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Saturday, July 01, 2006

Shh

Like I said before, I won't be posting much over the holiday weekend so I've decided to go into the Nedheads archives and replay some of the best videos out of the catalogue.

Here's an oldie but goodie...

Moodygate scandal deepens

Oh, oh, someone is in trouble.
A copy of an ethics memo, central to a legislative committee's investigation of fund-raising violations by top Rell administration officials, bears notations in the apparent handwriting of gubernatorial chief of staff M. Lisa Moody - raising questions about Moody's sworn testimony that she didn't read the memo.

Word of the existence of the hand-edited draft of the May 2005 memo - obtained Friday by The Courant, a day after the governor's office said it had no such document in its files - prompted a legislative leader to say that he'll ask his committee to consider requesting a criminal investigation into whether Moody perjured herself or obstructed the legislative investigation.

"It now appears that Lisa Moody has lied under oath to the legislature, has perjured herself, and, and effectively has obstructed the legislative process," said state Rep. Christopher Caruso, D-Bridgeport, co-chairman of the government administration and elections committee.

"I think it's high time that the governor seriously reconsider her professional relationship with Lisa Moody and possibly severing ties," Caruso said Friday night. "I think it will be impossible now, at this point, for her to be able to effectively work with the legislature and within the government."

[...]

Moody did not return a voice-mail message The Courant had left for her earlier in the evening. A spokesman for Rell's office declined comment Friday night.

Friday, June 30, 2006

Slowing things down a bit

Well, it's the holiday weekend which means politicians are running out of their offices for the big weekend (I feel sorry for anyone who has to work on Monday).

I'll be out and about on Joementum watch and checking to see if DinoBoy and his wacky crew pop up anywhere in the state.

I'll be posting less over the next few days. I'm looking to make some improvements on this blog (cleaning up the CSS code is long overdue) but never fear, I'll going to post some of the best video clips I have in my archive. Some of the footage I have was never posted on this blog before so it should be a treat to watch.

Starting things off is a videoclip from my man CTBob. This is one of the best Lamont videos I've seen and if you're a Jimmy Stewart fan, you're going to enjoy it.

NOTE: After you watch this clip, shut off your computer and GO OUTSIDE, it's almost happy hour for crying out loud!

The boat has been rocked

Nice going guys!


NOTE: Whoa, this doesn't mean we can't keep giving...dig deep and help Ned out. Any amount helps.

You did a heck of a job Bernie

The fall from grace is now complete.
Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, pleaded guilty today to two misdemeanor charges as the result of accepting tens of thousands of dollars of gifts and a loan while he was a city official in the late 1990's.

He entered the pleas, one to a violation of the city charter and the other of the city administrative code, in a Bronx courtroom before Justice John P. Collins and was sentenced to a total of $221,000 in fines. He was accompanied by three lawyers and three supporters for the proceeding, which lasted about 10 minutes.

Speaking in a quiet voice, Mr. Kerik admitted that he had accepted renovations to his Bronx apartment from a company he believed to be "clean."

Justice Collins acknowledged Mr. Kerik's past career. "The court recognizes the contributions made by Bernard Kerik, particularly on Sept. 11, 2001, and the days after. Still, the defendant has violated the law for personal gain."

[...]

The pleas completed a stunning fall from grace for a public official who rose in a decade's time from a third-grade police detective to police commissioner and a nomination as secretary of the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Kerik accepted the subsidized work on his Bronx apartment in the late 1990's, while he was correction commissioner under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, according to investigators.

Investigators said Mr. Kerik paid about $30,000 for renovations worth about $200,000, a violation of the city's administrative code. The work was performed by an affiliate of a construction company that the city has accused of having ties to organized crime.

The company, Interstate Industrial Corporation, had sought Mr. Kerik's assistance in obtaining a license from the city to operate a construction debris transfer station and held meetings in Mr. Kerik's office. The license was ultimately not granted.

One of Mr. Kerik's pleas was for accepting the gift of the subsidized remodeling. The other was for failing to report a loan of $29,000 from a friend for a down payment on the apartment.

Mr. Kerik, a former driver and bodyguard for Mr. Giuliani while he was campaigning for mayor, was named police commissioner in 2000 and held that post on Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center was attacked.

On the basis of his performance then, President Bush nominated him to be the head of the Homeland Security Department in December 2004. But he withdrew a week later, citing possible tax problems related to the family's nanny.


I'm sure Judith is proud of you.

Put the pressure on Rep. John Larson

At this point, Rep. John Larson needs to answer the simple question.

From today's Hartford Courant, here's Rep. Larson commenting on Joe Lieberman.
This is someone who's been state Senate majority leader, the prototype of a people's attorney general, a senator for 18 years and the popularly elected vice presidential candidate," said Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District. "And the Democratic Party tent somehow isn't big enough for him?"
Nonsense.

This has nothing to do with the tent of the Democratic Party, it has to do with a senator who won't respect the will of the voters who are voting in the primary. And yes, the tent isn't big enough for Lieberman if all he's doing is looking at the poll numbers and jumping ship because he has a better chance in winning as opposed to letting the Democratic voters decide his fate in August.

What ever happened to the respecting the will of the Party? Why would anyone support a Democrat who wouldn't support the Democratic nominee?

