This is really interesting, because it tells us how much Joe Lieberman is feeling the pressure from the primary competition of Ned Lamont. According to McJoan at Daily Kos, Lieberman says that he will run for Senator as an independent if he can't win the Democratic Primary.
It looks like a threat to the Democratic establishment to try to get them to force Ned Lamont out of the Connecticut Primary, because the mechanics of Lieberman running as an Independent are most unlikely to work.
Next time someone asks Markos Moulitsas which candidates that the blogosphere have supported have won, he can already say that Ned Lamont has Lieberman running really scared.
I suspect that this means that Hillary Clinton's plans to run for President in 2008 may need to expand to include efforts to attract the blogosphere. Her pro-War stance will have to go.
2 comments:
My attitude towards Lieberman is more layered than most liberals. If I were a CT resident, I too would vote for Lamont in the primary. But I would caste my vote out of sadness rather than anger.
As a Jewish American I was proud of Lieberman. He risked his life registering blacks to vote in the Deep South in the 1960s. A most dangerous thing for a Jewish person to do back then.
I was also proud of his selection as Gore's running mate in 2000.
I feel let down by him. Senator Ben Nelson in the very red state of Nebraska votes with the party far less often than Lieberman. But you'll never hear Nelson criticize a fellow Democrat's patriotism or values. He'll simply say something like, "I must represent the views of my constituents and I'm greatful the Democratic Party welcomes diverse views."
Yet here you have Lieberman in a very blue state challenge the patriotism of liberals angered by Bush's lies or the values of people who are secular.
I suspect he's an embittered man because the party didn't rally to him in '04.
Interesting comment. I don't know much about Lieberman. My first awareness of him was when he attacked Clinton over the Lewinski thing. I was highly unhappy with Clinton, but having him attacked by a Democratic Senator wasn't any real reason for me to like Lieberman, either.
The major point with Lieberman is "What has he done for us lately?"
Things in Washington changed in 1994, with the Republican takeover of the House. Then they got worse in 2000 with Bush's theft of the White House. After that, we got 9/11 and the really nasty NeoCon-stigated fallout from that.
The only thing I have seen from Lieberman during all that time has been him attacking Democrats (never Republicans, just Democrats) and him running for Vice President and then President. He has not particularly demonstrated any real value in any of those efforts.
In the last few years, his sole claim to fame has been his repeated attacks on other Democrats and his movement toward support of the Republican Party. He clearly considers himself a power in the Senate and a nationally powerful person. But if he is a power in the Senate, it is as a member of the minority party who gets flattered by Republicans, and he has all the national power that his run for President demonstrated.
If he is frustrated by the lack of support, he really needs to look in the mirror. He is no longer one of the Freedom Riders in the South.
Frankly, I don't think Lamont has to win to properly chasten Lieberman. But Lieberman does need to get the message that he is another Zell Miller but with a smile.
Joe has been in Washington too long, and he needs to recognize that he does not have tenure in his job.
By the way, thanks for the comment. I didn't know that Lieberman was in the South registering voters in the 60's. I really respect that.
Post a Comment