[MAGI]

:sunny:
Ct. NOW came out in support of Ned Lamont in The Hartford Courant today and, ex Governor Weicker's opinion today:

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/op_ed/hc-weicker0517.artmay17,0,7812888.story?coll=hc-headlines-opedEnough Of The War - And Enough Of Lieberman



Lowell P. Weicker Jr.

May 17 2006

`Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside ...

"And the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied."

These words of the 19th-century American poet James Russell Lowell sum up my admiration for and my support of Ned Lamont to be the next U.S. senator from Connecticut.

The majority of Democrats say they support Sen. Joe Lieberman in spite of his backing the war, since Iraq, after all, is only one of many issues facing voters.

Hello! To characterize the most monumental screw-up of our times as "only one of many issues" is like admiring the theater marquees on Broadway with King Kong on the loose.

Iraq is a war based on falsehood for which thousands of young Americans have been killed and wounded. It is a policy mistake that has drained the life's blood of financial resources from all our endeavors here at home. It is the issue that shapes all other issues.

Ned Lamont has taken a clear stand on exiting this insanity. Sen. Joe Lieberman has made staying the course the cornerstone of his term. In his TV advertisements, Sen. Lieberman belatedly pleads for a civil dialogue on the war issue. How do you dialogue on a mistake based on a lie? A candid and wise man would have admitted his error and moved on in a new direction. Not so the incumbent senator.

Ned is challenging Sen. Lieberman for the Democratic nomination this week in Hartford. I know Ned from the years when we were fellow townsmen in Greenwich. Indeed, I appointed him chairman of the Investment Advisory Council to the state pension fund - a volunteer job - when I was governor. He is a highly qualified, idealistic individual.

He speaks to the issues of Connecticut's cities, health care and education - all issues that are on hold for lack of adequate funding because of the Iraq war. My sources inform me that most of the delegates from the big cities are voting for Sen. Lieberman. How is that possible when the senator has prioritized Iraq and not Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, New London, etc.? Ned Lamont understands the obscenity of the amount of money going to Iraq - by some estimates, more than a trillion dollars - when juxtaposed against the needs of Connecticut's poor and middle-income citizens.

I want to see brave men and women stand up with Ned Lamont in the days ahead and say: Enough! We don't want to be cast in the image of President George W. Bush, of whom Sen. Lieberman is so enamored. America is better than the portrait painted by this Republican administration.

I speak as an independent who has seen the two-party system corrupt itself to the point of irrelevance during a dangerous time in our history. Ned Lamont can start the reform process by providing opposition to a Republican Party too long in power. What is needed is Ned Lamont's voice for health care for all, funding for our cities, and public education from kindergarten through college that works for our children.

He might be an underdog, but that only points to being outside a Democratic establishment that at the state and federal levels has failed miserably to uphold its end of the two-party system.

In 1889 at Hartford, Mark Twain wrote "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." In it, he said:

"The citizen who thinks he sees that the commonwealth's political clothes are worn out, and yet holds his peace and does not agitate for a new suit, is disloyal; he is a traitor. That he may be the only one who thinks he sees this decay, does not excuse him; it is his duty to agitate anyway, and it is the duty of the others to vote him down if they do not see the matter as he does."

Go, Ned! Give voice to what all of us feel so deeply: a return to an America of high ideals, reverence to the Constitution and concern for the frail. That is a patriotism sorely needed.

Lowell P. Weicker Jr. was governor of Connecticut from 1991 to 1995 and a U.S. senator from 1971 to 1988. He lost his Senate seat to Joe Lieberman in 1988.

:thumbup:

[MAGI]

Since there is so much chatter about Senator Joe Lieberman in the news & on the net, I thought some of you might find interest in this article in the Hartford Courant today:

COMMENTARY

"Who's Lieberman Represent? Not You"
July 2, 2006
By David Sirota

"Something rare is happening in Connecticut: The state is actually playing host to a contested U.S. Senate primary election.

This is a shocking development. Today, well-funded incumbents rarely face serious challenges. These incumbents tend to see themselves as royalty and their Senate seats as their personal property, rather than the property of the people.