I need your help!

Contact Rep. Larson to answer my question before the end of the day. Call or email his office and lets get him on record. His quote in today's Courant is completely unacceptable.

Rep John Larson:
Website: http://www.house.gov/larson/
Phone (CT): (860) 278-8888
Phone (D.C): (202) 225-2265 (call this one first)

Get on the phone and ask him my simple question.

"Will you support the Democratic nominee for Senate"

As Democrats, we have a right to know where he stands on this issue.

A simple question deserves a simple answer.


UPDATE: A loyal reader gave Rep. Larson's office a call and filed this report.
I called Larson's DC office...

I told them that I had read today's Courant and was very disappointed in John. First I mentioned Joe's Republican approval ratings v. his D numbers. Then I stated that this wasn't a purge, but that Joe had earned his primary...

I next expressed my hope that Larson wasn't encouraging an Independent bid by Joe, and that if it happened we'd be kissing our three Congressional challenges good-bye.

Finally I told the nice young man that I expected better of Congressman Larson, whom I've always liked.

Wingnut show bites the dust

Let me tell you a tale of a former FOX News liar and karma...

1. Dan Abrams' show gets knocked out of it's time slot for wingnut Rita Crosby's awful show, "Live and Direct".

2. Dam Abrams becomes general manager of MSNBC

3. Rita gets the axe.
MSNBC personality Rita Cosby yesterday went from the floodwaters of Pennsylvania into the fire of 30 Rock.

After a grueling nine-hour meeting involving Cosby, her agent and top NBC News and MSNBC execs, the third-rated cable news network announced that her weeknight show, "Rita Cosby: Live & Direct," will be canceled in early July.

Instead she'll be the "primary anchor" of "MSNBC Investigates," a taped documentary program that will air at 10 and 11 p.m. She'll also lead a "Rita Cosby Specials" documentary unit, according to an MSNBC press release.

[...]

The meeting involved Capus, NBC News senior vice president Phil Griffin, MSNBC general manager Dan Abrams and Cosby's agent, Larry Kramer.

"I'm thrilled," Cosby told me as she traveled to last night's surprise birthday party for her boyfriend, Tomaczek Bednarek.
I'm thrilled that we won't have to see her on air until at least late July-early August (if she makes it that long).
But I hear that many of the yet-to-air "MSNBC Investigates" tapes are already in the can, and that Cosby might not be on the air for a week or more after her program ends.

[...]

As for Cosby's situation, it looked better at the end of the meeting - which lasted until 6 p.m. - than it did at the beginning.
Now that's the way you start a Friday...a true Democrat stepping up to the plate and answering the simple question and former a FOX News lying talking head finally getting the axe she deserved.

Set off the fireworks!

A pround Democratic First Selectman answers the question

Man, I wish I lived in Monroe. This is true Democrat!

I have been following your blog with much interest. I'll answer the question as a chief elected official who is a Democrat - I will support the nominee, although I am supporting Ned Lamont in the primary, as he is the real Democrat and more in touch with Connecticut's needs and concerns.

Andrew J. Nunn
First Selectman
Town of Monroe
Now, that's how you answer the simple question. Quick, simple, and right to the point (and no b.s.)

Senator Dodd refuses to answer the question

Well, I guess I know what category to place Senator Dodd's name.
Want to see a Democratic senator squirm? Don't ask about Iraq or gasoline prices. Ask about Joe Lieberman.

They edge toward the door, duck into the elevator, scoot down the hall to avoid the question: Will you support Joe Lieberman if he loses the Aug. 8 Senate primary to Ned Lamont and runs as an independent?

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., laughs heartily and says, "My boy Joe's going to win the primary." Pressed on what would happen if he does not, Dodd gets more serious.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," he said. "I learned not to answer questions like that until I have to."
On the fence he goes.

Keep the pressure on and ask those Democratic lawmakers to answer the simple question.

"Will you support the Democratic nominee for Senate"

Don't we have a right to know?

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Jack Murtha on Lieberman: "How could I possibly support him"

Crooks and Liars has the scoop:
a little C&L exclusive: I just got the word from Arianna Huffington that Jack Murtha would not support Joe Lieberman for the Senate unless he changes his position on the Iraq war.

Murtha: How could I possibly support him?


Donate to Ned Lamont

Olbermann destroys O'Reilly

Oh man, this is hard to watch. Yet another reason why MSNBC's Countdown is the best news program on television.

Sen. Bill Finch a Liebercrat?

What do you think?
Received this from Bill Finch's office:

Sen. Finch supports Joe Lieberman, believing that he is in lockstep with the democratic platform and the DLC 90% of the time, and that the 10% where Lieberman breaks from his party is on personal principle.

In my opinion, this is about as close as you can get to being classified as a Liebercrat without actually saying that you're a Liebercrat.

I'm a fair blogger so I'll just leave it up to you guys. For now, I'm placing his name as "on the fence" so answer away!

(NOTE: For those not up to speed with Connecticut politics Senator Finch is the person on the far right in the photograph. Standing proudly next to him are Bridgeport's partners in shame, former State Senator Ernest Newton and newly self-admitted cocaine user, Mayor John Fabrizi.)
What's Senator Bill Finch's status in regards to answering the "simple question"
True Democrat
True Libercrat
On the fence
Refuses to answer the simple question
Give him another chance to answer the question
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Lamont releases new ad

Wow, the ads from Ned Lamont keep getting better and better. With ads like this hitting the airwaves, Joe is in serious trouble.

