I thought I'd tell a fun anecdote about our hopefully lame-duck Senator Joe Lieberman(?- CT) and perhaps shamelessly plug the best breakfast in the state.

I accompanied a lovely redhaired sack of wet rats(at the time I was enamored, but my colossal failure to make any real presentation was probably a blessing, if you know what I mean)to O'Rourke's Diner in Middletown. Dates come and go, but O'Rourke's is here to stay, and that's where my fond memories of the occasion lie. For workingman's prices truly gourmet breakfast can be had in an authentic antique metal box-car diner. Fifteen dollars will get you coffee(it's good- not the best, but in this case easily overlooked), various fresh-baked breads(scones, cakes, oddities like grape rye)and a main course. Brian O'Rourke, the Godfather of Middletown, gets really creative with these. If typical breakfast is not adventurous enough try a trout and peach remoulade with a smoked salmon and gruyere omelet served with crab risotto. Yikes. Everyone is super friendly and the food is rockin'. I always leave with at least a long giddy giggle.

Redrats and I met here and began the eating breakfast ritual. Perhaps ten minutes pass when a gaggle of journalists convene outside the restaurant. Soon, the cameramen show up. Now, the gadflies. Naturally all in the joint had eyes trained heavily on the front of the diner. The front door opened.

Enter Senator Papsmear.(footnote below)

The air was electric. Spines were erect, pencils were scribbling every utterance that could be heard. Handshaking became a contact sport. Next to us a family consisting of a comely late-thirties blonde woman with three seemingly equally-aged peach-fuzz-haired children- each of them wearing a UConn sweatshirt- was 'installed' at a table. Most of the activity was centered around this Potemkin family. I spoke with Joe and said some bullshit about honest debate. I should have mentioned the conflict-of-interest problem with government, but oh, well. I think I did make the news on Channel 8 and I guess they got me saying the Iraq issue would hurt him. He probably wasn't planning on me being there; a Lieberman campaign sign has hung in the window of O'Rourkes for some time now(also easily forgiveable).

There were so many little details that remain strong in my memory. Politics is like a drug, an electromagnetic drug that simply requires its presence to affect others. The Channel 8 reporter, a silver-haired gentleman with caked-on foundation(it couldn't cover his bloodshot nose)had his cameraman usurp Redrats' seat quite aggressively to film the Potemkins. The Waterbury-Republican lady, a forties-ish young version of Barbara Starr, wanted to get snippy with me about my antiwar stance but such a thing wouldn't fly and the possible debate rightly was avoided. Goddamnit, the only thing I can't remember is what I ate.


FOOTNOTE- A friend I have not spoken to in some time told me of this moniker. His wife had their first child, a girl, and they promptly disappeared from everyone's circle. He is a law student with interest in entertainment law as pertaining to video gaming(and he'll gladly kick anybody's ass in Marvel vs. Capcom anytime- get this- I beat the living piss out of him in Madden so he erased it)and sees the Senator as a huge opponent of First Amendment rights. The name I gave was his addressee.