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Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2006
Posted on Mon Jul 03, 2006 at 11:45:48 PM EST
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Great headline at the BBC: Lieberman Fights for his Political Life.

The New Haven Independent lists the issues on which Lieberman has sided with Bush instead of the Democrats:

the Iraq war, tax policy, civil liberties, the right to question the president, health care, the recently passed energy bill, and the nominations of right-wing presidential appointees like Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Supreme Court nominees John Robers and Samuel Alito.

Lieberman told Harry Reid that if he wins as an Independent, he wants to stay in the Democratic Caucus.

I'm no political strategist, but it sounds to me like Joe is hoping to run as an Independent so he can get Rebublicans to vote for him to make up for the Democrats he loses to Ned Lamont. It's probably his best strategy right now.

Especially with many top Democrats, even Hillary, according to Firedoglake's sources, saying they will support the winner of the Democratic primary.

Lieberman must feel very abandoned right now. The fact that he doesn't understand why is the reason Democrats should not vote for him on August 7. He doesn't represent Democrat's values. He's gone from being a closet Republican to a man without a party. Lonely times indeed, but he brought it on himself. When a poltiician's values no longer mesh with those of his constituents, it's time for him to go.

Crooks and Liars has the video and transcript of Lieberman's appearance on The Situation Room today.

Digby weighs in as well.

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    Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life | 24 comments (24 topical)
    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#1)
    by Aaron on Mon Jul 03, 2006 at 10:19:47 PM EST
    Roll them diced Joe! Bet the farm baby!

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#2)
    by cpinva on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 02:36:30 AM EST
    Lieberman must feel very abandoned right now.
    he shouldn't, since he's the one who abandoned his party, years ago. being a good jewish boy, sen. lieberman should recognize this, from the old testament: "as ye sow, so shall ye reap". if he doesn't, he can ask a rabbi to explain it to him. it is, after all, their book.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 06:48:30 AM EST
    et al - Just heard on the radio.. He has a 15 point lead...

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#4)
    by Bob In Pacifica on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 07:03:37 AM EST
    JimakaPPJ: He has a 15 point lead... Unclear news flash. A 15-point lead in the primary, in a general election? Lieberman has a lead?

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#5)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 07:33:16 AM EST
    PPJ:
    He has a 15 point lead..
    Down from 70 points a couple of months ago, and now the relatively unknown challenger gets face time on TV for a debate where JoeStasis will have to defend his sorry record. Thanks for pointing out how much and how quickly Joe's lead has plummeted. No wonder he is worried.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 08:59:21 AM EST
    Joe will lose the CT election and then take off his fake democrat cloak. He will run for vice pres with Jeb Bush in 08 even if he somehow manages to win in CT. They will be tough to beat.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 09:00:27 AM EST
    All the rumbling from the Kossack nation is premature, again. First we have the primary. As of 6/12, Lieberman holds a lead of 44% to 29% over the millionaire Lamont. If he wins there, you have the following scenario measuring up:
    The latest Rasmussen Reports poll of the race shows likely voters awarding Lieberman an almost-forty-point lead, 61% to 23%, over Republican Alan Schlesinger, assuming Lieberman runs as a Democrat.
    Even if he runs as an Independent, he has the backing of the Democratic establishment:
    Second, and equally important, fellow Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer now says that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) would back an Independent Lieberman run. This declaration by the DSCC leader, which further angered some Democrats, was made after some Lieberman allies have said the Senator should skip the primary and run as an independent.
    Finally the kicker: Lieberman is still viewed favorably by nearly 70% of the state, while Lamont, well he's around 40%.
    Lieberman is viewed favorably by 67%, unfavorably by 29%. Lamont is viewed favorably by 41%, unfavorably by 37%. Schlesinger, the former mayor of Derby who officially entered the race in mid-April, is viewed favorably by 31%, unfavorably by 36%. He's still an unknown to 33%.
    It almost comic to me. Lieberman is the model of the best chance for Democrats and so many are trying to knock him off. Wanna win in '08? Follow the Clinton/DLC model!