Here's some info on Ned that you might not know:
Lamont, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to the US Senate, began teaching a class in Bridgeport schools 2 1/2 years ago on how to start your own business.

[...]

After calling the schools, looking for an opportunity to volunteer, Lamont was paired with an accounting teacher. Since then, Lamont co-taught the class regularly, bringing other national business leaders to address students, and leading exercises such as how to create a business plan. Ned’s experience in the Bridgeport Public Schools, and the Federal government’s failure to meet the needs of 21st century schools, is part of what drove him to run.


Watch the new ad, contribute to Lamont's campaign, and help keep his ads on the air.

Push polling update

I'm getting feedback from people who were called by Mountain West Research and I'm attempting to compile a list of the questions that were asked.

Here's how you can help:

1. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T HANG UP ON THEM! BE polite and seem interested in the conversation.

2. If you get a call, say you're a moderate Democrat or an independent.

3. Write down all the question they ask you. Remember, the best thing to do is simply record the phone conversation. The easiest way to record a phone call is simply place the call on speaker phone and use a tape recorder to capture the conversation. After you tape the phone call, you can simply import the audio into your computer and convert the call into a MP3 file (if anyone needs help with this, just email me and I'll walk you through the steps).

4. Email me and give me the run-down on the phone call.

Okay readers, don't let me down. I'll be waiting for your emails.

Lieberman "vows" to run as an independent

From Crook Political Report (subs. required):
The second factor is that Lieberman, who readily admits disappointment and anger at the primary challenge, has vowed to run as an independent in the general election.

Anyone else have any doubt that Joe's planning to jump ship?

Now is the time to call your Democratic leaders in Connecticut and have them answer this simple question:

"Will you support the Democratic nominee for Senate"

If you need to know why this question is important, the following quote should make things clearer.
All the talk of an independent bid has been distracting. It has also led Democrats to wonder if Lieberman is really committed to the party and creates the perception that he does not believe he will win the primary.

Sources contend that Lieberman feels that he has served three terms at the will of the entire state electorate and that all voters should have a say in whether he gets to keep his job (43 percent of voters are registered as independents).

If Joe Lieberman is a Democrat, shouldn't the will of the Democratic voters trump the will of all voters in the state. In other words, why should any Democrat support a senator like Lieberman who won't support the winner of the primary? Again, shouldn't we ask the elected Democratic officials in Connecticut the simple question?

Help me get the leaders of the Democratic Party in Connecticut on record on whether or not they'll support the will of the voters who will cast their vote in the August primary.

Help rock the boat

Since I was asleep at the wheel and didn't get my personal Ned Lamont fundraising page up on the site (sorry guys), I'm asking my readers to please help Ned get 750 contributions by Friday. He's so close right now so please help him get over the top!



Also, don't forget to sign up for Lamont's friends, family, and neighbor's program and help spread the word about the man who wants to defeat George Bush's favorite Democrat.

Lieberman push polling

Boy, Joe is really desperate.

I'm receiving reports of polling companies who are calling readers and are testing out lies about Ned Lamont. Lamontblog and My Left Nutmeg are also receiving reports of the calls.

If anyone has received a call, please email me and give me the details. A bonus prize goes out to the person who records the conversation.

UPDATE: Well, that was fast. I'll have to connect the dots with Mountain West Research Center. I have a feeling someone in the Lieberman camp used these guys in a prior campaign.

UPDATE 2: I'll have more on Mountain West Research Center later today. Remember, if anyone has received a call from a polling company, please email or IM me (IM: ctblogger. Yahoo or AOL).

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

More coverage from the AFL-CIO convention

Money quote:
"I hope that after this is over we can get Joe Lieberman, all of us, even the ones that get along greatly with Joe, and beat the s--t out of him."
People, that quote was from a Lieberman supporter...

Lamontblog points to an article from New York Times reporter William Yardley which reports that the vote to endorse Lieberman was pretty close.
After the vote, Mr. Olsen was asked whether the "nays," which were not far below the "yeas" in volume, suggested that labor leaders were split over the endorsement, and he noted that no one had challenged the vote after it was completed.
I think it's fair to say that not all union members are big fans of team Joementum.

Thank the fearless Spazeboy for the video.

Emails restored...Moody-gate is far from over

This Moody-gate thing is getting stranger by the day.
E-mails that elections enforcement chief Jeffrey B. Garfield claimed were not on his state computer when requested by legislators last spring had been restored at least six days before the request, according to records of the state Department of Information Technology.

The e-mails - belatedly turned over to a legislative committee last week after they were discovered by an independent counsel - involved a chummy invitation to a February social outing from M. Lisa Moody, the gubernatorial chief of staff then at the center of an investigation by Garfield's office.

[...]

Garfield last week told legislators he failed to hand over the February e-mails because he'd considered them insignificant - the get-together Moody proposed never took place - and deleted them from his computer by the time the committee requested the documents April 6.

The deleted e-mails only "became available later" when Department of Information Technology officials used backup tapes to restore them for his agency, the State Elections Enforcement Commission, Garfield wrote in a letter to the committee.

