Posted on 08/10/2006 6:46:13 AM PDT by BlackRazor
Anti-war liberals blast Cantwell
But her supporters say senator is no Lieberman
By NEIL MODIE
P-I REPORTER
While anti-war liberals were high-fiving Sen. Joseph Lieberman's defeat in Connecticut's Democratic primary, mainstream Democrats here were busy explaining Wednesday why Washington's Sen. Maria Cantwell is no Joe Lieberman.
Yes, she is, insisted Cantwell's two anti-war election opponents, at least when it comes to support of the Bush administration's Iraq war policy.
The reality, however, is that Lieberman's loss to Ned Lamont, a wealthy, anti-war businessman who won the primary Tuesday by spending $4 million of his own money, bears little resemblance to the election challenge Cantwell faces from two little-known, scantily financed war critics. One is a fellow Democrat and the other a Green Party candidate.
"I think that the left is going to feel very emboldened by Lieberman's defeat, and they may try and make Cantwell's life a whole lot more difficult than it is," said Jennifer Duffy, editor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report in Washington, D.C. "But the same set of circumstances don't exist in Washington that existed in Connecticut."
"And Maria Cantwell never kissed George Bush on the floor of Congress. The Democrats of Washington state know that," said state Democratic Chairman Dwight Pelz, alluding to an incident in which the president appeared to kiss Lieberman on the cheek after Bush's 2005 State of the Union address.
"Lieberman has been George Bush's lap dog, and Cantwell has called Bush out increasingly on the conduct of the war," Pelz said.
However, Duffy noted the primary defeat not only of Lieberman on Tuesday, but also of two members of Congress -- a Republican in Michigan and a Democrat in Georgia -- and said it could suggest a problem for Cantwell: "Voters appear to be in a very surly mood and willing to take their unhappiness out on incumbents."
Neither Hong Tran, a Seattle lawyer opposing Cantwell for the Democratic nomination, nor Aaron Dixon, the Green Party candidate, has drawn the money and support that liberal "netroots" and progressive bloggers generated for Lamont.
Local left-leaning blogs had a mixed reaction Wednesday to the question of whether Lieberman's defeat has any bearing on Cantwell's race. The Washington state primary is Sept. 19.
"Cantwell, Lieberman and (New York Democratic Sen. Hillary) Clinton will RIGHTLY be mentioned in the same breath for weeks. Now Senator Maria Cantwell must decide for whom the bell tolls," warned a blogger on the liberal washblog.com.
But David Goldstein, a Cantwell defender, argued on his horsesass.org blog that Cantwell and Lamont "essentially share almost identical positions on the war." Both, he said, have called for the administration to start redeploying troops out of Iraq this year, opposed a establishing permanent U.S. military bases there and demanded that the U.S. "change course" to help Iraqis find a political solution and take over their country's security.
Michael Meehan, Cantwell's chief campaign strategist, said the senator also has helped block administration efforts to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and raise Northwest wholesale electrical power rates.
But Dixon, the Green who some Democrats fear could siphon enough liberal votes away from Cantwell in November to endanger her in a close race, insisted, "Lieberman's position and support for George Bush's war is very similar to Cantwell's support for Bush and the war."
And Tran, a late-starting political newcomer, said, "Pro-war Democrats like Lieberman and Cantwell simply can't run from their record of supporting this war." She said she hopes Democrats "will send the same message here in Washington state" that they did in Connecticut.
Though Lieberman has been criticized by the left for embracing Bush's war policy, Cantwell's main sin in the eyes of anti-war critics has been merely refusing to demand an immediate pullout or setting a timetable for a pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Cantwell, like Clinton, has lately become more vocal in voicing her concern about the course of the war. Clinton, a potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, has faced similar criticism from the left about her war stance.
Lieberman now is running for re-election as an independent against both Lamont and a low-polling, scandal-tinged Republican, Alan Schlesinger. Like most other top Democrats nationally, many of whom had endorsed Lieberman before the primary, Cantwell said in a terse statement Wednesday said she would support Lamont, the Democratic nominee.
And like many Republicans from Vice President Dick Cheney on down, Mike McGavick, Cantwell's Republican opponent, had kind words for Lieberman. Seizing the opportunity to stress his campaign theme of abhorring partisan politics, McGavick said Lieberman's "message of independence and bipartisanship is right for our country."
McGavick even said he and his wife "plan on contributing to (Lieberman's) campaign." Some Connecticut GOP leaders have urged Schlesinger to drop out of the race.
Meehan, the Cantwell strategist, pointed out one significant way her campaign has differed from Lieberman's: "In the last several months, she has worked ... to have a unified (political) base and to court the base, which clearly was not happening in Connecticut" with Lieberman.
Cantwell not only met with her anti-war critics, but also gave her most vocal anti-war primary opponent, Mark Wilson, an $8,000-a-month job on her campaign staff.
Cantwell not pure enough for them?
America is not a stronger place by having so many traitors living among us. Time to show them the door.
When every DUmocrat has to fight for their seats, now THAT'S entertainment! Be sure to bring plenty of popcorn!
The so called "anti-war" crowd is viruntly anti-semitic.
Maybe they think she is jewish.
The so called "anti-war" crowd is viruntly anti-semitic.
Maybe they think she is jewish.
And that is the price she pays for basing her support solely in the uber-liberal Puget Sound area. Just what did she expect out of them??
Mike McGavick '06
I'm loving this.
Cantwell has to go. But, to anti-war socialist moonbats? I don't think so.
Still, let them bray. We'll see just what she is made of and hopefully, come November, she will be gone!
If she is so bad why don't they trot out another millionaire lefty to challenge her in a primary??
Would you believe there is also a Green Party candidate in the CT Senate race now? I guess even Lamont isn't far enough to the left for them.
If you believe the rumors in DC, Cantwell doesn't kiss any men...on the floor of Congress or anywhere else.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.