But in Connecticut this year, incumbent U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman has a very serious Democratic primary challenger in small-businessman Ned Lamont. Lieberman is clearly panicking. First, he dishonestly attacked his opponent as siding with Republicans, then an ally of his told reporters that voters "terrorized" him.

Apparently, the Lieberman campaign's cynical strategy is to smear the opponent and then convince the public that holding a contested election is somehow wrong, when in reality that's exactly what's supposed to happen in our democracy.

Lieberman wants to make this election about whether he is a likable guy.

But this is not a two-bit popularity contest. This is a critical election about whether Connecticut Democrats believe Lieberman is representing their party and mainstream America in the Senate, or whether he has lost his way and become part of the corrupt establishment in Washington.

A look at Lieberman's record shows he is most decidedly the latter - a senator who has "gone Washington" and forgotten about the people who elected him. Lieberman may call himself a centrist, but the record shows he has used his platform to push policies that are far out of step with what ordinary Americans want from their government.

Take the Iraq war. Lieberman unflinchingly supports the stay-the-course policy of the Bush administration, to the point where he has attacked those who even raise questions about the administration's Iraq policy as "undermin[ing] the president's credibility at our nation's peril."

His out-of-the-mainstream position comes at a time when major national polls show more than half of Americans oppose the war and want a change in policy. Put another way, Lieberman is on the fringe, using his Senate seat not to represent the will of his constituents, but instead to parrot the destructive rhetoric of a tiny group of neoconservatives in Washington.

How about partially privatizing Social Security? Lieberman was one of the earliest and most outspoken senators giving credence to the concept. In 2000, The New York Times reported that Lieberman suggested he could support allowing workers to invest a portion of their payroll taxes in private markets.

Privatizing Social Security like this is an extreme move that would jeopardize the program. This explains why Lieberman - facing a tough primary challenge - now desperately claims he's reconsidered his position and is against privatization. But voters should not forget that he used Connecticut's Senate seat to help fuel President Bush's push to hand over Social Security to the sharks on Wall Street.

On other critical economic issues, it is the same thing.

At a time when Americans are forced to pay the highest prices for medicine in the world, polls show the public wants our government to crack down on pharmaceutical industry price gouging. Yet Lieberman has voted against bipartisan legislation to make sure drugs developed at taxpayer expense are offered to Americans at a fair and reasonable price. He ignored what the public wanted and instead went to bat for the drug industry, which has given him more than $400,000 in campaign contributions.

Similarly, at a time when wages are stagnating and our country is hemorrhaging good-paying jobs, polls show the public wants our government to reform our international trade policy to better protect Americans' jobs and wages. Yet Lieberman has consistently voted for corporate-written "free"-trade deals with Mexico and China that have exacerbated the problem and crushed Connecticut's manufacturing base - all while publicly attacking those who want a change. Again, he used his Senate seat to represent Big Money interests in Washington against the will of the people.

Lieberman did not always behave this way. But after 18 years in Washington, Lieberman has clearly lost touch with Connecticut voters, to the point where his own spokesman was forced to admit as much. It was his campaign manager who recently acknowledged to reporters that Lieberman "hasn't really had a dialogue with Connecticut voters about Connecticut issues in a while."

That is precisely what elections in America are all about: voters deciding whether they want an out-of-touch incumbent who ignores them or a fresh voice who is serious about representing them.

Joe Lieberman may be a nice guy, but he is not royalty. And come Aug. 8, Connecticut voters will show that in a democracy, nobody - not even Joe Lieberman - gets to use the people's office to ignore the will of the people."

David Sirota, a Democratic strategist, is author of "Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government - And How We Take it Back" (Crown).

