It sounds like Joe Lieberman's independent campaign for re-election to his Senate seat is heading into rocky political waters: top Democrats are beginning to become concerned about his message, according to The Hill:
A group of Senate Democrats is growing increasingly angry about Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (D-Conn.) campaign tactics since he lost the Democratic primary last week.
If he continues to alienate his colleagues, Lieberman could be stripped of his seniority within the Democratic caucus should he defeat Democrat Ned Lamont in the general election this November, according to some senior Democratic aides.
In recent days, Lieberman has rankled Democrats in the upper chamber by suggesting that those who support bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq by a certain date would bolster terrorists’ planning attacks against the U.S. and its allies. He also sparked resentment by saying last week on NBC’s Today show that the Democratic Party was out of the political mainstream.
Democrats are worried that Lieberman may be giving Republicans a golden opportunity to undermine their message.
“I think there’s a lot of concern,” said a senior Democratic aide who has discussed the subject with colleagues. “I think the first step is if the Lieberman thing turns into a side show and hurts our message and ability to take back the Senate, and the White House and the [National Republican Senatorial Committee] manipulate him, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people in our caucus.”
Michael Lewan, Lieberman’s former chief of staff, has worked to quell Democratic discontent with Lieberman and to steer them away from campaigning against his former boss, said Democratic aides familiar with Lewan’s activities.
And aside from the message, there's another bigger reason why Democrats are beginning to raise their eyebrows over Lieberman's theme about the Democratic party, the war, terrorism and the Bush administration these days:
The issue of Lieberman’s seniority would arise most dramatically if Lieberman wins re-election and Democrats recapture control of the chamber. That would slot Lieberman to take over as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the panel primarily responsible for investigating the executive branch.
The whole point of the Democrat's argument to its voters and independent voters (and some disgruntled Republican voters) will be that with one party effectively controlling all branches of government there is no oversight. The GOP has used the specter of Democrats taking control and running wild doing investigations and perhaps opting for impeachment (something top Congressional leaders downplay or pooh-pooh) to raise funds.
Democrats think their chances of taking back the Senate are growing more and more likely. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last week said he was more confident that Democrats would pick up at least five Senate seats.
Allowing Lieberman to retain his seniority could put the senator now running as an independent in charge of the Senate’s chief investigative committee. If Democrats took control of either chamber they would likely launch investigations of the White House’s handling of the war in Iraq and homeland security.
The Hill quotes a "Democratic senior aide" as saying it wouldn't sense to keep Lieberman in a position where he might take over the Governmental Affairs Committee.
One of Lieberman's biggest obstacles is the fact that the country's top GOP party officials and the White House press spokesman have made it clear the people with the national power levers in the GOP aren't going to the GOP candidate in Connecticut -- and are all but openly rooting for Lieberman's election. You can't turn on Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity without them praising him.
This means his candidacy, in the way it is being presented now, has shifted in perception in the media from being a centrist running against an anti-war Democrat to being a Democrat who is sharply criticizing his own party and being openly supported by Republican political and media bigwigs who generally demonize Democrats.
If the administration or GOP as a party had cultivated, nurtured (and even used to its own political advantage, as Bush adeptly did when he was Governor of Texas) TRUE bipartisanship, Lieberman would not have become such an unlikely symbol. But some of those Democrats who held out an olive branch had it broken over the heads. And Lieberman’s recent statements solidified his standing among many Democrats as someone who urges bipartisanship with those who are mega-partisan.
The net result is that it likely means even fewer Democrats will vote for Lieberman than before. And that is even more likely to happen if some top Democrats campaign against Lieberman or answer attacks he may make on the Democratic party itself.
Another big problem for Lieberman: if voters want to cast a protest vote against the Bush administration, who will they vote for?
You'll have one Republican (not supported by the Republican national elite), one independent Democrat (supported by the Republican national elite) and one Democrat who has sharply criticized the administration on the war and other issues.
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"But some of those Democrats who held out an olive branch had it broken over the heads."
Who? I have plenty of bones to pick with the Bush administration, but can't think of who you mean. But maybe there are some-examples please?
The intial pre-emptive war, and now the occupation of Iraq, is the number one issue isolating the United States from the world community.
The only way to truly combat terrorism is through intelligence which requires full world wide cooperation and support.
It was a great sign that Lieberman was defeated by someone willing to run on that issue.
This was a candidate with no name recognition a year ago who was running against a 16 year incumbent with total name recognition and the power of the Democratic Party - both nationally and locally - behind him.
The people of Connecticut are to be commended for recognizing the importance of this election.
The people of CT are to be commended for having Senator Lieberman ahead in the polls amont likely voters this fall.
If their sense holds that will be true on election day.
