Senator Joe Lieberman Should Be Voted Out of Office
Lieberman should be roundly rejected at the polls because, this past week, he showed that he cares only about the pursuit of personal power and Senate perks, and not about democratic elections, the will of Connecticut voters, or the good of the Democratic party.
In May, three-term US Senator Joe Lieberman was forced into a humiliating run-off election for his own Senate seat when the Connecticut Democratic caucus cast 33% of their votes for Ned Lamont, a successful 20-year entrepreneur and community leader and a vocal critic of the Iraq War.
For the last five years, Lieberman has alienated many Democratic party loyalists, and especially the liberal blogosphere, with his wholehearted support of the Iraq War, as well as on national security issues, judicial nominations, and Constitutional privacy concerns.
On July 3, Lieberman announced that if he loses the August 8 Democratic primary, he will run as an Independent against the Democratic party candidate for reelection to the US Senate.
Lieberman nonsensically proclaimed "that his bid had no bearing on his party affiliation and that he would present himself as a 'petitioning Democrat' rather than an independent, although that is how he would be listed on the ballot," per the Washington Post.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which provides substantial funding to reelect Democratic senators, and two of its top leaders, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), continue to support Lieberman in the August 8 run-off election.
However, if Lieberman loses the August 8 run-off, DSCC spokesman Phil Singer commented "We aren't going to speculate about what happens next because that would undermine our candidate."
In contrast, Senator Hillary Clinton annnounced yesterday, "I want to be clear that I will support the nominee chosen by Connecticut Democrats in their primary. I believe in the Democratic Party, and I believe we must honor the decisions made by Democratic primary voters."
Joe Lieberman Should Be Voted Out of Office
I urge that Senator Joe Lieberman be rejected by Connecticut Democrats on August 8 for two reasons:
First, for his complete and total support of the Iraq War. The Iraq War is directionless and immoral for many reasons, and US troops should immediately begin a substantial but gradual withdrawal from our occupation of Iraq.Pundits ask: should the the Iraq War be a political litmus test to gauge the fitness of a Democratic candidate for office? My response is YES! Absolutely. And Joe Lieberman miserably fails that test.
Second, for his narcissistic disregard for Democratic voters in Connecticut and for the Democratic party, which has supported him for over two decades.
Joe Lieberman, who has long been dubbed the "Democrat most liked by Republicans," should be dumped by Democrats in favor of someone who actually IS a Democrat.
UPDATE on July 7, 2006 - Read Lieberman Loses Debate with Challenger Ned Lamont
Related Reading
Joe Lieberman Rebuked Into Run-off for His Own Seat
Joe Lieberman Thumbs Nose at Democrats Over Iraq War
Senator Reid Dubs Lieberman "Alone"
Senator Joe Lieberman: The Democrat Who Angers Democrats
Comments
To be blunt, let me say this:
You are a stupid moron. If you think Democrats can retake the Senate/House/Presidency without moderate members, you need your head examined. We need bipartisian work. You are only opposing him because he is jewish.
i think it would be a great thing for him to run as an independent. he will get a fair amount of democrats and a pretty good chunk of republicans voting for him. the liebster is a great american, a decent man and an honest politician.
James,
The anti-Jewish charge is silly. Three US senators I greatly admire and write about are Jewish: Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Barbara Boxer of California and Dianne Feinstein of California.
Ferstbaseman,
Were he more moderate or reasonable on the Iraq War, I might feel more as you do. But the Iraq War is a defining issue of our day, and Lieberman’s stance is extreme.
But you’re correct. Should he lose the run-off, and run as an Independent, he could have a good chance of winning reelection by winning the moderates of both parties.
Joe is not a Jew, but a zionist. If we think we’re tired of the conflict in the Middle East how we would like to be a peace-loving Jew watching the rightist Likud party destroying any prospect of peace. Joe also places his own interest above those of his party. Those who voted for the war in Iraq should be repalced, including Clinton and Feinstein. Calling someone anti-semetic for criticizing Lieberman is as absurd as calling someone racist for criticizing that buffoon, Ray Nagin.
Ferstbasemen
Lieberman represents the politics of the past. He can’t even get his party’s rank and file to vote for him in the primaries, for chissakes.
Lieberman is a true patriot. He votes his convictions rather than by party affiliation. By today’s standards John F. Kennedy would be considered a moderate. Would you oppose him?
John-
JFK was elected to the presidency 46 years ago, when our nation was an entirely different place and time. Your question is impossible to answer, as JFK was a man of HIS time.
Thank you for your comment, though.
Joe Lieberman is a man of courage and
integrity, unlike most of the clowns
of the Democratic Party.
Deborah
Impossible to answer John’s question?
What a cop-out. We know that Ted is
the opposite of JFK, and from that we
can conclude that JFK was a moderate.
In fact there’s not much left in the
Democratic Party that looks like JFK.
Deborah, I suggest you study JFK history, so that you can respond
intelligently to John’s question.
JFK was a good president. LBJ did a lot of good things, but ran that Vietnam war terriblely.
I was thinking about something. If Amy Hess from usconservatives was alive back than, she would prob be whining and moaning and protesting the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act. I am sure she would also be protesting the Little Rock Integration.
Deborah, Joe Lieberman is not a conservative Senator. I believe that he will win the election at the very end.
JFK (who had his share of failures) wouldn’t waste his spit on Bush. His successor, LBJ, lied to the American people about the Gulf of Tonkin to escalate a bogus war too. In a true bipartisan spirit, we must hold Johnson cupable for his criminal acts that left over 50,000 American soldiers dead without cause. Some people (the neocons who are in sharp contrast with the will of the American people) never learn.
I agree with others that the author is a moron. I do not agree that Joe’s religion is in any way affecting what people think of his actions and integrity. Joe is the only democratic candidate I would vote for and he has more internal fortitude that all the rest of the so called democrats put together. Despite what another commenter stated, Boxer and Feinstein from my state of California are garbage and do not represent their constituents on any major point and are so far left I can’t imagine how they stay upright. The democratic party has been highjacked by extremists and socialists the worst of which is Hillarious Clinton. It is the reason I switched to independent status after 30 years as a loyal Democrat. The democratic party is lost and the author deludes herself if she thinks there is anything noble left!!!!!!!!!
Stan
If Boxer and Feinstein (Feinstein voted for authorizing troops for Iraq, while Boxer, the more intelligent or morally superior of the two, did not) don’t represent the majoritiy of the electorate in California, how do they both keep getting reelected?
I support Lieberman (and in retrospect kind of wish he had won the 2004 nomination), but I think the charge that anyone who opposes him must be antisemitic is ridiculous. It reminds me very much of some of the neocon rhetoric I heard back in 2002 about how anyone who supports Palestinian statehood is antisemitic.
Cheers,
TH
I written to the Demowimp cadre and warned them they are well on the way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
Au countrem, if the demowimps have any chance it is to distance from the amoral anchors William Jefferson and Harry Reid. They will have to be the party of truth by CONSTANTLY CONSTANTLY beating the repukes over the head with Iraq. Most of YOU need to eat enough CROW about siding with bushwhacker it needs to bew clear you were LIED to. If you weren’t lied to and voted for whacker, get Zoe, Livermann and get the hell outta the party of the people. Moderates will kill our chances in ‘08. Any takers? The Implosion is starting.
Agreed.