Assembly Rival Calls Hayden a ‘Traitor’

Former war protester Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) was accused of being a “traitor” Thursday by a teary-eyed fellow legislator shortly after the Assembly erupted into an emotional debate over honoring Vietnam War veterans.

The accusation was made by Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach), a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who served overseas in three wars, including Vietnam.

The debate, which occurred as the nation marked the 10th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, represented the first time that Hayden has been drawn into Assembly floor debate over his 1960s anti-war activities.

Hayden, first elected in 1982 and who long ago shed his image as an anti-war radical, told reporters, “I’ve been called similar things before.”

The traitor charge came as the Assembly approved a Ferguson resolution praising Vietnam veterans for serving and dying in a war that was “waged upon an honorable premise and for a noble purpose.”

It also urged Californians to reflect upon the heroism of Vietnam veterans and the horrors of war so the “nation may, with pride and purpose, continue to pursue its commitment to liberty and justice throughout the world.”

The measure was adopted on a bipartisan 52-0 vote, but Hayden, who went to Hanoi in the mid-1960s, and many other Democrats abstained.

“We can close ranks, we can even forgive cowards, but we will never forgive traitors,” said Ferguson in reference to Hayden, who spoke at length against the resolution.

His eyes filling with tears and his voice breaking with emotion, Ferguson said, “This is a very simple resolution that says we entered into a stupid war for a noble purpose. And it’s time we recognize and remember the people who died there.”

Hayden contended that “the resolution opens old wounds for nothing. We cannot snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. We cannot win a war with rhetoric when we’ve lost it in reality. We cannot restore wasted lives with a piece of paper.

“Vietnam was not a noble war. It was an America tragedy. Noble callings do not have to be packaged as lies. And we were all lied to, those of us who fought there, those of us who fought against it and those who watched it on television.”

But as for the U.S. servicemen who went to Vietnam, Hayden said he has “enormous respect” for them: “They paid their dues. They deserve our respect. They deserve our support.”

After the Assembly session, Ferguson told reporters that Hayden “went to Hanoi and was a supporter of the North Vietnamese Communist regime.” He also said Hayden “made statements that were very divisive, that could only be characterized as traitorous to Americans.”

Asked if he was specifically accusing Hayden of being a traitor, Ferguson said, “Yes.”

He also said Hayden should be ousted from the Assembly. Virtually from the time he took office, Hayden has been the target of letters and petitions from people, mostly non-Californians, who argue that Hayden should be removed because of his anti-war activities.

‘How to Get Rid of Him’

Ferguson said his reading of the California Constitution tells him that Hayden has no right to be in the Assembly.

“At the present time, it (the Constitution) tells you he cannot serve,” Ferguson said, “but it doesn’t tell you how to get rid of him.”

The Constitution defines treason as giving aid and comfort to an enemy, but it also says the Legislature is the sole judge of the qualification of its members.

Democrats currently control the Assembly by 47 to 33 over the GOP.

Asked about Ferguson’s remarks, Hayden said, “He’s entitled to his beliefs, but obviously there’s a danger in throwing around supercharged words like (traitor).

“Obviously, Ferguson and I both feel deeply about this because we’re Americans.”

Hayden recently was the focus of another controversy after he suggested that anti-Vietnam protesters be honored for their role in ending the war.

Fonda Rejection

In 1979, the state Senate refused to confirm the appointment of Hayden’s wife, actress Jane Fonda, to the state Arts Council by former Democratic Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.

At that time, former Sen. Robert Nimmo (R-Atascadero), a retired Army colonel, accused Fonda of treason during the Vietnam War, noting she also went to Hanoi in 1972.

She made a series of radio broadcasts urging U.S. pilots to stop their bombing and return home.

Fonda countercharged that the senators chose to inject politics into what should have been a discussion of her merits as an artist to represent the arts community of California.