Democrat Dick Blumenthal, U.S. Senate candidate and enemy of the free enterprise system, likes to be considered one of the leading heroes of the effort to curb smoking and bringing Big Tobacco down to its knees.  Since his election and reelection and reelection as Attorney General, Blumenthal has beat the tobacco industry like a drum whenever its a short news day, or for simply the sport of it. (Photo: New York Times)

And after claiming he wouldn’t ever take a dime from people who work or do business with the tobacco clans, Paul Hughes of the Waterbury Republican discovered that Blumenthal has taken a few thousand dollars from people who represent the industry.

Okay, another accounting error by the campaign staff, but the real story will be told about Dick Blumenthal’s rather duplicitous and ineffective record against the tobacco industry. It began when Blumenthal and others joined in the famous class action lawsuit in 1996 brought against the major tobacco companies.

When it was over, billions flowed to the coffers of every state in the country. The money was supposed to be used to: offset the costs of providing health care to those afflicted with smoking related illnesses and to educate consumers, particularly children, on why smoking isn’t a good lifestyle choice. Instead, the Democrats in the Legislature used the money for the budget and left pennies for education. Blumenthal issued a few press releases on it and let it go. And kids in Connecticut are smoking at record numbers – Joe Camel or no Joe Camel.

Another outcome was many law firms got very wealthy for being retained as counsel for each state in the lawsuit. Two firms in particular in Connecticut got the lion’s share of the lawyers fees – all totalling around $63 million. It went to Silver, Golub & Teitel of Stamfordand Berger & Montague, P.C. of Philadelphia.  Blumenthal worked as a partner at Silver, Golub during his days prior to being elected Attorney General in 1990. It is one of the best criminal negligence firms around.  The Philly firm employed David Golub’s wife.  Later Carmondy & Torrence of Waterbury was cut into the action. Go figure.

Republican Santa Mendoza raised this issue in 1998 but the media yawned and Mendoza, while large in spirit and fight, didn’t have the money to get the message out on Blumenthal’s hypocrisy and lack of follow up on the expenditures of tobacco money.

The matter of Dick Blumenthal’s service, or embellished service,  in the military still doesn’t go away. Today, an editor for the Waterbury Republican, Ed Goodman, a copy editor, talks about how any male born between 1944 and 1950 would never forget when their number was called. Goodman got a high number, and was grateful. He was less kind to Blumenthal:

“I’ll remember that number until I die, as will just about all men born between 1944 and 1950, and men who were subject to subsequent draft lotteries. The numbers are seared into our memories because they helped decide who was likely to end up fighting in the Vietnam war and who likely was safe. My number — 299 — let me get on with the rest of my life.”