[MAGI]

Lieberman is helping to make thinking democrats challege the leadership as haus & FDRfollower point out and this is the big one for sure:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_thepen_060705_democrats_for_democr.htm

Subject(s): Congress, Democrats DNC, Politicos Lieberman, Politicos Schumer Chuck
July 5, 2006 at 03:21:44

Democrats for Democrats . . . not Losers who Run as Independents

by thepen


http://www.opednews.com

ACTION PAGE: http://staceyforcongress.com/petitions/pnum344.php

Joe Lieberman has been given the privilege of sitting as a US Senator for 18 years. He's even been given the extraordinary privilege of being nominated for The Democratic Party's choice for Vice President. He was almost one heartbeat away from the Presidency . . . and all this as a Democrat because of you, the Democrats across this nation.

Yesterday he announces, "I have higher loyalties than my Party." He admits for the first time, on CNN, he is pulling signature petitions to run as an Independent if he loses the primary on August 8th in Connecticut. It seems Lieberman believes he will lose, or he would not be taking this extraordinary step to betray the very Party that put him in office and nearly into the Vice Presidency. It is an outrage!

Until now the leadership of the Party, perhaps out of respect for his 18 years, has either backed his candidacy or refused to pledge their support to the Democratic Party Winner of that primary.

Today, and every day until it is done, we must demand that our leadership stand as one and repudiate this man who would so dishonor our Party and our system of candidate choice that has worked for the many decades. Joe Lieberman is being challenged at a primary by a previously unknown opponent. If he loses he should be a man and support the winner on to victory in the General Election. And then quietly walk off stage. He does not deserve our respect, in any form, if he does not.

And who must we hammer home this message to: Chuck Schumer, Chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, Barack Obama and every other Democratic Senator [if you have Democratic senators in your state] whose heart must be torn tonight to see this outright betrayal of our Party and it's ideals.

We, the voters of the Democratic Party and our Party itself, must oppose this man, if he runs as an Independent. Even the consideration of such an act is an insult to every real Democrat.

This is a terrible day for the Democratic Party and this betrayal must not be allowed to stand.

Send your message to the Democratic Caucus . . . make it emotional and searing with heat. This must not be allowed to stand.

ACTION PAGE: http://staceyforcongress.com/petitions/pnum344.php
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't speak for Stacey, (am unfamiliar with him) but I'm sending this article with a few more words to democratic Senator Dodd of CT.

[MAGI]

Too late to add to last post, but this in Hartford Courant today:
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-aplieberman0705.artjul05,0,3520779.story?coll=hc-headlines-local
CONNECTICUT NEWS

Reception For Lieberman Mixed At Holiday Parade
Clinton Says She Won't Back Senator If He Loses Democratic Primary
July 5, 2006
Associated Press Some potential voters approached Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., as he marched Tuesday in Willimantic's annual July 4th Boom Box Parade, asking where they could sign a petition that would enable him to run as an independent candidate in November.

But a few others heckled the three-term senator from the sidelines, calling him a traitor to the Democratic Party.

The popular parade, a traditional campaign stop for statewide candidates, came one day after Lieberman announced that he will collect signatures for a potential run as an unaffiliated candidate - or petitioning Democrat, as he describes it - in November should he lose the Aug. 8 primary.

Lieberman acknowledged the mixed response, saying his opponent, Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, has gained a lot of support in eastern Connecticut. "This is all about democracy, which is what we're here to celebrate," Lieberman said.

Lieberman said he was "surprised and thrilled" that people asked where they can sign a petition. His campaign, however, has yet to request a copy of a petition from the secretary of the state's office.

Lieberman said his campaign officials will decide when to begin collecting the 7,500 signatures needed to get on the ballot. The campaign is trying to keep the petition drive operation separate from the primary efforts, Lieberman said.

Lieberman dismissed Lamont's accusations that he's trying to "game the system" by running as an independent should he lose the primary.

"I disagree. I have one goal, to win the primary," Lieberman said. "I want to reach out to all the voters. After 18 years of serving them, I want to give all the people a chance. I'm going to be there on Nov. 7 one way or the other."

One parade float organized by Lamont supporters had a sign calling Lieberman a "RAT," a Republican Apologist and Turncoat.

Another read: "Joe Lieberman supports Plan B for himself, but Joe Lieberman won't support Plan B for rape victims," referring to legislation requiring hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.

