Joe Must Go
June 11, 2006 on 7:01 pm | In Main, State |
Is there a more arrogant and thin-skinned politician on the planet than Joe Lieberman?
The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Lieberman challenger Ned Lamont has pulled within striking distance of the three-term senator. This has no doubt sent Lieberman into fits of apoplexy. You see, Lieberman just doesn’t think we Nutmeggers should be deprived of the opportunity to have him represent us in Washington.
I must confess Democrat Lieberman captured my imagination when he ran successfully for the Senate in 1988 against Lowell Weicker, casting the portly incumbent as “a bear in the woods” who was never there when we needed him. The strategy worked and Lieberman subsequently abandoned his very-liberal past and carved out a carefully crafted niche as a sensible moderate who could cross party lines in pursuit of principle — a quality he shared with Weicker.
But I lost all respect for the then-two-term incumbent when in 2000 he opted to run for vice president and reelection to the Senate at the same time. Lieberman’s reasoning: In the unlikely event he and Al Gore were defeated, Connecticut voters should have the right to return him to the Senate, where he alone can best represent us. I thought it was so disingenuous that I voted against him in favor of Republican Phil Giordano, the former Waterbury mayor now rotting in federal prison for molesting little girls. Sometimes we voters just can’t win …
Now Lieberman won’t say categorically that he will support the Democratic nominee and has left open the possibility that he will run as an independent if defeated by Lamont, presumably because we Nutmeggers shouldn’t be deprived of the opportunity to have him represent us in Washington. Sound familiar?
Of course, Lamont’s signature issue is his opposition to the war in Iraq, which Lieberman continues to defend to this day. But not only does he defend it, he casts aspersions on the motives of those, like Lamont and me, who oppose it.
Back in March, Lieberman appeared on Colin McEnroe’s show on WTIC radio to defend himself against a column McEnroe had written about a speech the senator gave at a conference in Washington. Click here to listen to the exchange because it is most revealing. McEnroe later posted an entry on his Hartford Courant blog cleverly deconstructing Lieberman’s tender logic. Unfortunately, links to McEnroe’s column have expired.
It is time to send Joe packing. His usefulness has run its course. Maybe he could get a job in a McCain administration, where he could condescend to his subordinates in an obscure cabinet post instead of the entire state of Connecticut.
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More background on McEnroe and Lieberman from March.
Joe Lieberman’s meltdown
The Lieberman Smackdown
Comment by Scarce — June 11, 2006 #
As the Kos Kids congregate in Las Vegas, Democrats should be thinking twice about dumping one of the few remaining moderates they have in their party. Kos supported candidates are 0-20 in the past four years, and it is likely that Lamont would suffer a similar fate. Anti-war types from Connecticut should consider the consequences of sending Lieberman packing, as in doing so they may push the Senate toward a veto proof majority for the GOP in Bush’s “lame duck” years.
Comment by Jake — June 11, 2006 #
0-20? And these numbers come from where? Oh right, you were just making a point, derived from something you’d read on a conservative website.
Rather than have someone do your thinking for you here’s Markos himself to explain the rationale behind the primary. You can take your rightwing talking points memo with you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjXOxX7ni0g
Comment by Scarce — June 11, 2006 #
Money raised for “political action” by Kos…
# Tony Miller — Lost
# Ben Konop — Lost
# Dan Mongiardo — Lost
# Richard Romero — Lost
# Samara Barend — Lost
# Jeff Seemann — Lost
# Nancy Farmer — Lost
# Ginny Schrader — Lost
# Jan Schneider — Lost
# Lois Murphy — Lost
# Jim Newberry — Lost
# Brad Carson — Lost
# Tony Knowles — Lost
# Stan Matsunaka — Lost
# Richard Morrison — Lost
# John Kerry — Lost
OK, 0-16. Sorry.
Comment by Jake — June 12, 2006 #
Your list is from 2004. Wingnuts….
Here are some other prominent names.
Barack Obama (won)
Paul Hackett (lost)
2006
—-
Francine Busby (lost)
Ciro Rodriguez (lost)
Jack Carter
Ned Lamont
Jim Webb
Jon Tester (won primary)
Tester should win his Senate seat in November. Lamont will win his primary also. It’s doubtful either Carter or Webb will make it to the Senate this year.
Comment by Scarce — June 12, 2006 #
I refer, of course to candidates that Kos specifically endorsed and in the endorsement asked for funds. My understanding is that in the 2004 he raised around $450,000 for the candidates I listed above. So far in the 2006 cycle, he’s raised and contributed another $100,000 for Busby, Rodriguez and Tester. As you note, Tester did win his primary, so it remains to be seen if he will be on the “defeated” list.
I’m not sure if any Kos raised funds have been contributed to Carter or Webb, but agree that they a very much long shots. Sad for Webb, because he was once an insightful analyst, and a great writer, but apparently not much of a candidate. His recent antics are pretty sad.
I am not aware that Kos contributed to Obama. I searched his site and couldn’t find any reference to his having raised funds for the senator when he was running. Maybe you can point me to the proper reference. The MTP clip is obviously ex post facto.
In any case, I think my original point remains. Candidates supported by the Kos wing of the Democrat Party are not performing well and nominating Lamont will most likely put a Republican in the Connecticut senate seat.
Comment by Jake — June 12, 2006 #
Joe should go, if only for using the phrase “Joe-mentum” during his feeble Presidential bid.
Comment by The Winged Avenger — June 12, 2006 #
Born and raised in Connecticut, I have always had the impression that even within the Democratic Party Joe L. was far from beloved. Certainly among liberal Dems, he has long been viewed as too moderate. Seeing Ned Lamont challenge Joe L. at this juncture in the Iraq mess seems entirely consistent with the longstanding, itchy relationship liberal Dems in the state have had with Joe L.
Comment by Native Son — June 14, 2006 #
Love it!
Comment by MoM — June 14, 2006 #
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/06/will_nutroots_ruin_lamonts_run.html
Comment by Jake — June 16, 2006 #