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Why the Republicans Are Loving the Lieberman Loss
TIME ^ | Wednesday, August 9, 2006 | Mike Allen

Posted on 08/09/2006 2:25:23 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

From Washington State to Missouri to Pennsylvania, Democratic candidates found themselves on the defensive Wednesday as the Republican Party worked ferociously at every level to try to use the primary defeat of Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut to portray the oppposition as the party of weakness and isolation on national security and liberal leanings on domestic policy. Doleful Democrats bemoaned the irony: At a time when Republicans should be back on their heels because of chaos abroad and President Bush's unpopularity, the Democrats' rejection of a sensible, moralistic centrist has handed the GOP a weapon that could have vast ramifications for both the midterm elections of '06 and the big dance of '08.

One of the nip-and-tuck Senate races this year is in Missouri, and backers of Sen. Jim Talent are preparing an attack on his opponent, State Auditor Claire McCaskill, that is emblematic of the sort that will be seen all over the country within 24 hours. "Does Claire McCaskill support the wishes of the angry left by endorsing Ned Lamont's candidacy or will she support the man who was chosen by Al Gore as the Democrat's 2000 nominee for Vice President?" Republicans ask in a statment that will force McCaskill to talk about messy party business instead of her favored issues of government accountablity and affordable health care.

House candidates planned a similar tack, and the National Republican Congressional Committee issued a memo this morning playing up the potential distraction of Lieberman's independent candidacy in a state where three GOP incumbents — Reps. Rob Simmons, Chris Shays and Nancy Johnson — are perennially endangered. The memo said Connecticut Democrats "will now continue to train their attention on vanquishing Senator Lieberman when their three House candidates need all the help the can get."

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: 2006; demssplintering; election2006; electioncongress; gop; joementum; lamont; lieberman
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1 posted on 08/09/2006 2:25:23 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Gawd, this is going to be a fun three months, watching the Democrats burn up from the fires they started.


2 posted on 08/09/2006 2:27:29 PM PDT by dirtboy (Why does Israel take border security seriously but we do not, when Islamists wish us both harm?)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Let the DUmmies kill each other.


3 posted on 08/09/2006 2:29:18 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Yep. It's great to see their goldenboys taken down. Feels as good as when Thune trounced Daschle.


4 posted on 08/09/2006 2:29:52 PM PDT by Tim Long (I spit in the face of people who don't want to be cool.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I still don't get it, who cares what this lib thinks... Hillary & Kerry give the same lip service

A lib is a lib even if you find one that has just a little earned Honor.

TT


5 posted on 08/09/2006 2:32:34 PM PDT by TexasTransplant (NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSET)
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To: MinorityRepublican

"Those mean-spirited Republicans!"

The media will not be able to ignore Lieb and Ned. They'll have to broadcast the crack up of the Dem Party to everyone who watches their shows for the next three months.

Boy, does that make them mad. It will be interesting to see how they finesse it.


6 posted on 08/09/2006 2:33:27 PM PDT by mrsmith
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To: MinorityRepublican
We had our Ross Perot.

Now they get theirs.

7 posted on 08/09/2006 2:35:07 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: MinorityRepublican
I hope nobody finds out Karl Rove created Ned Lamont in his dungeon laboratory.
8 posted on 08/09/2006 2:35:59 PM PDT by msnimje ("Beware the F/A - 22 Raptor with open doors" -- Unknown US NAVY Raptor Pilot)
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To: dirtboy

This is a great article to illustrate the problems this gives the Demodogs. They have spent so much time in the past making sure to obfuscate how strongly they agree with the appeasement branch segment of their public in order to gain the support of the moderates in the public. The Lieberman debacle threatens to make it totally impossible for them to continue that strategy.


9 posted on 08/09/2006 2:36:12 PM PDT by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
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To: TexasTransplant

I don't care. But I gotta tell you, if the Dems toast each other, I will be happy to pay for the bonfire.

I think any good conservative should send Lieberman money just so that the two libs will keep right on fighting.

What more could we want? We are not going to get a conservative victory in CT . . . so let's help them damage themselves as much as possible.


10 posted on 08/09/2006 2:36:13 PM PDT by mcvey (Fight on. Do not give up. Ally with those you must. Defeat those you can. And fight on whatever.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Looks like Rove pulls off another one!


11 posted on 08/09/2006 2:36:31 PM PDT by tje (Cold hearted orb, that rules the night....)
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To: gaijin
Ought to be a HOOTENANNY!!
12 posted on 08/09/2006 2:36:33 PM PDT by msnimje ("Beware the F/A - 22 Raptor with open doors" -- Unknown US NAVY Raptor Pilot)
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To: MinorityRepublican
"the end of the long tradition of strong-on-national-defense Democratic leaders in the mold of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy. The GOP plans to try to broaden the argument beyond Connecticut, a liberal stronghold, and work to convince viewers and voters that Democratic nominees across the country have more in common with Michael Moore and liberal bloggers than Main Street America."

Bring it on home boys, balls to the wall, full speed ahead, and damn the Morepedoes! THIS IS JUST SO DELICIOUS!

CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE

BLOGS OF WAR!!!

13 posted on 08/09/2006 2:36:56 PM PDT by Enterprise (Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
a sensible, moralistic centrist

Unlike almost everyone else in his (former?) party, Lieberman has his head screwed on straight regarding the WOT, but to call him a "centrist" is patently absurd.

It's just another example of how the writers and readers of Time magazine are certifiable dolts.

14 posted on 08/09/2006 2:38:43 PM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: msnimje
Kind of stomach turning to have to support LIEberman. He voted NO on tax cuts, No on partial birth abortion ban, No on drilling ANWR.

He's supported the President on the Iraq war and that is the defining issue of the day, but it hurts the conscience to have to support the likes of LIEberman.

15 posted on 08/09/2006 2:41:02 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
I wonder if any Dems are hoping for a GOP win in CT. That's about the only way I can see for them to salvage the situation. If Lamont wins, the GOP can point to the Dems as a party of barking moonbats. If Lieberman wins, the party leadership gets portrayed as sucking up to the barking moonbats. In either case, the Dems get cast as the party of or the servants of insane, left-wing, extremists. A GOP win would at least give them the chance to deflect attention away from their moonbat problem and onto talk of voting machine conspiracies and the like.
16 posted on 08/09/2006 2:43:20 PM PDT by Redcloak (Speak softly and wear a loud shirt.)
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To: mcvey

It's much better than that. We save three GOP House seats in CT with Lieberman on the ballot as an independent.


17 posted on 08/09/2006 2:44:23 PM PDT by mwl1
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To: gaijin

This is not even close to the Ross Perot situation.

He disagreed with Republicans on many issues... the results of his campaign on either party disappeared even before the vote was counted.

This will define the mainstream Demodogs as either isolationist peaceniks or with real concerns and a realistic approach regarding the national security of the United States and the world. Ramifications of the forthcoming definition of that party will not disappear when the votes are counted in November 2006.


18 posted on 08/09/2006 2:45:01 PM PDT by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
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To: MinorityRepublican


yeah, the Dems are in REAL trouble...


19 posted on 08/09/2006 2:45:39 PM PDT by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Hillary for President! www.dndorks.com)
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To: Redcloak

If Lieberman wins the general with increasing votes from independents and some Republicans, his voting record will improve on more issues.

Old rule: politicians dance with those who brung them.


20 posted on 08/09/2006 2:45:39 PM PDT by mwl1
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