But information technology records examined Tuesday by The Courant showed that the e-mails had been reinstalled in his computer by March 31, the week before the committee asked for his electronic communications.

The data were restored to Garfield's computer in March in response to an FOI request from The Courant seeking his e-mails. But Garfield said Tuesday he didn't use that data to comply with the subsequent committee request "because I felt that I had all the relevant e-mails in my office computer."

He said he didn't intentionally conceal the exchange with Moody, adding: "I don't remember precisely when I deleted it from the office computer."

But skepticism grew Tuesday.

"If Jeff Garfield had this correspondence" when legislators requested it April 6 "and didn't provide it to us, then he's obstructing the legislature's investigation," said state Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, acting co-chairman of the government administration and elections committee.

More wingnut talking heads endorse Lieberman

Oh, this is a surprise. Michelle Malkin jumps on the "Love Lieberman" bandwagon. I'm sure the AFL-CIO members are happy with her endorsement.

Scarce gives the details. Personally, I don't have the heart to directly link the video to this site.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

DeStefano picks up AFL-CIO endorsement

From John DeStefano press release:

John DeStefano's candidacy for governor was overwhelming endorsed today by the AFL-CIO at their annual convention at the Omni Hotel in New Haven. The AFL-CIO has never before endorsed a candidate in a gubernatorial primary in Connecticut but as John Olsen – President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO - said, "We've never had a candidate like this."

Before receiving the endorsement, DeStefano spoke to a packed ballroom of delegates - stopping many times for standing ovations. Standing behind him at the podium were workers from many unions, including SEIU 1199, AFSCME Council 15, Unite H.E.R.E, and the Building Trades. DeStefano asked for the delegates' support and shared with them his vision for Connecticut.

"Before you can be something - you've got to stand for something," said DeStefano. "I stand for Ovella Watts, who retired last month from the Omni after 30 years of hard work." DeStefano singled out other workers standing behind him, telling the audience, "I know who I work for, I know where I come from, and I know where I'll go home to when all this is over."

Olsen says today's endorsement speaks to DeStefano's incredible record of standing up for working families. "John has proven over and over again that he understands the issues of working families. He is running on more than promises, he is running of a record of standing up for middle income people. Workers at the Omni and Yale University are better off because of his leadership and he's initiated more Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) than all the other communities in Connecticut combined. Plain and simple, John has been there for working families and now we're going to be there for him - today and everyday between now and Nov. 7th."
This isn't a big surprise but it's still a nice feather in the hat of DeStefano to have the support of the union till November.

Lieberman's stealth campaign fails: union endorsement expires in August

In another blow to team Joementum, the AFL-CIO voted to endorse Joe Lieberman only for the primary. If Joe loses the primary and runs as an independent, it's back to the drawing board and the AFL-CIO will vote again between Lieberman and Lamont.

This is a huge blow for Lieberman because his campaign desperately wanted the support of the union until November (general election) and not August (primary). For Lieberman, taking the indy route will be riskier than if they had the support of the union until November.

We'll see how the mainstream media will spin this tonight.

UPDATE: Forget those mainstream guys, Paul Bass has a killer article on the affair over at The New Haven Independent.

Connecticut's labor movement goes into the Democratic primary campaign for U.S. Senate deeply divided. As expected, the state AFL-CIO endorsed Sen. Joe Lieberman for reelection at a convention at New Haven's Omni Hotel Tuesday. But in the face of vociferous opposition, it decided to limit its endorsement to the primary, not the general election, said state union chief John Olsen (pictured after the vote).

As recently as yesterday, state AFL-CIO President Olsen said he expected the organization to endorse Lieberman not just in his primary against challenger Ned Lamont, but in the general election, too - even if Lieberman loses the primary and runs as an independent.

That changed in the hours before the federation voted Tuesday afternoon. At a lunch meeting of the organization's Committee on Political Education, delegates from the machinists, teachers and auto workers' unions, who support Lamont, convinced the group to change its mind and limit the endorsement to the primary.

When it came for the voice vote in the Omni ballroom, the "aye"s to endorse Lieberman rang loud and clear. But so did the no votes.

The decision to limit the endorsement to the primary represents a victory of sorts for Lamont's challenge to the three-term incumbent. It leaves open the option that the federation could support Lamont in November against an independent Lieberman candidacy.

[...]

Judging by the applause level, Lieberman clearly had more supporters in the hall. Equally clear was the intensity of the opposition to Lieberman by a significant minority, especially among machinists and teachers. Some of the delegates who spoke for Lieberman felt the need to acknowledge the anti-Lieberman sentiment, in some cases to promise to work toward pushing Lieberman to become more responsive.

Also clear in the hall was that, contrary to the Lieberman camp's characterizations, Lieberman faces intense opposition on a host of issues, not just his leading role as a supporter for the War in Iraq. Delegates opposed to Lieberman’s endorsement spoke more about global trade pacts than about the war. "He just doesn’t seem to hear us. He always votes wrong on trade. That hurts my members," said Tammie Botelho of the United Steelworkers (pictured). State machinists President James Parent spoke of how the state has lost 7,713 aerospace manufacturing jobs since 1993, jobs that have been fleeing to low-wage Third World countries.