"We had the biggest group in the parade. ... The response was just phenomenal," said Lamont's campaign manager, Tom Swan. "We were having people run up to shake Ned's hand. They were grabbing the bumper stickers as fast as we could hand them out."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a longtime Lieberman supporter, said Tuesday that she will not back the Connecticut Democrat's bid for re-election if he loses the primary.

"I've known Joe Lieberman for more than 30 years. I have been pleased to support him in his campaign for re-election and hope that he is our party's nominee," the former first lady said in a statement issued by aides.

"But I want to be clear that I will support the nominee chosen by Connecticut Democrats in their primary," the New York Democrat added. "I believe in the Democratic Party, and I believe we must honor the decisions made by Democratic primary voters."

Asked about Clinton's comment, Lieberman spokeswoman Marion Steinfels said the three-term senator was "totally focused on winning the Democratic primary."

"Sen. Clinton and President Clinton have both been supporters of Sen. Lieberman for many, many years. He greatly values her friendship and her support in the primary," the Lieberman aide said. "The support is part of the reason he's working so hard, with a single-minded focus to win the Democratic primary."

[MAGI]

Ned Lamont did a good job showing he's not the one issue man as Joe Lieberman so adamently tried to paint him.

I think Lamont did well against seasoned Joe who's been representing us these last 18 years...............

Lieberman wasn't representing "we the people" as I saw it.


I hope some of you watched and wonder what your thoughts are.

Here's a good ongoing (talking throughout the debate) rundown as others saw it............

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/07/06/live-blogging-the-debate/#comments

[Jennifer_SFBA]

I am on an e-mail list from a thinker political activist, "The Pen." The e-mail below I received from The Pen and that I'm posting here is well done and fits in with this thread:



Two Timing Joe

ACTION PAGE: http://www.usalone.com/stacey/pnum344.php

Stacey Tallitsch, running for Congress from Louisiana's first district, has the action page above and his own choice words to say on this subject, but the words below are the responsibility of this writer alone.

During his debate with Ned Lamont the other night, the hopefully soon to be former Senator Lieberman demanded, "Who is Ned Lamont?." Like it was some kind of big move, he asserted, "We don't really know."

In point of fact, Joe, YOU'RE the one we can't be sure of. Your outrageously self-serving act this week of repudiating in advance the results of your own party's primary should have every Democratic voter in CT asking themselves, "Who the hell IS Joe Lieberman anyway?" We don't really know anymore. Or maybe it's just hard for some of us to admit it.

What is he? Is he a Democrat? Is he an independent? From his voting record on the most important issues of our time, you could not be faulted for concluding that he is an operating Republican, if not at least one of their agents. From his role in the infamous Gang of 14, which stuck us some of the most biased right wing federal judges ever, to his cheerleading for the horrific occupation of Iraq, few other people with the letter D pencilled in after their name have done more to damage Democratic unity when we've needed it most.

If there is one quality that the American people find despicable in a politician, it is someone who tries to have it both ways. If Lieberman would simply to declare his intention to run as an independent that would be one thing. But he has NOT. What he is doing instead is running for the Democratic nomination, while at the same time declaring he reserves the right to disrespect the voters' decision, insinuating that if he did not win it would be because they were too lazy to get out and vote on a hot August day. Connecticut voters have every justification for being totally insulted.

And look at the way he did it, dropping the bomb the day before a national holiday, the way the Bush administration does when it's hoping to sneak a scandalous story past the regular news cycle. And just before Independence day of all days. Get it? Running as an independent? Independence day? It's just too precious.

But in the days that have passed since, the story is not getting smaller, it's getting bigger. When pressed on the subject, too many other Democrats we also thought we knew have refused to say whether they will support the winner of the Democratic primary in CT. At least one of his gang of 14 neocon ideologue loving cronies, Salazar, has gone on record that he will campaign for Lieberman regardless.

