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We Need Ned, More than Ever

by howieinseattle
Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 01:26:03 AM EST

Update [2006-7-4 9:22:25 by howieinseattle]: "...sources say that Hillary Clinton believes that it’s important to respect the will of Connecticut voters and that she will commit to support the Democratic candidate — whoever that is — in November. It should be interesting to watch and see if others follow suit."-from Crooks and Liars, quoting Jane Hamsher.

With Lieberman fading and threatening to divide the votes of those opposing the Republican candidate for U. S. Senate in Connecticut, we need Ned to do really well (not just "win" the primary) and send Joe way out to pasture, as soon as possible. Not just because we need this seat to be occupied by a Democrat, but also to send a message about who our candidate for president should be in 2008.

"Senator's Plan B Puts Democrats in a Bind," from the NY Times:

Leaders of the national Democratic Party, like Mr. Dean, the chairman, and Charles S. Schumer, who is leading the effort to regain control of the Senate, may have to choose between Mr. Lieberman and an antiwar Democrat in the fall, when they had hoped to make Iraq squarely the president's problem.

"Lieberman fights for political life," from the BBC:

What has turned this local political tussle into a contest of national significance, is the fact that Mr Lamont has become a standard-bearer for activists who believe the Democratic leadership lacks any coherence over Iraq. (snip)
When Howard Dean was running for the presidency two years ago, the mainstream media leapt at the net-roots' activism that it spawned, before helping to bury the candidate, after the celebrated "Dean scream" in Iowa.
A Connecticut primary is a far more manageable field, and after attending a Lamont rally in a trendy New York bar, it is clear that hundreds of liberals from out-of-state will be donating both money and time to the cause, over the coming weeks.

"Lieberman To Go Indie? And Why Hillary Should Care," from The Nation:

This primary race is--or should be--important to her and other Democrats because it shows how the war can split the party. And that could become the dominant theme of the 2008 race for the Democratic presidential nomination. If the war in Iraq remains a mess a year-and-a-half from now, the Democratic presidential primary will be all about what to do in Iraq. Many Democratic primary voters will be looking for an antiwar, pro-withdrawal candidate (Senator Russ Feingold?) and reluctant to vote for any candidate who has supported the war and stood by it (as has Hillary Clinton). Clinton will certainly have the deepest pockets of any of the candidates--and money usually beats all else (though that didn't work for Howard Dean in 2004). But if Hillary Clinton is on the wrong side of the war (as far as most Democratic primary voters are concerned), the race will be a bitter and divisive one.

We Need Ned, More than Ever | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

I wonder... (none / 0)

if Ned Lamont succeeds, would his victory give inspiration to the moderates in the Republican Party to try and retake their party from the fringe wingnuts and the Religious Reich?

If so, that might be the key to returning this country to a semblance of sanity...

-- Walking In Darkness --

by Cali Scribe on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 01:32:10 AM EST

One can only hope (none / 1)

I've said this a number of times before: I have no trouble with real Republicans. The kind who believe in small government and fiscal responsibility. If that was the kind of Republicans we faced rather than the dominionist kleptocrats who call themselves Republicans these days, we'd be a lot better off. We'd be able to balance Democrats' desire for things like health care and education with Republicans' desire to keep the process manageable and make sure it all gets paid for, and maybe we'd come up with some solutions we can all live with.

Kicking the thugs and dominionists and kleptocrats and closet fascists who are currently in charge of the Republican Party out would be a nice big step toward such a goal.

The avalanche has started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote. -- Ambassador Kosh

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 02:43:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Absolutely. (none / 0)

Even Richard Nixon looks statesmanlike next to today's Republicans.

by Ed J on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 11:08:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: One can only hope (none / 0)

Omir, that was never the Republican Party. You've fallen into nostalgic fantasy. The Republicans were never fiscally conservative: they used the line to justify kleptocracy.

Bush is "the first President to admit to an impeachable offense." --Former Nixon counsel John Dean

by DaveW on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 12:20:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: One can only hope (none / 0)

That wouldn't stop me from prefering that kind over what we have now. Hey, if they can be nostalgic for an America that only existed in Leave It To Beaver reruns and Norman Rockwell prints, I can be nostalgic for a brand of Republican that might never have existed.

I think you're wrong about this, although I certainly have no recent evidence to back up my assertion.

The avalanche has started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote. -- Ambassador Kosh

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 02:51:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

How will the out of state (none / 0)

money and and volunteers go down in Ct?

by observer393 on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 01:34:15 AM EST

Re: How will the out of state (none / 0)

Xlent question. I was in Iowa for Dean in '04 and it was something that Dean later said was a problem for him there.

howieinseattle

by howieinseattle on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 07:20:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: How will the out of state (none / 0)

Yeah. I went to Iowa to work the caucus weekend and there were way too many volunteers, imo. Including me. We were going up to many doors already hung with Dean signs. The people we talked to were polite, but sick of us. I had the feeling the campaign didn't know what to do with us--they didn't want to discourage our participation, but they had already reached a point of diminishing returns from volunteers, and esp. from those of us from out of state.

My Website

by kansas on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 08:44:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: We Need Ned, More than Ever (none / 0)

"Leaders of the national Democratic Party, like Mr. Dean, the chairman... had hoped to make Iraq squarely the president's problem."

Yes, lets listen to the New York Times, who evidently can READ HOWARD DEANS MIND, when they want to know who he supports in the general election. Howard Dean who came out four-square AGAINST THE FUCKING WAR FROM THE VERY FUCKING BEGINNING.