Parent and others criticized Lieberman for voting for, or missing votes on, every free-trade agreement that's come before the Senate. One day earlier, Lamont told the convention he'd push for better labor and environmental protections in trade agreements.

"It's up to us to make him accountable. We don’t have to be in Boston to spill the tea in Boston Bay," said William Rudis, a machinists delegate.

Other Lieberman opponents cited his support for private-school vouchers, his lack of support over the years for universal health care, his support for right-wing federal judges, his initial openness to privatizing social security.
So much for Lamont being an one-issue candidate...

The results are in

I guess Steinfels is just out of touch with reality (although, the image of her taking a bong hit before writing that bizarre press release is pretty funny). This would also explain the conversation she had with Colin McEnroe.

Lieberman trying to use union endorsement as a foundation for his Indy run

Ah, it all becomes clearer now...

Here's the deal as it was told to me:

There are two votes happening today at the AFL-CIO convention surrounding the senate endorsement. The vote to endorse Joe Lieberman is a no-brainer as we know that Joe has this endorsement locked up. The real interesting (and important) that everyone should keep an eye on is the vote on how long the endorsement of Lieberman will last. Will it last till August 8th (primary day) or will it last until November (general election). Joe's campaign is currently running an stealth campaign and is working hard to secure the endorsement until November so they'll have the backing of organized labor for the general election.

In other words, Joe is securing the labor endorsement for his independent run.

Remember, the endorsement vote isn't important, what really is important is the union vote on how long the endorsement will last. Hopefully, the mainstream media will pick up on Joe's stealth campaign and start asking questions. I know if I was at the convention, the question regarding how long the union's endorsement of Lieberman will actually last would interest me the most.

Is a majority of the public "out of touch"

From USA Today:
A majority of Americans say Congress should pass a resolution that outlines a plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday. Half of those surveyed would like all U.S. forces out within 12 months.

The poll finds support for the ideas behind Democratic proposals that were soundly defeated in the Senate last week. An uptick in optimism toward the war after the killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi earlier this month seems to have evaporated.

[...]

Bush's approval rating is at 37%. After hitting the low point of his presidency at 31% in May, it rose to 38% in mid-June. His standing, which slipped below 40% in February, hasn't rebounded above that level since then.

Colin McEnroe loves Lieberman's campaign staff

I guess I'm not the only one who's scratching their head over the "top-notch" Lieberman campaign staff. Our favorite insomniac, Colin McEnroe shares his experience with team Joementum. Lets just say I don't think Joe will be inviting Colin over for dinner any time soon.

If you thought McEnroe was funny when he "dozed off" to the sound of Joe's voice
, wait till you read what he has to say about Lieberman's staff when he's fully alert and awake.

First, he breaks yesterday's laughable press release written by Lieberman's press secretary Marion "what are you smoking" Steinfels.
Then, they responded to a Lamont commercial which attempted to deceive the voters into believing that Lieberman's voice sometimes comes out of President Bush's mouth, much in the vein of the now scientifically discredited documentary "Look Who's Talking."

In response, the Lieberman press secretary issued list of "facts," a political term meaning "things which, if they were true, would make our jobs a lot easier."


Here are my two favorite facts:
  1. Joe Lieberman has been a scathing critic of the Bush Administration. This would be "scathing" in its mostly idiomatic and colloquial usage as a substitute for "fawning."

  2. Joe Lieberman is the only person in the United States of America who ran against George W. Bush twice, and beat him once. This is an apparent reference to 2000, when Lieberman ran against Bush the way Dan Quayle ran against Mike Dukakis in 1988 and the way Ed McMahon was the long-running and widely respected host of the "Tonight" show. This is also an apparent reference to 2004, when Lieberman wanted to run very badly and sort of did. Actually, he didn't get to run against Bush at all that year , especially after he finished unambiguously fifth in the New Hampshire primary and subsequently announced he had tied for third.
If you think that's great, wait till you read about McEnroe's encounter with everyone's favorite press secretary.
That was the same kooky press secretary who called me up recently and asked me what kind of radio show I do and how she could listen to it and whether my newspaper column is exclusively political. I sort of figured this was one of their improv skits, so I went along as though these were perfectly reasonable questions to ask me. I then suggested that she could better understand one of my takes on Lieberman by reading a certain posting elsewhere in this blog, whereupon she told me she makes it a point never to read any blogs because they get things so wrong. I love this press secretary.
Colin says kooky, I say stoned. Steinfels' bizarre press releases and strange statements to the press is straight out of the Twilight Zone.

There is more to the article so click over to McEnroe's blog and give it a read. I promise he won't disappoint you.

BTW: Someone should help McEnroe and make a video to his new take on the Adams Family song.
In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson:

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're altogether ooky,

The Liebercampaignstaff!
Snap, snap.

Yet another Republican advises Joe to jump ship

I'm sure Alan Schlesinger appreciates Bill Hamzy's advice to Joe Lieberman.
A former state Republican Party chairman Monday urged U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat, to run for re-election as an independent.

"Although I don't claim to know what Sen. Lieberman is going to do, if I were in a similar situation, I would definitely run as an independent if I wanted to continue serving in office.," said state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican.