[Jennifer_SFBA]

Continued:



Shame, shame on any Democrat who sets one foot in CT to campaign for him even in the primary, unless he commits to HONOR the result and support the winner of that primary. For what's most disgraceful is for Lieberman to style himself should he lose as an "independent Democrat", otherwise phrased by him as "individual Democrat" or "petitioning Democrat", in defiance of CT law, which unambigously states that on the ballot he "shall not incorporate the name of any major party," unless he is their duly designated nominee (Sec. 9-453u(c)2).

If Lieberman were a man, he would declare himself an independent NOW, and not try to two time the party that has given him so much support for 18 years. His is not an act of independence, it is one of selfish opportunism. Commit to the Democratic party or commit not, but don't play us all for suckers.

And yet there are some who cannot let go of the illusion that Joe still loves them. What is this, some kind of battered Democratic voter syndrome? Has he bought you off with a couple cheap baubles of earmarks he might have brought home? Either he is loyal or he is disloyal. And for Lieberman to try pass his disloyalty off as something honorable or high-minded is truly sickening.

Lieberman promises he would continue to "caucus" with the Democratic party. As what? A spy? A mole? A saboteur? Diversity he calls it. Diversity is fine BEFORE the primary. After that it is one thing and one thing only, disunity. His strategy apparently is to DIVIDE the Democratic party, and then try to get his margin from Republicans who like to see him kissing up to George Bush.

Joe is the guy who would take a woman out on a date only to flirt with one of her girlfriends right in front of her. Don't fall for it Connecticut. You'll hate yourself in the morning on November 8th.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.usalone.com/stacey/pnum344.php

This alert is brought to you through the activism of Stacey Tallitsh, running for the U.S. House in the 1st Congressional district, and one of the leading progressive voices in the state of Louisiana. Many of you have already submitted his action page calling for the troops in Iraq to start coming home now, a policy that is more surely correct with every passing state of emergency in Baghdad.

Stacey has already produced his first call to action radio spot, calling for an end of the obstinate occupation of Iraq, a military escapade which has brought nothing but death and destruction to both their country and our own. Thanks to your generosity, Stacey needs just a couple more donations to start running these radio spots on his local stations, to build the consensus to actually start bringing our brave troops home. You can hear the new spot on this page.

RADIO SPOT DONATIONS: http://www.usalone.com/stacey/donations.php

Nobody can predict how a particular race will turn out. But we know that the spots we ran on impeachment had tremendous secondary impact, as TWO other groups were inspired to run their own call to action ads on this issue as a result of the investment we made in this action. If you are able to do so, please make whatever donation you can to continue the stand we are taking on issue after issue.

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this message to everyone else you know.

If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at http://www.usalone.com/in.htm

Or if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the function at http://www.usalone.com/out.htm

Powered by The People's Email Network
Copyright 2006, Patent pending, All rights reserved

[MAGI]

Thanks Jennifer,
Just want you to know we get mail almost daily from Lieberman and/or Lamont! This primary is huge! Yesterday one from Lamont ........

a brown/orange/yellow colorfull 5 1/2" x8 1/2" trifold
depicting a structure (like a refinery...fire clouds in the background) with a large smokestack spewing a stream of black smoke into the air.

1st page heading in white lettering (printed vertically)....Up in smoke?

Three sentences in the black smoke-stream, waving vertically, read :

AFFORDABLE GAS PRICES
SAFE AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
INDEPENDENCE FROM FOREIGN OIL....................(all going up in smoke.)...

Inside trifold:
picture, pgs. 2 & 3:

a feminine hand holding a gigantic gas pump inserted into the fuel tank opening..........
of a vehicle containing 6 kids (2 pgs.)

middle page writing:

Joe Lieberman traded our clean air and water (1) for billions in tax breaks (2) to oil companies making record-profits.

While America's dependence on foreign oil increases by 130,000 barrels a day. (3)

and consumers get soaked at the gas pump. (4)

sources:
(1)The National Environment Trust, (2)Taxpayers for Common sense, (3)Energy Justice Network and (4) ConsumersUnion.org.

4th pg:
bush, left hand in air thumbpointing to himself.....(with Joe behind him - gazing fondly at bush , smiling adorably.......)

