The LuLac Edition #2095, June 18th, 2012

Friends of the Library Book sale invite. 

LULAC BOOKS 

Want to own a piece of LuLac? All you need to do is stop by the Osterhout Free Library book sale this week at the Library. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Mrs. LuLac prevailed upon me to get rid of 5 big boxes of books. 99% of them were political and sports biographies. And they are in pristine condition. Titled like David McCullough’s Harry Truman, the Stephen Ambrose book on D Day as well as tomes on Nixon and the Kennedys are all there. Mrs. LuLac also donated 5 boxes too so you’ll see some English literature and science fiction there too. People donate used books through the year and even though we have been saying we would do that for ten years, we finally got around to it. Check them out all this week on South Franklin Street. The books are cheap, in good condition and everything you spend helps the Osterhout.

A major footnote in history, Frank Wills. 

WATERGATE 40 YEARS ON

This weekend was the 40th anniversary of the break in of the Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C. That burglary started the scandal known as Watergate which ultimately led to the resignation of the 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon. The initial reaction of political insiders at the time was incredulity. Why would a Presidential campaign, leading by double digits attempt a robbery at a party headquarters? At the time the Democrats were a hapless bunch, just having gone through a divisive primary fight that pitted the old guard of the party vs. the new, peace wing of the party structure. While they were raising money, the party was totally disorganized and working at cross purposes. The unions were wary of the presumptive nominee George McGovern and his staffers did not trust anyone or anybody from the old guard. Life long friendships of the major party players were strained. McGovern and Hubert Humphrey, friends for years were barely speaking. With all of this happening, one had to wonder, why bother. I always thought that the Nixon hatred for the Kennedys was a compelling reason. An old Kennedy hand, Larry O’Brien was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (he later became Commissioner of the NBA, they named the championship trophy after him) and might have been the reason Nixon’s people decided to do this. The Washington Post started covering this as a police story. A lone reporter Bob Woodward starting working it but then was joined by Carl Bernstein. At the preliminary hearing, when it was revealed that one of the burglars, James McCord was employed by the CIA, the radar of the duo went up. From that day, the Watergate scandal buzzed around the Nixon administration like a buzzard circling a dead animal. I was at school in the summer and fall of 1972 in Washington, D.C. I visited the McGovern headquarters often. They were convinced there was chicanery from that burglary. On a visit to the Nixon headquarters, no one, and I mean no one spoke of it. As 1972 morphed into 1973, it was decided that a bi partisan committee be set up to investigate. It was made up of both Democrats and Republicans who wanted to know the truth. Under the political climate of today, this committee would never exist. We all know the events that transpired but the historical about face came about because a lowly paid security guard, a rent a cop if you will, noticed tape where the burglars taped the door. Frank Wills noticed a piece of duct tape on one of the door locks when he was making his rounds. He removed it, and continued on his patrol. One of the five burglars —take your pick, Frank Sturgis, Virgilio González, Eugenio Martínez, Bernard Barker and James W. McCord, Jr. — noticed that the tape had been removed, and replaced it with another piece of tape on the door (the tape was placed over the latch bolt to prevent the door from latching). When Mr. Wills returned, he saw that the tape had been replaced and called in the police. After that, all hell broke loose and it all happened 40 years ago this past weekend. 

HUGO’S NEW SQUEEZE 

On a front page story this past Saturday, the Citizen’s Voice revealed that Hugo Selinski has a new admirer. Turns out his new honey has been visiting him and helping research his upcoming trial. When a few friends of mine wondered how this Moosic woman could ever be infatuated with Mr. Selinski, I remember how a few years ago many local women (and yes I know some of the pickings are few around here but you’d never know it given all the illegitimate kids being birthed in LuLac land) thought that Hugo was just dreamy. Then I looked at her major and realized why she fell. In my book, a psychology degree equal psycho babble. Case closed.