"I believe that loyalty to the people you serve is more important than loyalty to your party," said Hamzy, whose 78th District includes Plymouth and northwestern Bristol.

"This is especially true in Sen. Lieberman's case," Hamzy said, "because since the primary will be held on Aug. 8, a small minority of registered Democrats will determine who is on the ballot in November."

Hamzy said he doesn’t agree with Lieberman's stance in favor of the war in Iraq "but I do believe the general voting populace should have the opportunity to vote on his candidacy."
Is it safe to say that Hamzy will not be supporting the Republican nominee for Senate?

While he's not technically a Liebercrat, as a former Republican chairman, Hamzy's comment should tell you a lot about how Republicans feel about their own nominee who's running for the senate.

Attorney General answers the simple question

Richard Blumenthal sticks with the Democratic Party and his statement was brief.
I will support the Democratic nominee.
It's great when they answer the simple question with a simple answer.

Maybe this will put to rest those rumors of Blumenthal possibly running for Senate if Lieberman jumps ship...

Monday, June 26, 2006

RUSH LIMBAUGH ARRESTED AGAIN!

Aww...
Sources have confirmed to CBS4 News that conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been detained at Palm Beach International Airport for the possible possession of illegal prescription drugs Monday evening.

Limbaugh was returning on a flight from the Dominican Republic when officials found the drugs, among them Viagra.

Limbaugh entered a plea deal back in April in a previous case where his charge of fraud to conceal information to obtain prescriptions was dropped under the condition he continue undergoing treatment for addiction.
Dittohead is dittofucked.

UPDATE: Ouch. I jumped the gun. Limbaugh was detained and I should have left it at that.

Honestly, in retrospect, it's right to take the higher ground in this situation and not exploit someone's bad fortune for political gain. There are more pressing issues that we as voters need to address in this state (and country) and spending a second on Limbaugh and his demons is a precious second that's wasted.

Lets move on...

Can you tell the difference...


They both look the same to me...

(hat tip to Joe Lieberman's nightmare, Spazeboy!)

Lieberman's campaign freaks out over Lamont's new ad

WHAA! Ned's not being fair! WHAA!

This is laughable (Hat tip to CGG).

Statement from Marion Steinfels on the Lieberman Campaign's reaction to Negative Ned's Latest Smear Tactics:

"Ned Lamont's smear tactics hit a new low today with this vicious attack on Sen. Lieberman. Ned's army of consultants he hired to run his campaign -from former Republican Party Chair, Tom D'Amore to Bill Hillsman- who have spent years working to defeat Democrats, are at it again."

HERE ARE THE FACTS ON BILL HILLSMAN:

Hillsman worked to defeat Al Gore and Joe Lieberman in 2000.

Hillsman campaigned against Bill Clinton in 1992.

Hillsman tried to defeat Senator Barack Obama by working for a Republican.

Hillsman tried to defeat Tim Kaine in the 2005 Virginia Governor's race.

Hillsman defeated Democrat Skip Humphrey in Minnesota in 1998.

Hillsman is currently working to defeat Democrats in the Massachusetts Governor's race.

Hillsman is currently working to defeat Democrats in Texas.

Hillsman campaigned against Democrats in the California recall election for Governor in 2003.

HERE ARE THE FACTS ON JOE LIEBERMAN:

Joe Lieberman has been a scathing critic of the Bush Administration.

Joe Lieberman is the only person in the United States of America who ran against George W. Bush twice, and beat him once.

Lieberman criticized the Bush administration before the war started and after it began.

Lieberman harshly criticized the Bush Administration for being unprepared for the post war situation in Iraq.

Lieberman condemned Bush for Releasing the Name of Valerie Plame.

Joe Lieberman Opposed the 2001 and 2003 Bush Tax Cuts and Opposed Making them permanent.

Joe Lieberman Led the Fight Against the Bush Administration Attempt to Open ANWR to Oil Drilling.

Joe Lieberman Opposes Bush's Attempts to Pack the Court with Right-Wing Ideologues, including Miguel Estrada and Dennis Shedd.

Joe Lieberman Opposed Bush's Most Egregious Nominations.

Joe Lieberman OPPOSED the Nomination of Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court.

Joe Lieberman Opposed the Bush Medicare Drug Debacle, calling it "indefensible".
Are you kidding me Joe? After the crap you put on the air about Ned, this is the best you can do in terms of a response?

Joe Lieberman is a critic of the President? Marion, what on earth are you smoking? I don't know which is funnier, her issuing this press release, or Lieberman's campaign thinking that ANYONE is going to believe their response.

Word of advise to Lieberman's campaign, in the future, please put down the bong before sending any more press releases...I'm beginning to worry about you.

How do you spell George Bush's favorite Democrat's name: D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E. I almost feel sad to watch Lieberman's campaign fall apart like this. How can anyone take this press release seriously?



It's like watching a car wreck, you know someone is going to get hurt but you can't stop yourself from watching it.

I'm just happy to be living in Connecticut so I can view this car wreck first-hand.

UPDATE: The fallout from Lieberman's press release is simply amazing. I think Lieberman's press release did more to help Lamont out than Lamont's ad.

...developing.

UPDATE 2:Time for a poll (I couldn't help myself).