White lettering (under bush & Lieberman) reads:

Joe Lieberman
Unwilling to stand up to George Bush
Unable to stand up for Connecticut

Pg. 5:
Joe & George shaking hands; 5 onlookers.......
lettering:
Senator Joe Lieberman
was the only New England Democrat who voted for the Bush-Cheny Energy Bill.
---------------------------------
Just a note to say I protested long ago (via phone) to a representative of our State Democratic committee about not having competition to Joe & wanted a choice for Senator! She told me, in so many words, as if to say; "don't like Joe, either don't vote or vote republican.... he's our man." thumbs-down

Looks like there ARE many of us who feel as I do!

My THANKS to Ned Lamont for a truly democratic choice!

Also, there's about an article or two in the Htfd Courant daily....and it tells IT as IT is, pretty fairly, by the way :sunny:

:thumbup:

[Jennifer_SFBA]

I just got the 'thank you' below. You've really got to see the ad and the Colbert clips:



Dear Jennifer,

Today Comcast - the nation's largest cable company - announced they would broadcast ImpeachPAC's TV ad criticizing Joe Lieberman in advance of Tuesday's primary in Connecticut.

There is one simple reason why they changed their minds - because HUNDREDS of you called Comcast's President, Brian Roberts, and politely asked Comcast to support the First Amendment.

YOU made the difference. THANK YOU!!!

Our ad was meant to have an impact, but some thought it was confusing. So we produced a shorter ad that packs a more direct punch.

It's called "Lie and Die" and you can watch it here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FV6Fbgp3J-s

The ad features lies by Bush, Cheney, and Lieberman. Each lie is separated by a photo of an Iraqi child who has died because of these lies. It then quotes John Kerry as he declares, "Our policy is not 'cut and run.' Their policy is 'lie and die.'"

And it concludes with a simple question about Joe Lieberman: "6 More Years?"

That's the choice Connecticut voters will make on Tuesday. And it will be a truly historic choice.

If you know any Connecticut Democratic voters, please forward this message to them and ask them to watch our ad - YOUR ad.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FV6Fbgp3J-s

Ask them if they want "6 More Years" of George Bush's single most important ally - Joe Lieberman.

If they can't decide, help them make the right choice. Because this vote won't affect only Connecticut - it will affect our nation and our whole world.

If you'd like to help us reach more Connecticut voters with our ad, please contribute here:
http://www.actblue.com/page/impeachpac3

And if you live in or near Connecticut, please help Ned Lamont directly with his final push:
http://www.nedlamont.com/page/content/finalpush/

Thank you for all you do.

Bob Fertik, President
ImpeachPAC.org
Democrats.com


You are subscribed to Democrats.com Activist Alerts.
If you do not want to receive messages from any Democrats.com partners, click here

[Jane of Arc]

http://www.takeyourcountryback.com/SHOP/mandatesm.jpg

[MAGI]

Thanks Jen, we're on the same list! I received that yesterday, or was it today!

I'll be at the polls early Tuesday and cast my vote for NED LAMONT and spending the rest of the day watching TV & the PC. The firedoglaker group has all the latest news. Many are in CT., volunteering for Lamont.

I wonder if you are seeing any of the rough-house tactics by the liebermanshirts? He's brought in YOUNG people, 300 I think I heard, and they're going up & down streets, knocking on doors, delivering flyers and also going to the Lamont rallies causing trouble.

This REALLY IS the MOST INTENSE RACE I have ever seen! Many articles in the papers, on ALL News Channels, flyers in the mail (got 2 today from lieberman, 1 from Lamont), phone calls....today Senator Dodd & AFL-CIO (recorded) pitching for loverboy lieberman, Jane (:D ).

The number of commercials on TV is unbelievable!

I've had MORE than ENOUGH! Can't wait for Tueday and hope for the sake of our country, Ned Lamont wins and WINS BIG!

