I always liked Lenni, perhaps for the wrong reasons. I met him once as part of a 1988 election eve panel on the old Barry Farber radio show. He was quite intense -- full beard, wire rims, cold stare. I honestly don't remember what any of us said that night (there was a Repub woman as well). I was in my early anarchist "don't vote!" period, so I probably went that route. But all I remember about Lenni was that stare, and the silence during the commercials.
Years later I saw him at the Socialist Scholars Conference where he stood up during question time after a panel discussion (which included Hitch) and went off on the US, Israel and the Palestinians. He said in a very loud voice that the US had "wiped its ass with the Palestinians," then went on a rant that ended with his right arm repeatedly stabbing the air, index finger raised, and him saying "Not for us! Not for us! Not for us!" I was there with my friend Steve Gilbert and we laughed harder together than we ever had. Lenni was on his game that day.
DP