So please quote the NYT as an AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE for what we should know about anything. Especially when they provide clear and definitive quotes about what these people believe.

by Stoic on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 09:21:48 AM EST

Re: We Need Ned, More than Ever (none / 0)

I loathe the nytimes myself. I quoted them because the story makes a good point. Pto-war dems are a problem for a party that wants to provide an alternative to the existing junta.

howieinseattle

by howieinseattle on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 09:25:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: We Need Ned, More than Ever (none / 0)

So a large chunk of the party's resources are in the hands of people whose position is repudiated by a large majority of the party.

Which brings us back the point of netroots, doesn't it? ;)

"Blow up the TV. Throw away the Papers." - John Prine

by Dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 10:57:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: We Need Ned, More than Ever (none / 0)

The NYT is being its usual ridiculous self when it dons it pundit hat. Why should supporting a Dem nominee over an independent put the party in a "bind"? Makes no sense at all. The party belongs to the people who vote for it, not the idiot "strategists" who have led us to defeat for a quarter of a century now.

If the "leaders" fail to support the nominee full-out, we'll get a short-term-painful leadership purge that will revitalize the party long-term.

Bush is "the first President to admit to an impeachable offense." --Former Nixon counsel John Dean

by DaveW on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 12:24:40 PM EST

Re: We Need Ned, More than Ever (none / 0)

Yesterday I heard Leiberman say that he wanted to run in the general election so that all of the people of Connecticut get the chance to vote for him. What I want to know is - what stops the people of Connecticut from voting in the primaries? Do they have some rule there that prohibits people from voting in the primaries? Or does he mean to say that he wants Republicans to have the chance to vote for him?

Doesn't information itself have a liberal bias? Steven Colbert

by NLinStPaul on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 12:48:34 PM EST

Blackmail (none / 0)

What Lieberman is doing is straightforward electoral blackmail. It is well known that when there is a three-way race and two of the candidates are from the same party, they split the vote and the opponent wins.

So, Lieberman is actually saying "make sure I win the primary or I will throw the seat to the Republicans".

That's what happened in NY when Jacob Javits refused to retire. Even though he was a Republican he ran on the Liberal ticket and thus split the Dems (the Liberal party being a shadow Democratic party). The result was Alfonse D'Amato - an honor to his state and the senate during his tenure and ever since (wink).

Policies not Politics
--- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 01:39:16 PM EST

Re: Blackmail (none / 0)

That's why I say we need to go all out to "bury" Joe. He's put himself into a position where is very dangerous, like a wounded animal. I'm just not sure what the strategy and tactics should be.

howieinseattle

by howieinseattle on Tue Jul 4th, 2006 at 06:03:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Back to Hillary, please. The REAL news, here. (none / 0)

Political parsing.

Dem division.

The Great Centrist moves away from Lieberman. On subtle little cat feet. Because he is now a loser. And she is NEVER a loser.

It has been said that God lives in the details?

Well, winning lives in the details, too.

She's good at her game.

Always a half step ahead. And half steps win races.

ABC/AP

Clinton Draws Line on Backing Lieberman

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Says Sen. Joseph Lieberman on Own if He Loses Party Primary

By MARC HUMBERT
The Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a longtime supporter of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, said Tuesday she will not back the Connecticut Democrat's bid for re-election if he loses their party's primary.

"I've known Joe Lieberman for more than thirty years. I have been pleased to support him in his campaign for re-election, and hope that he is our party's nominee," the former first lady said in a statement issued by aides.

"But I want to be clear that I will support the nominee chosen by Connecticut Democrats in their primary," the New York Democrat added. "I believe in the Democratic Party, and I believe we must honor the decisions made by Democratic primary voters."

There was no immediate comment from Lieberman.

Facing a stronger-than-expected Democratic primary challenge from millionaire businessman Ned Lamont and sagging poll numbers because of his support of the Iraq war, Lieberman said Monday he'll collect signatures to assure an independent ballot spot for the November election if he loses the Aug. 8 primary.

The move has complicated life for Lieberman's fellow Senate Democrats, including Clinton, who has been under attack from some Democrats for her own vote to authorize the Iraq war and her continuing refusal to back a specific timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops despite her criticism of President Bush's handling of the conflict.

"The challenges before us in 2006 call for a strong, united party, in which we all support and work for the candidates who are selected in the Democratic process," Clinton said in her statement of Tuesday.

Democrats hoping to win back the Senate have been looking to win seats in states such as Pennsylvania, Montana, Missouri, Virginia and Tennessee, and Lieberman's decision to begin collecting the 7,500 signatures needed to assure a separate spot on the November ballot could complicate things.

Both Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said they are backing Lieberman in the primary.

"We aren't going to speculate about what happens next because that would undermine our candidate," said DSCC spokesman Phil Singer.

"There was no immediate comment from Lieberman."

Does the corpse comment when yet another nail is driven into its coffin?

There was no immediate comment from Reid and Schumer, either. Because Hillary stole a march on them.

She is doing the Pontius Pilate on Reid. Distancing herself while not taking responsibility for his demise.

She's good. You have to give her credit for that. She is VERY good.

PERFECTLY done.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Says Sen. Joseph Lieberman on Own if He Loses Party Primary

"YO YO, Joe."

"Y'on y'own."

I sometimes think that I am witnessing the equal of FDR politically, here. She is JUST as adept as he was at getting elected without tipping the social and tactical agenda behind the political hand.

We shall see.

You know...LIKE FDR she too stands a chance of having been for all intents and purposes President of the United States for four terms as well.

1992-2000, 2008-2016.

We shall see...

Purely as a fan of the game...the political game...she deserves her props, as far as I am concerned.

That "reality" show? Survivor? It's got NOTHING on her.

Later...

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

by Arthur Gilroy (arthurgilroy<at>earthlink.net) on Wed Jul 5th, 2006 at 05:46:30 AM EST

We Need Ned, More than Ever | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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