Posted on 07/05/2006 8:47:07 PM PDT by bitt
US Senator Joe Lieberman, who's in the midst of a tough Democratic primary fight, is hated by many members of his own party. In fact, his "friend" and partner in the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore, recently declined a request from the Lieberman campaign to endorse the moderate senator from Connecticut. Gore gave reporters some malarkey about his personal policy of not endorsing candidates, but it wasn't that long ago that he threw his weight behind Howard Dean with a surprising endorsement prior to the media circus "Dean Machine" collapsing. When Lieberman ran and lost as Gore's candidate for Vice President, not once did Lieberman accuse anyone of stealing the election.
Behind the scenes the liberal-left Democrats want to punish the Senator for a couple of reasons. First, Joe Lieberman wholeheartedly supports the President and the Pentagon in the war on terrorism and the Iraq conflict. Following his fact-finding trip to Iraq, Lieberman gave a speech on the floor of the Senate one wishes came from a Republican.
He articulately explained why the US is doing a good job in a bad situation and why the US cannot back down from its enemies. During the Laura Ingraham Show, Ingraham played a few segments of Lieberman's speech and one could easily figure out that his comments were directed at his fellow Democrats and the few Republicans -- Senator Chuck Hagel, Senator Lincoln Chaffee, etc. -- trying to sound like Democrats.
The second reason for the Democrat Party's souring on Lieberman is that he IS a true moderate. Just by being himself, he exposes the likes of Kerry, Durbin, Murtha, Kennedy, Obama, Clinton, Biden, and the rest of them as liberal-left opportunists who attempt to cover their radicalism with a blanket of political moderation.
How can a Joe Biden or John Edwards run for the Democrat presidential nomination as moderates when Lieberman is around? How can a cut-and-run guy like Kerry portray himself as a reasonable liberal with Lieberman still around? These political bomb-throwers sound as if their entire political platform is their hatred for Bush and "his war," while Joe Lieberman speaks to the American people about issues and his positions.
While Lieberman is a Democrat in the tradition of FDR, Truman and JFK, the rest of his party has sunk to the lowest depths of Stalinism, flirting with treason and betrayal as part of their strategy to gain power while accusing others of what they themselves do.
Except for conservative talk radio shows and Fox News Channel, Lieberman is rarely courted by the mainstream news media for interviews or opinions anymore. For instance, when the Democrats attempted to pass "cut-and-run" and "cut-and-jog" Iraq withdrawal resolutions, Lieberman's press releases and comments were entirely ignored by the MSM, who, after all, serve as the public-relations arm of the Democrat National Committee. And the left-wing blogosphere despise him to no end.
So now, Sen. Lieberman is being challenged by a lightweight -- a businessman, Ned Lamont, the owner of a cable television company with absolutely no real experience holding public office. Lamont has put almost $2 million of his own money into his campaign, and viciously calls Lieberman a Republican lapdog. He also accuses him of straying from his Democratic roots. In fact, when he talks about his opponent, it sounds as if he's running against a Republican.
"While I believe that I will win the Aug. 8 primary, I know there are no guarantees in elections," Lieberman told reporters on Monday. "No one really knows how many Democrats will come out to vote on what may be a hot day in August."
Lieberman said if he loses the primary, he would run in November as a petitioning Democrat, but most recognize that as a euphemism for running as an Independent. He said he plans to remain part of the Democrat caucus in the Senate if reelected, but he is sure to get a cold reception if he wins as an Independent.
Once a Democrat Party stalwart and the party's 2000 vice presidential nominee, Lieberman has fallen into disfavor with some Connecticut Democrats for his support of the Iraq war and his perceived closeness to President Bush. When he ran for the 2004 presidential nomination, standing next to the flip-flopper John Kerry, the metrosexual, smooth-talking John Edwards, the poverty pimp Rev. Al Sharpton and, of course, Dr. "Demento" Howard Dean during debates, Lieberman sounded reasonable, knowledgeable and honest on his positions. He also received little support from the party faithful who have moved even further to the left since the 2000 election.
The Dems want Lieberman muzzled and they are working quietly to torpedo his campaign.
The Democrat Party strategy has been somewhat effective. A Quinnipiac University poll has Lamont gaining ground among Democrat voters, although Lieberman maintains high ratings among Republicans and unaffiliated voters. Unaffiliated voters are the state's largest voting bloc, followed by Democrats and Republicans, according to Quinnipiac pollsters.
The poll reveals that if Lieberman runs as an Independent, he would win with 56 percent of the vote, compared with 18 percent for Lamont and 8 percent for Republican Alan Schlesinger, a moderate. And that surely angers -- even scares -- the Democrats.
Joe Lieberman is about to find out how it feels to be a Republican...without ever having to change parties! Poor guy.
Joe might make a Republican yet...
I conjectured the other day that the whole thing was a ruse.
I mean, if Lieberman wins as an independent, he still intends to caucus with the Democrats. True, he has to make a choice, but if I had my back bitten like that, I think I would vote for the leadership that offered me the better deal.
I realize that's not proof that Lieberman's run is a ruse.
"If he were not pro-abortion he might make a good Republican."
Yeah, and if a lot of "REPUBLICANS" weren't pro-abortion they might make good Conservatives...
and if more males would treat women right, abortion wouldn't even be an issue at all...
Yep
He's also anti-2nd Amendment, receiving a failing grade from GOA (joining plenty of his fellow Senators).
Joe may be a gentleman, and I certainly respect his standing up to the loons in his party regarding the WOT.
But unfortunately he's a liberal.
Perfect!!!
The voice of reason at a Democrat caucus would get shot on sight...
Amen; I'll second that!
Agree completely. Lieberman is no moderate. I also don't understand the sympathetic reaction to Lieberman by some Reps. I wish the Dem vote would be split and enable the Rep candidate to win in CT. Unfortunately, it won't happen. Lieberman will win the Dem nomination in the primary handily. The power and influence of the the Daily Kos are greatly exaggerated.
I also lost some respect for Lieberman when he chameleonized himself to the Gore/Lieberman ticket. But he was just doing what politicians do (the origin of the latin word for 'politician' meaning 'many bloodsucking creatures.') Comparied with other Dems, I think Joe is a class act and the last of a breed, which is why the Dems want to destroy him.
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