Posted on 11/01/2006 4:34:25 AM PST by CT-Freeper
WATERBURY -- If Democrat Ned Lamont fails in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, some of his supporters are prepared to blame Waterbury.
John R. MacArthur, publisher of Harper's magazine, is one of them. MacArthur visited Waterbury two weeks ago and published a column in the Providence Journal on Tuesday.
In the column, MacArthur suggested that Waterbury will be decisive in the outcome of the Senate race and took some subtle jabs at the city's political history -- more subtle, anyway, than the shots taken by Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan, who in August described the city as the nexus of slime and evil.
Mayor Michael J. Jarjura sat with MacArthur and directed his special counsel Theresa Caldarone to give the columnist a tour of the city, culminating in a local Democratic Party dinner.
It didn't soften MacArthur's heart.
"Waterbury's shame is its recent string of corrupt politicians, from Mayor Joseph Santopietro in 1991 to another native son, former Gov. John Rowland, so an event to honor five unconvicted former office holders was, in its way, remarkable," MacArthur wrote.
Sheila O'Malley, Jarjura's chief of staff, said she's a little upset with herself for allowing Jarjura to be so accommodating of the Harper's publisher.
In his column, MacArthur was critical of Jarjura as "vague" and suggested Waterbury didn't care about the Iraq war -- Lamont's key issue -- and was more interested in the money Lieberman could give the city.
"I don't know what I was thinking; it's Harper's," O'Malley said.
The Nation magazine also joined the fray, with writer Bruce Shapiro taking a swipe at the city's "corrupt political machine" in another column on the campaign.
As for the assertion that Waterbury will be decisive in holding the Senate seat for Lieberman, O'Malley said she welcomes the association.
"Bring it on," O'Malley said.
"This is your extreme left faction (criticizing Waterbury). It's not going to help (Lamont). He needs help with the middle," she said.
Connecticut ping!
I'll post a link, but you need to be registered to read it.
But having driven around Greenwich just last weekend I saw 10 Lieberman yard signs for every Lament sign I saw.
Hey...it could be worse...if you live in Rhode Island, I think you barely have to leave your street and you've talked to 90% of the population!
Which begs the question...."if this election is a barometer on the war, how would an anti-war candidate like Lamont get trounced?"
Waiting to get across bridges to talk to the other 10% could take all day. You should still make it home in time for dinner in RH as well.
Oh, no, criticism from a leftist publisher! Whatever will they do?!?
Connecticut ping!
Thanks for the ping, Man50D.
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
Goes to show that Waterbury is CT's political hornet's nest.
While Lamont is taking in more votes from Democrats Lieberman gets 51 % of the votes from independents voters and a whopping 73% from Republicans.
(This is from the Quinnipiac University Poll released Nov 1)
As an Ohio Freeper whose mother was raised in Connecticut, let me just say that Waterbury is one of my favorite American cities because they told Jane Fonda to go to hell.
They sure did! Waterbury is the best city in Connecticut--- by far!!!!
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