What was Marion Steinfels smoking when she wrote the press release
Weed
Hash
Coke
Clean air...she's just out of touch with reality
Free polls from Pollhost.com

View DeStefano's new ad

John DeStefano unveiled a new ad in which he goes after Wal-Mart. View it below.

I think this ad is very well done and will serve him well with union supporters (Note: the AFL-CIO will endorse DeStefano tomorrow).

While I'm at it, you have to check out DeStefano's much improved blog. His campaign team stepped up their game and added video content to their site. This is how campaigns should use the internet to their advantage. Video content is the key to attracting an audience and DeStefano's team seems to understand this very well. As one of the first state blogs to add original video to a site, I'm very happy that other blogs and campaigns are using this underutilize tool.

Just another day in Iraq

Stay the course=lie and die.

Just remember, according to the President's Press Secretary, it's only a number.

New Lamont ad hits the airwaves


Look Who's Talking - George Bush or Joe Lieberman?

UPDATE: You can now view the ad below (thanks to Scarce).

Paul Bass craps all over Lieberman's lies

Oh Joe, you didn't learn your lesson the last time you pissed Paul Bass off. This time you went too far by lying about something he never said and lets just say that Bass is pretty mad and is fighting back.

His latest article on the lies of Joementum
is an instant classic and is worth reading by everyone who want to know about the dishonesty of Joe Lieberman and his pathetic campaign team.
Joe Lieberman's reelection campaign for U.S. Senate has already been widely criticized, even by conservatives sympathetic to the candidate, for its low-grade attack tactics on Ned Lamont, the challenger seeking to wrest the Democratic Party nomination from the three-term senator in an Aug. 8 primary. In terms of outright lying, gutter graphics, and utterly misleading twisting of fact, the Lieberman campaign may have hit a new Rove-ian/Atwater-ian milestone with the two-sided glossy direct-mail flyer which Democratic voters in Connecticut started receiving at their homes on Saturday. It was the second glossy direct-mailer the Lieberman campaign sent within a week.
The Lie
"Ask Ned Lamont Why..." the back page begins.
One of the "ask whys" read as follows: "... He Hired The Former Republican Party Chairman To Run His Senate Campaign."

Not true. Connecticut's leading left-leaning Democratic Party activist, Tom Swan, runs the Ned Lamont campaign.

The flyer is referring to someone else, Tom D'Amore. D'Amore ran the state Republican Party in the 1980s. He quit in 1990 to help Lowell Weicker defeat the Republicans and win the governor's office as an independent. D'Amore is a registered independent.

He in no way "runs" the Lamont campaign. The Lamont campaign did hire his firm, Doyle, D'Amore & Balducci (the third named partner being the former Democratic speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives), to do consulting work.
The Lieberman flyer cites me as a source for this lie: "Source: Paul Bass column, Hartford Courant, 3/26/06."

Actually, my column in the Courant that day made no mention of D'Amore working for Lieberman. I did mention in a March 5 Courant column that D'Amore might do consulting work for Lamont. (Apologies: Those particular columns are no longer available on the Courant's web site.) On March 13, the Independent did report the fact that D'Amore agreed to sign on as a consultant.

The relevant point is that nowhere was it ever reported that D'Amore would run the campaign. That's a crucial distinction. Lieberman is trying to fight back against the Lamont campaign's argument that based on his support of the agenda of President Bush and right-wing Republicans in Washington on key issues, Lieberman isn't a true Democrat. So it has tried to portray Lamont -- who, in direct contrast to Lieberman, is running against Iraq war, against Lieberman-supported Bush nominees like U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Supreme Court Justice John Robers, against the Bush-Cheney energy bill, for universal health care -- as the Republican in the race.

As is widely and publicly known, Lamont's campaign manager, the person who works full-time running every aspect of the effort day to day and is in charge of strategy, is Swan. He's on leave from his regular job as director of the state's leading liberal advocacy organization at the Captiol, the Connecticut Citizen Action Group.
"For the record," Swan said Monday, "I have never been chairman of the state Republican Party."

Is a liar like Joe Lieberman the type a person you want as your senator?

Spazeboy and Lieberman: round two


I'm a big fan of Spazeboy. This guy knows no fear and is very dangerous with a video camera. I call him Joe Lieberman's nightmare for good reason as he is relentless in going after George Bush's favorite Democrat whenever he gets a chance.

(Okay, I actually respect him because he has a Smashing Pumpkins sticker on his car but that's besides the point...)

Spazeboy was in New Britain recently as he heard about Joe coming to town for one of his famous bull shit "diner stops." Joe was also suppose to attend the New Britain DTC meeting later that night and Spazeboy was armed and ready for him. Unfortunately, Joe never arrived but Spazeboy breaks down what happened at the meeting after a Lieberman volenteer spoke on Joe's behalf.

Trust me, it's priceless.
Joe Lieberman was rumored to be in New Britain for one of his infamous publicity stunts, but important business apparently kept him in Washington. That’s too bad, because he was also going to speak to the New Britain DTC. I can’t blame him for chickening out, New Britain did give Lamont the highest number of votes at the convention: 24. Fortunately, one of his staff members (possibly one who knew or recognized me?) was there and spoke briefly. Due to general lack of preparedness, I did not have any audio or video recording equipment going at the time, something for which I could almost never forgive myself. Then again, I didn't blow an opportunity as bad as my friend CTBob did…so I’ll consider myself forgiven. Here's what the kid basically said:
Damn right, kiddo. Joe's going to have a hell of a time in New Britain as long as Spazeboy's in town.

