Zombies are popular. "The Walking Dead" attracts 13 million viewers on Sunday nights.
In that spirit, I give you Joe Lieberman, who has proven that long after anyone wants you around, it is possible to persist by slowly stumbling forward while a toneless groan emanates from you. In other words, Joe Lieberman was zombie before zombie was cool.
Lieberman has returned as a lawyer representing the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, which has paired up with MGM Resorts International to interfere with Connecticut's stupid, half-baked idea of letting the Mashantuckets and Mohegans put up a casino somewhere in central Connecticut.
The Schaghticokes are a real Native American tribe, recognized by the state. In modern times, they have nursed two hopes: a) that the white man will learn to spell and pronounce their name; and b) that the federal government will recognize them. This would uplift their spirits and validate years of painful struggle. I think that's basically it. Oh yes, they would also be entitled to a casino.
In 2004, the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation won federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, whereupon a group of well-connected people began kicking and punching this idea as if it were an unusually resilient zombie. Their names were Richard Blumenthal, Nancy Johnson, Chris Shays, Rob Simmons, Jodi Rell and, yes, Joe Lieberman. There were public hearings and closed-door meetings. There were threats; there was cajolery. After 18 months, the poor Schaghticokes were derecognized.Last year, the BIA issued another ruling saying that, once a tribe has been denied recognition, it cannot re-petition. It turns out that "Schaghticoke," loosely translated, means "more permanently screwed than you can possibly imagine."Among the people responsible for the pitiless extinguishing of the Schaghticokes' hopes and dreams was Joe Lieberman, so it totally makes sense that they hired him.But to do what?I submit that this is unclear. I worry that the poor Schaghticokes think they're going to compete for a casino once the legislature's collusion with the Mashantuckets and Mohegans is exposed for the brainless piece of skulduggery it is.The people paying the legal bills are the MGM folks. What they want is for Connecticut not to throw up a cheesy wagering barn to intercept gamblers moving north, like shad, in the direction of MGM's new Springfield casino.The case against doing this is strong. The legislature tried to pass off Casino 3 as a band-aid, when it's really an enormous policy departure. The only reason we have casinos in Connecticut is a 1990 federal court ruling that essentially forced the state to allow them on tribal lands. Putting one in an East Hartford movie theater would be the first time Connecticut allowed a casino without a gun to its head.Also, gaming on tribal lands is regulated by a federal commission. Connecticut would have to create a brand new state agency to regulate El Casino del Bonanzo Cheezo in East Windsor.What will happen? Some people who live nearby will try a casino for the first time and say, "Hey, I enjoy the neurochemical sensation of small victories followed by net losses wiping out my paycheck! But I yearn for more than this bleak wagering barn. Isn't there somewhere more glamorous where I could eat in a restaurant named after Michael Jordan who, like me, has a massive gambling problem, and then go see some grizzled old musicians claiming to be Chicago?"Why yes. There's something like that just up the road in Springfield."Great. I'll spend the night up there and drive home intoxicated to Connecticut and if I make it back alive, I'll embezzle money from my sister's dry cleaners and go back to Springfield! This is so much more fun than the Connecticut lottery tickets I used to buy."This is a terrible idea. The fact that MGM has to hire Lieberman, former Connecticut House speaker Jim Amann (a non-recovering zombie), former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, former Malloy Svengali Roy Occhiogrosso, Wonder Woman and Aquaman to stop it is just proof of the runway train velocity of Connecticut foolhardiness.And the poor Schaghticokes will be left with nothing but their bitter Joe Lieberman memories. I know that feeling.Colin McEnroe appears from 1 to 2 p.m. weekdays on WNPR-FM (90.5) and blogs at courantblogs.com/colin-mcenroe. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .| < Prev | Next > |
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