:thumbup:

[Jennifer_SFBA]

Hi, MAJI and Jane of Arc. We're on the same page. I made the call. It sometimes amazes me what a little thing like that accomplishes. Now we can say California helped Ned Lamont! MAJI, when you first started posting about the Lamont vs. Lieberman Senate race, I didn't think there would be anything for me to do. Now look. Well, have a great day at the polls Tuesday, MAJI. MAJI and Jane of Arc, you know where my heart is, and I know where yours is. With that, there is a better world already. :sunny:

August the 8TH is the date I begin my 19TH year on my job too. Every year that goes by I get closer to retirement. YEAH!!! I've got my lottery tickets for tomorrow. Maybe ... maybe ... I'll start my retirement early if that comes in; oh, yeh! Mount Shasta, ready or not, here I come ...

[MAGI]

Just am browzing firedoglake and came upon a witness to the lieberkidz at a rally in Greenwich, CT., by Maura :

http://www.myleftnutmeg.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2537

Has it really come to this, Senator?
by: Maura
Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 21:06:27 PM EDT

"I just got home a little while ago from Ned Lamont's great rally in Greenwich, and I've struggled with how to write what I'm going to write. It comes down to this, I think:
Senator Lieberman and his campaign have become an embarrassment to themselves.

Somewhere close to 100 LieberKidz showed up in Greenwich to disrupt the Lamont campaign rally. Everyone's favorite LieberThug Lobbyist was also on hand to lend his loud belligerence to the festivities.

Maura :: Has it really come to this, Senator?
Most of what the LieberKidz did was just generally obnoxious elbowing, jostling, and positioning to get themselves toward the front of the crowd with their signs, rudely stepping in front and blocking the views of people who were actually there to see Ned Lamont speak live for the first time and pay attention to all of the speeches. A few of the kids were openly hostile, talking loudly during speeches, but most spent their time moving around trying to block Lamont signs and didn't shout or try to drown out the speeches.
There was no large scale chanting or coordinated interruption from the LieberKidz, just the overall disruption that comes from having 100 Lieberman staffers talking to each other, distributing plastic golf toys to each other, and talking back to the incredulous Lamont supporters who'd ask them why they were there or ask them to move aside or stop blocking their view. The LieberKidz waited until the rally actually started to push themselves through the crowd that had already assembled in anticipation of the speeches, a strategy that of course caused maximum disturbance and annoyance to the patient and polite crowd already assembled.

I didn't witness any major clashes, just a lot of really defensive Lieberman staffers who pretended not to understand why so many people who had come to hear speeches were annoyed and disgusted by their behavior.

I personally found it abhorrent that the Lieberman campaign has been reduced to paying minority kids to show up and hold up signs saying things like, "Why don't you let me play at your club?" Is that the Lieberman campaign's idea of minority outreach - paying kids to be your protest props?

For most of these kids, the nice ones that I've talked to at least, this is their first experience ever working for a campaign. It's sad that their first experience has to be such a negative and divisive one.

I had a few positive interactions with some of the Lieberman staffers, including the same really decent young man who offered me water this afternoon at LiebermanHQ in Stamford. The kids who have come (twice) to my door to canvass have been really sweet. They're good kids and they're working hard. I've thanked them and told them to keep up the good work when they canvassed - that kind of positive door-to-door campaigning is a good thing for the party and for our democracy. This kind of purposefully disruptive staffer behavior is not.

Senator Lieberman is essentially the leader of this group of young people, and I'm disgusted that this is how he leads. This is not how you inspire young people to careers in public service. This is not how you motivate young people to play positive roles in our political system.

I'm sad that his 18 year career in the Senate has been reduced to this kind of campaigning.

I'm going to work really hard tomorrow."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click onto the url for comments. I'm in agreement that actions such as this make me really impatient, and hope the same goes for most DEMS, to CAST MY VOTE for NED LAMONT!

:thumbup:

[MAGI]

The firedoglake blog thread if you're interested:

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/08/04/late-nite-fdl-oh-bondage-up-yours/#comments

[MAGI]

About that confrontation at Teds restaurant:

http://mydd.com/story/2006/8/4/11191/05211

Lieberman Keeps Getting Classier
by Matt Stoller, Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 11:19:01 AM EST

Update: I see Aldon had this first.