After the Lieberman staffer spoke, the committee delved into topics not nearly interesting enough for me to blog about with two notable exceptions:

[...]

  1. Peter Tercyak, State Representative from the 26th House District moved that another vote be taken on the sense of the meeting in support of Ned Lamont’s bid for the Senate. The motion was seconded by Phil Sherwood and the sense of the meeting was to support Ned Lamont. Again, this was NOT an endorsement, and I heard at least one “nay” but I believe it was from someone (probably a Lieberman supporter) who thought it was best to remain neutral.
Joe's goon pisses off everyone at the meeting so much so that the DTC turned around and took a vote of support for Ned Lamont's candidacy. Too funny.

UPDATE: Seems like other people heard about Spazeboy's coverage of the meeting. I'm telling you, this kid is dangerous...

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Joe's giving the "I'm going to jump" signals

Oh Joe, just come out and say you're going to jump ship and get it over with.
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said Friday if he decides to petition his way onto the November ballot as an independent candidate he will publicly announce his plans prior to the Aug. 8 primary.

"It will not be done covertly," Lieberman said. "And I will have to make the decision in advance of Aug. 8, and that is what I'll do. And I promise you, either way, that if I make that decision I will make it publicly clear."
Look, this is just B.S.. Joe's jumping ship as he has no other choice at this point.

Here's what we know now:

1. Joe and his campaign knows that he'll get killed in the primary.

2. Nothing Joe's campaign has done to this point (calling Lamont a Republican, calling Lamont a liberal, calling Lamont Weicker's cub) has had no impact on stopping Lamont's positive trend.

3. (PEOPLE, TRUST ME, THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT) jumping ship might be the very thing that could take the spotlight off of Lamont and give Lieberman a chance to use a mulligan and state his case to all the voters of Connecticut.

If Joe goes into the primary, he's screwed. Make no mistake, Joe is jumping ship (and his campaign made plans to jump ship a long time ago). With Joe is already preparing for the general election in November, the only question that remains is wether or not the Democratic leaders in Connecticut will support the DEMOCRATIC nominee for Senate.

Now, more than ever, we need to know where our Democratic leaders in the state stand. It's simple, are they for the common good of the Democratic Party, or behind Joe "Mr. Independent Democrat Lieberman. It's time we put pressure on some politicians in Connecticut and force them to answer the question.

We have a right to know.

Curry misses the point

And to think I actually voted for this guy.
Will Joe opt for the insurance policy of an independent run or risk it all in a tough, bitter primary? So long as he wavers, reporters will write of little else; except, of course, "character."

Political consultants love to fight over "character." The subtext of most political ads nowadays is that anyone disagreeing with the candidate is a hypocrite, including and especially his opponent. It isn't the biggest reason people avoid politics, but it's up there.

[...]

The sense one gets of Lieberman and Lamont is of two decent, civil men who, had they met in almost any other context, would have gotten along famously. We should assume their good character and force them to sharpen their real differences. We're in too much trouble to settle for less.
Oh Bill, where do I start with you.

I'll make it simple. Curry fails to grasp the obvious...that Joe Lieberman put himself in this position and the "character" issue is fair game. If Lieberman would just say we would support the Democratic nominee after the primary, a good portion of the heat on him would go away.

Third...oh, I mean tparty nails it on the head:
This is not about "political strategy." This is about political loyalty. If Joe won't stay a Democrat, why should any Democrat vote for Joe? And if Joe is willing to leave the party just because he's facing a "inconvenient" primary challenge, to sell out his constituents for his own personal gain, isn't that a warning sign about how he'd act in the senate in the next six years?

Plus Curry's logic is frustratingly circular: Joe refuses to rule out leaving the party, that causes the debate to be about meaningless "strategy," and so in order to fix this problem he should leave the party in order to "move the debate to higher ground." Nevermind that if Joe - like Ned - would simply commit to remaining a Democrat, the debate would immediately move to "higher ground."
Bingo!

Most of the frustration towards Lieberman is his lack of loyalty and failure to work from within the Democratic Party. His failure to take the voters of Connecticut seriously when the rumors of a primary first surfaced, his failure to take Ned Lamont seriously, and his failure to support the Democratic nominee after the primary speaks volumes to the voters of Connecticut. Curry fails to understand that the ability to put this debate to "higher ground" has always been in the control of Lieberman. Instead of advising Joe to support the Democratic nominee after the primary, Curry betrays the Party and advises Joe to jump ship so the debate will go to higher ground?

If Joe jumps ship, it will be the last nail in his coffin. Curry should be ashamed of himself to suggest otherwise.

Even Russ Feingold answered the question

On Meet the Press this morning, Russ Feingold answered the simple question and said he would support the eventual Democratic nominee for Senate in Connecticut and went further and stated that he would not help Joe Lieberman while George Bush's favorite Democrat is facing a primary challenge.

Video highlights (including highlights from the MTP roundtable commenting on the Senate race) will be posted shortly.

UPDATE: You read all about it today, now watch the real "Big Russ" in action.