Donate at www.joe2006.com
vry,
RET
It looks directly into our eyes! No rational human could support either facist party! And any who try and cling to the democrats and claim independence must be kidding... both parties must be brought to their knees with a congress containing an equal amount of independents to force both heads to the middle... so just get with the program and give up on both parties and become an independent? Why continue to legitimize facist political parties? At least until we get them back to earth.... Earn Snyder
Author "$aving the bureaucracy - Killing the beast"
Modern Progressive Independent
www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
Support Joes efforts and boost the GOP! Donate all that you can
www.connecticutforlieberman.com
I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude with Unity08.
Assisting in the re-election of Joe Lieberman would be a good start.
I'm a registered Republican, but support pols like Lieberman. Perhaps I date myself, but he reminds me of Scoop Jackson, a Democrat I would have voted for.
The real website to help Senator Lieberman is www.joe2006.com
vry,
RET
Re: Lieberman *
Kevin on August 17, 2024 - 3:01pm
Is this what the Unity08 movement has surrender to? A popularly-priced, marked down, Walmart style candidate named Lieberman. Who would have thunk? No one in the senate is more influenced by contributions than Good ole Joe. It's not me speaking, its the data screaming . Look it up! Whether its out-of-state funding, Wall Street interests, PACS, defense, soft-money.. its all there .. in spades.
And just why is this solid hard-core ardent democrat is now labled as a moderate? Only perhaps in Conn or Mass, and by those led by the media. By the time that the "X" goes in the check box, all the "Lieberman is a moderate" hype will be discredited. His voting record will destroy credibility. He votes 95% democrat. A republican questioning the war or a democrat that avocates the war does not make a moderate.
Anyways, I think Teller is better looking.
If you enjoy political humor even if from the 'other side' recommend you go to the site nomad posted.
However for those among us that for any of a variety of reasons want to support Senator Lieberman for Senate the correct address is
www.joe2006.com
No surprise that Unity08 is dying on the vine here. Moderators and Founders, the threads here are full of posts by people who obviously have 10 or more bumperstickers on their cars!
You need to block these old farts for awhile so that some fresh ideas can come to the site.
Ain't nobody ever been so right! Where are all the college kids you were bringing on board? We old farts want to go out on the back deck, toke on a good cuban and si[ some Turkey...
When I was in the military we called our replacements "turtles" - took them forever to arrive and when they did you couldn't get 'em out of their shells...
Mark Greene
Texas Democrat in the Middle
Please lose the smarmy caricature.
The ground is beginning to rumble!!!! They are hanging incombunts in the square.... Joe just was the first!!! The liberal facists are taking over the left wing!!! Get out the big guns now!!! - Earn Snyder
Author "$aving the bureaucracy - Killing the beast"
Modern Progressive Independent
www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
Mark,
A few things.
1. College Voices: Unity has set up a seperate website (with no blog) for colleg students and are using other avenues such as facebook for managing them. Though they are actually growing no faster nor getting any more done than here.
2. Typical of a certain strain Martin wants to used procedure to silence those he disagrees with by having the moderator block posts (and on the qualifications board block anyone who has held certain policy positions).
Heck the traffic is so slow here that without the usual suspects posting here it would be an abandoned site, plenty of room for new voices, hours can go by without a single post compare this to any of the successful political blogs.
3. Support Joe with one hour of your pay! www.joe2006.com
vry,
RET
See http://www.collegeunity08.com/home/
Upper right image says:
"We asked you to make your voice heard and you answered! This fall we will focus on the four issues you said were most important.
- Education
- America's dependece on foreign oil
- The National Debt
- Global Warming"
That's from the college site. The main site has a "What we Beleive" page with "Global terrorism" at the top of the list and several other issues that aren't on the college site:
"In our opinion, Crucial Issues include: Global terrorism, our national debt, our dependence on foreign oil, the emergence of India and China as strategic competitors and/or allies, nuclear proliferation, global climate change, the corruption of Washington’s lobbying system, the education of our young, the health care of all, and the disappearance of the American Dream for so many of our people."
I'd just like to know what's going on.
Thanks for your interest in the college site.
Starting three weeks ago, we polled college students on which issues they thought were the most important issues concerning our generation. After a week of voting, America’s Dependence on Foreign Oil, Education, the National Debt, and Global Climate Change led the poll.
The Fall Issues Campaign is a way to grow membership on campuses and discuss a few of the many crucial issues. Every few weeks, we’ll feature another issue to discuss on the site with a national action in the third week of discussion. These four issues will not necessarily be the agenda or priorities of Unity08, but rather is part of a campaign to grow membership and discuss important issues on college campuses.
For more information, feel free to contact us at college@unity08.com.
For more information on the issues campaign, read here: http://collegeunity08.com/content/page/id/29