Ok, so this is instructive, so bear with me for a bit while I walk through one particular person who seemed to be spearheading the Lieberman charge at the cheeseburger joint yesterday. The Record-Journal story pointed out that the main guy harrassing Ned was named Richard Goodstein.

"It was supposed to be a laid-back event and (they) ruined it." "We're just using our right. We're just exercising our rights to enjoy a burger," said Lieber*man supporter Alex Hoffman of Boston. Supporters of each candidate debated outside on the side*walk while many Lieberman supporters continued to badger Lamont, who acknowledged most questions. Richard Good*stein, one of the most vocal Lieberman supporters, repeat*edly shouted, "Are you a Bill Clinton Democrat or an Al Sharpton Democrat?" Lamont calmly said he supported both.

Is this the same Richard Goodstein who gave Lieberman $1500 for his 2004 Presidential run? Because that Goodstein is a lobbyist in DC for the chemical and health supplies industry.

I'm not sure if it's the same guy. You decide. Here's a pic from the event.

And here's a pic from Richard Goodstein's bio at the National Home Infusion Assocation's 2nd Annual Legislative Conference. The NHIA "represents and advances the interests of organizations and individuals that provide infusion and specialized pharmacy products and services to the entire spectrum of home-based patients."

It sure looks to me like Lieberman is bringing up lobbyists from DC to set up ambushes for Ned Lamont. This continues to feel like a campaign against well-paid three year olds.

Tags: Ned Lamont, Joe Lieberman, CT-Sen, Connecticut (all tags)
Display: ThreadedMinimalNestedFlatFlat Unthreaded
Permalink :: 45 Comments :: Post a Comment

One and the same (none / 0)

Absolutely- he was the same guy who heckled Lorenzo and Sue (myself) in Bridgeport. Aldon - great work.
-----------------------------------------
Busted.

by Sprinkles on Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 11:22:52 AM EST
------------------------
Re: One and the same (3.00 / 1)

Naw, he couldn't be the same guy. See? The guy in the first picture is wearing GLASSES.
hey it works for Clark Kent.
I don't know which is cheesier: Lieberman using this dude or a bunch of underemployed youths who need the money and couldn't care less about the candidate.

by katier on Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 12:26:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
--------------------------------------------

Re: One and the same (none / 0)

Welcome to the Bush economy

by Lucas O'Connor on Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 12:28:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
--------------------------------------------------

Re: Lieberman Keeps Getting Classier (3.00 / 3)

Incredible.
Is someone telling the press?
(Better still, imagine a world where the press would dig this stuff up rather than having to rely on private citizens to do their work.)"
-------------------------------------------------------

Hit url for full story & pictures

[MAGI]

It's 11:07 est and am listening to lieberman conceding to Ned Lamont!

YIPPIE!

[Jennifer_SFBA]

Hi, MAJI. YEAH!!! You did it big-time; with style!!!

[MAGI]

:sunny:

Thank You Jennifer & FDRfollower also,
Without people like you and most of the people on progressivesonline.com , our country would continue its slide into the fascist world of Corporate America.

:thumbup:

[MAGI]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/04/poll.election/index.html

CNN Poll:

"Voters are anti-incumbent and angry, new poll finds
POSTED: 9:10 p.m. EDT, September 4, 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Most Americans are angry about "something" when it comes to how the country is run, and they are more likely than in previous years to vote for a challenger this November, a new poll suggests.

A majority of Americans surveyed -- and a higher percentage than recorded during the same time last year -- said things in the United States are going "badly." Among this year's respondents, 29 percent said "pretty badly" and 25 percent -- up from 15 percent a month ago -- answered "very badly." By comparison, 37 percent described the way things are going as "fairly well," and 9 percent answered "very well."

Of these people, 76 percent said there was "something" to be angry about in the country today. By comparison, 59 percent felt that way when polled in February. (Watch Bill Schneider's take on angry voters -- 1:40)

Only 21 percent said they were "generally content" in the latest poll."