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 09:05:20 AM EST
    Wanna win in '08? Follow the Clinton/DLC model!
    Trusted advice from a local Bushlicker. Thanks croc.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 09:07:27 AM EST
    Squeaky. Do you think the best idea is to move hard to the left? Do you think that's reasonable? The best idea for both parties is to run from the middle. The DLC is about as close as you get.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#10)
    by killer on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 09:32:06 AM EST
    Good words, Croc. I would point out that moderate republicans have just as hard a time as Joe. Republicans have been forced to the right by their base, so why would it be bad if Dems endured the same? I seem to hear a lot of folks call for a move to the center, then those folks vote for Tom Delay (and support his policies and tactics). I'll be moving to the center when the RSCC denounces the swiftboat veterans and the technique of adding or removing legislation from bills in conference committee.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#11)
    by magster on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 11:01:40 AM EST
    It's not about running to the left or running to the center. It's about party loyalty and knowing when to take a stand. I disagree with Hillary often, but she just showed us that she is a Democrat. Undermining Democratic unity unfortunately has been Joementum's MO, and now DLC and DSCC Democrats are at a crossroads because of Joementum. I will do the Clinton/DLC model in '08 if the Democrats go that way in '08. Hillary has just shown that she'll go left and support the other way if Democrats go that way. Debating these directions are what primarites are for, but there is no room for debate in the general election, or in the face of a defining moment for party strength(Alito, Social Security, ANWR). Joementum has just shown that he's corrupted by self-preservation and delusions of grandeur. He must be made a pariah, or being a Democrat does not mean anything.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 02:16:21 PM EST
    Ned Lamont is not of the "hard-left". What a crock. This is about replacing Joe L. because he's been disloyal, for cutting the Democratic party off at the knees, and about being Bush's favorite Democrat. The hard-left? Gee whiz. Not even close. Lamont is center-left. Anti-war, just like the majority of Americans.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 04:47:49 PM EST
    A word on the NYT articles on the indie filing ... they skew things, making it all about the war. The lede blurbs on the website note this, and the second article speaks about the "quandry" facing the Democratic Party. What quandry? Supporting the candidate voicing the desires of a majority of the party?

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#14)
    by chemoelectric on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 05:49:49 PM EST
    Can we have an episode of The Simpsons in which Joe Lieberman moves into the house across the street?

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 07:57:51 PM EST
    Agent99 - Your comment was one of the most shockingly anti-Semitic posts I've seen on an otherwise serious site. Racism is especially disgusting when used in an attempt to explain someone's motivations. This is 2006 man. Catch up.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 11:50:47 PM EST
    That's kind of funny, the millionaire Ned Lamont running against what, a poor sharecropper?

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 12:42:50 AM EST
    deleted again, this thread is about Joe Lieberman, not Israel and Palestine. Take it elsewhere, please.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 12:44:50 AM EST
    First, it should be Boltin' Joe... Second, the latest Rasmussen, from June 16th polling in the Primary shows Joe leading Ned by 6 points, 46 to 40... [link deleted, not in html format] Polling for the General Election shows Joe with a hefty lead...IF he runs as a Democrat and with a pretty tame lead if he runs as an independent. Note: The Primary poll has a small sample size and a large margin of error...but even then, when Rasmussen tried to sift for Likely Voters, they found even MORE support for Lamont. JOe's announcement itself suggests that his internal polling is showing pretty terrible results.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 12:44:52 AM EST
    TalkLeft: I'm sorry. I didn't see your note. I'm a she, and I don't think it is anti-semitic at all. Please explain to me how this qualifies as such before you ban me. I am sorry to offend, but I do not see this offense, and I'm usually pretty good at that stuff. --99

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 12:55:33 AM EST
    If you e-mail me I'll explain. I'm not going to change the topic of this thread.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 01:24:45 AM EST
    Agent 99's post was overtly offensive and will be deleted. He will be banned if he does it again.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 06:48:00 AM EST
    Racists never recognize their error of their ways, Agent99. And gus, point taken. I guess my point in calling Lamont a millionaire was to call a spade a spade and to remind that it's not only "repugs" who are wealthy. Hell, both candidates in the Democratic senatoral primary of one of Democratic states are millionaires - two salt of the Earth, champion of the poor types, of course!

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#23)
    by Sailor on Wed Jul 05, 2006 at 07:35:48 PM EST
    Since we hear every primary season that primaries favor candidates of the extreme
    Got links? And TL, I have to agree, 'Jolting Joe' isn't a appropo IRT Leiberman. Dimaggio may have been an a$$hole, but he talked the talk and walked the walk.
    I guess my point in calling Lamont a millionaire was to call a spade a spade and to remind that it's not only "repugs" who are wealthy.
    Well here's a point I can agree with. They're all rich, and that's why the divide in this country is between rich and poor; not black/white; not gays/straights; not ...etc, etc, etc. But as long as bushco provides bread and circuses, (and pretty short on the bread), and the (also rich) media plays along, we're gonna be stuck with this crap.

    Re: Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jul 06, 2006 at 06:31:47 AM EST
    But as long as bushco provides bread and circuses, (and pretty short on the bread), and the (also rich) media plays along, we're gonna be stuck with this crap.
    Wait a minute. "Bushco"? The paragraph before you recognized that the rich v. poor transcends the Bush administration and permeates all politics. But then you have to throw in the tired "Bushco" line. Just can't stay away from the old standbys huh? What's gonna happen to the angry left when Bush is out office? Who will there be to blame then? And God forbid a Democrat takes the WH. Will you or I at the ground level feel any differnce? Will groceries get cheaper, will gas prices plummet, will your insurance go down? Hells no. More of the same. Except you'll be without a whipping boy. /soapbox off

    Jolting Joe Fights for his Political Life | 24 comments (24 topical)