Posted on 08/06/2006 7:36:01 PM PDT by blam
Democrats agonise over anti-war stance
By Alec Russell in Goshen, Connecticut
(Filed: 07/08/2006)
A political earthquake is threatening the foundations of the Democratic Party as a liberal anti-war movement prepares to topple one of its best-known senators.
The drama, which has the potential to tilt the party to the Left, poses an acute dilemma for its centrist leaders, in particular Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the 2008 presidential nomination. Left-wing, anti-war Democrats have traditionally been trounced when running for the White House.
The centre of events is in leafy Goshen, Connecticut, where Joe Lieberman, the party's vice-presidential candidate in 2000, faces humiliation tomorrow in a Democratic primary for November's congressional elections.
His challenger, Ned Lamont, a clean-cut businessman, has moved into a double-digit lead as he has pounded Mr Lieberman over the senator's staunch support for the war in Iraq.
Would-be presidential candidates all over the country are frantically recalibrating their positions. Mrs Clinton, who has also faced fierce attacks from the Left over her backing of the war in Iraq, last week launched her sharpest criticism yet of the Bush administration.
Her particular challenge is to overcome the Middle American perception that, as a woman, she would be weak on national security, while convincing her party's base that she has not betrayed its principles.
She savaged Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, accusing him of presiding over a "failed policy" in Iraq and calling for his resignation.
"This is the beginning of something happening all over the country," said Mikael Moore, a senior Democratic aide on Capitol Hill, as he campaigned for Mr Lamont this weekend.
"Already you are seeing Democratic senators saying things about the war that they would never have said four weeks ago. We have been running so far to the Right or the middle that we were way off base. If someone can take out Lieberman on an anti-war platform then most Democrats should be thinking that ought to be their platform."
As he shook hands at a jazz festival in Goshen, Mr Lamont played down talk that he was the face of a new Democratic movement.
"I am the face of the new Democratic senator of Connecticut," he said. But he conceded that the war in Iraq was the key to both his campaign and the country.
"It's a defining issue, there is no question about it. More and more people think it was a war of choice. It's time for us to start bringing our troops home."
Mr Lieberman's last hope is that his campaign team's organisational muscle, built up during his 18 years as a senator, will, at the last minute, overcome the passion and drive of his challenger's supporters.
In the last fortnight, a host of party bigwigs, including Bill Clinton, have campaigned for Mr Lieberman, the most outspoken of the dwindling band of Democratic hawks. He has vowed to run as an independent if he loses tomorrow. He would, however, fight a lonely battle as most of his big-name supporters have made clear that they will melt away if the party rejects him.
With two years still to go before the 2008 presidential election, Republicans have started to promote the idea that their opponents are defeatist - a potent charge that has led to repeated Democratic defeats, most recently in 2004.
Democrat hawks and centrists....where?
Why is no elected Rat standing up and doing what they must know is right. This country will pay a heavy price for a very long time if we cut and run. Don`t they remember 9/11?
No, they don't agonize over their anti-war stance at all. They agonize over the fact that it's hurting them at election time.
Joe Lieberman did. And they see what it got him.
The Democrat party is on the verge of being McGoverned.
Actually, worse...
When it comes to the structure of Demo-World, it's "Leftwingnuts" all the way down.
I have always been a registered independent. I have voted for both parties in the past. I have just changed my voter registration to republican. Ever since 9/11, the only democrat that I have been proud of is Zell Miller. Lieberman lost my respect with his continuation of the so-called "stolen election"
How long do the Democrats and worldwide secular liberals want to pretend it does not exist?
New York?
Russia?
Madrid?
Paris?
Bali?
Israel?
What is it going to take world? Huh? When are you going to wake up to the fact that the gates of Hell itself are from radical Islam?
You won't world. You won't. The UN and the EU think you rule the world, and the United States and Israel are evil. Against ALL facts you believe this. Do you know why?
You don't believe in God, and Satan has blackened your heart.
To the world that won't listen to Good but embraces Evil I say this:
Enjoy Hell - you are going to have Eternity to think it over.
Come Lord Jesus.
If someone can take out Lieberman on an anti-war platform then most Democrats should be thinking that ought to be their platform."
Go for it. Please.
If they gain control of one or both houses of Congress, they will use the 2 years to block everything, and hold investigations of everything, and bring the war and the economy to a halt. They think that will help them get the White House. They would then continue the war, but not as aggressively. Diplomacy and multilateralism and all the things that don't work. They'd then get frustrated, the leftwing base would start to squawk, and then they would give up. Find a way to bring everyone home, which would end up in Iraq going down the tube and a big mess.
Thankfully, I don't think the people are stupid enough to elect Democrats. They are frustrated with the GOP, but because they are not tough enough, not because they are fighting this war. I don't think the Dems will win this fall or in 2008, but never discount the possibility of GOP stupidity. Immigration reform, a bad nominee or something similarly insane could cause their defeat. Give us a good, solid conservative, and someone who can articulate the issues, and 2008 will be just fine.
Hillary recently expressed her idea of a national 55 mph speed limit.
Another great idea...
/s
It is almost as if Soros were working for that evil genius Rove ...
Hey, wait a minute... isn't Soros one of the rich? .... And aren't we to believe that the Republicans are the party of the rich? ... And isn't Soros and his money setting the Republicans up for victory in November???
Hmmmmmm ... enquiring {sic} minds want to know!
The correct terminology is "pseudo Hawks and pseudo Centerists."
Yup. He lost me too with all the Algore BS!
What you said. I agree.
What they are upset about is liberals being honest that they are liberals. Most dems are as radical as Daily Kos. But they pretend otherwise. Americans will not elect honest liberals, only dishonest ones that pretend to be moderates.
It has been continuously McGoverned since 1972.
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