness every night." (There is tension in Heaven over whether sometimes too much is being asked of the Lord . . . ) Rosalie Gordon from Trumbull writes, "I'll gag at voting for Lieberman, but that's far better than the regurgitation I suffer every time Weicker opens his mouth." Dave Turissini from Redding writes, "After 17 years of voting Republican, I now relish the thought of pulling the lever for a Democratic candidate."

Meanwhile, Senator Weicker keeps his inventory of civilized commentary well stocked. Asked his opinion of the 1988 GOP platform: "I think the platform sucks." And this vignette, ftom the Waterbury Sunday Republican: "Senator Lowell P. Weicker, who rarely receives attention unless he's calling it to himself took advantage of a trip aboard Air Force One to call Attorney General Edwin Meese a 'son of a bitch' . . .

". . . Later he was asked to repeat his assessment of the attorney general on camera. After being pressed on the issue by ABC news correspondent Sam Donaldson, the GOP bad boy thrust out his hand out of view of the cameras and raised his middle finger in the reporters' faces.

"You know things have changed when a member of the Senate adopts the communication skills indigenous to a junior-high-school playground to get a message across.

". . . the no-class gesture to reporters demeans not only the U.S. Senate, but also the state of Connecticut and its residents."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Joe Lieberman on the campaign trail stresses that unlike Weicker, he approved military action against Grenada and Libya, and the naval role in the Persian Gulf. And yes, he approves of a moment of silence for children in public schools. But not necessarily for prayer.

The next bumper sticker distributed by NATIONAL REVIEW, in cooperation with Buckpac, will be: DON'T ABORT YOUR CHILD (HE MIGHT GROW UP TO VOTE AGAINST WEICKER). Two bucks, to Department Bumper Sticker, 150 E. 35th St., New York, N.Y. 10016.