POLITICS AND BRICKBATS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200290002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 2, 1999
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 19, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRt~'
Approved For Release 1999/09/4?C%a--RyyD 5-00149R000200290002-0
I . to . Contrary to' the-
POLITICS AND BRICKBATS~mmprtessionmwhich the few staff
members who betrayed me
By SEN. THOMAS J. DODD (D., CONN.) have sought to create, the'
(A Holmes Alexander Guest Column) :overwhelming majority of the
-Hpresent and previous members
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Anyi In' inviting me to write of my staff have.remained per-!
one who wants to play an ac this guest column, Holmes sonally loyal to me, and they'
five role in politics has to be Alexander has asked me how have sought to shpw their toy -
prepared ,for It feels to be attacked in alty in ltiany different ways.
brickbats - 3 t column after column,' day }
and I believe after day, accused of villainy NATIONWIDE the' mail,
that I have in
after villainy and in a count to date has been roughly i
STATINTL.
my time re- sense . left helpless to reply 10-to-1 in my favor, while
ceived more because my opponents can di- from the State of Connecticut
than my -share rect their attack against me it has been running approxi~
of them. About
I through the columns of sev- mately 20.to-1.
this I do not " eral h u nd r e d newspapers, Some of my friends wonder
complain, be- while I. myself must pa- fat my ability to bear up under_
cause I em, iiently wait for thefinnt ver sustained attack. And I can ;
barked upon diet of the Senate Ethics only answer them by saying
my' political Committee and of the courts. (that I bear up because of my'
career with DODD I, shall answer frankly by own clear conscience and be-
my.eyes wide open to the haz- saying that this is a ,terrible cause of the encouragement of
ards. ordeal for any public figure 1my family, 'my friends, my.,
Prolonged exposure to brick- i to endure.' staff and ray 'many thousands
bats inevitably toughegs one's No matter how certain you of supporters In Connecticut
hide, and a certain amount of may be of your own innocence, ,and across the nation.
adversity makes a man a bet- no" matter how confident off --- -_x
ter politician - and a sadder. the ultimate verdict, you can't
'one. ;help wondering how many of, '
!' IF YOU ARE profoundly, the lies and distortions are'
convinced of the rightness. of, actually believed by your sup
the policies you. are advocat- porters, and you can't help
ing, then It does not, matter being concerned over the an,
too much what you oppon- guish such a campaign inflicts
ents say about you Neither 1+'on your wife and children.
does it matter too much if you,! I MUST SAY that all the
appear for a time Ito be iso- members of my family, from
lated, nor if your views and Amy wife, Grace, to my young
actions are twisted and mis. est son, Nicky, have borne;
represented. fthemseilves like so in any Spares .
Like most politicians, I :tans. If they have suffered,
have had my ups and downs, they have not permitted me to.
my brickbats and my ac- ( see it. Grace. has summed tip'
colades. If I have had on her own attitude in these
l occasion to endure vilifica- words: "If you were guilty
Lion and slander, I have also and no one Said a word about'
had the very great satisfac- it, I would hide my' head in
tion of seeing certain of my !shame. But because I know.
political views converted into !you're innocent; I' can hold my
law and policies I have. ad-,!head high no matter what may.;
vocated In the field of for. be said about you by your
eign affairs ultimately adopt- enemies."
ed by our government. The attitude of my family
By,and large I have relished bas been a t r e m e n d o u s
the give and take and even source of comfort and,
.the inevitable campaign rough-i encouragement to' me in my' house \with political opponents.: present ordeal. I have also
Sometimes in the -course of a been heartened by the hun
heated campaign I might bey dreds of letters I have re- ;
angered by what I consider to; ceived from old friends, as
be a foul blow by my opponent.
,But' l have always found that
campaign wounds beat quickly
band that, once the campaign is' had turned against me, it
over, even the bitterest, politicall would have hurt me far more ,
rivals can again become firm than I would care to admit.;
friends. - But so far ' they have been
ORDINARY political brick-1 loyal to a man, -- and this
bats are one thing. It is an a'l is something for which I shall
together different thing when! always be profoundly grate-
,you are made the. target of a' ful.
sustained attack of character No words can c press lww'!
assassination by a. nationallymuch .the dedication and loyal.,
syndicated columnist. ;ty of rhy staff. -member!: ha,~tej
suring me of their continued
friendship and support. If a
Approved For Release 1999/09/17 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000200290002-0