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.
posted by ctblogger @ 3:16 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 11:57 AM
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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).
posted by ctblogger @ 4:40 PM
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Nice going guys!
posted by ctblogger @ 4:39 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 2:08 PM
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At this point, Rep. John Larson needs to answer the simple question.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.
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.
posted by ctblogger @ 12:13 PM
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Let me tell you a tale of a former FOX News liar and karma...MSNBC personality Rita Cosby yesterday went from the floodwaters of Pennsylvania into the fire of 30 Rock.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).
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.
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.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.
[...]
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.
posted by ctblogger @ 11:00 AM
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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.Now, that's how you answer the simple question. Quick, simple, and right to the point (and no b.s.)
Andrew J. Nunn
First Selectman
Town of Monroe
posted by ctblogger @ 9:49 AM
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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.On the fence he goes.
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."
posted by ctblogger @ 9:11 AM
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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?
posted by ctblogger @ 8:18 PM
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Oh man, this is hard to watch. Yet another reason why MSNBC's Countdown is the best news program on television.
posted by ctblogger @ 8:04 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 4:55 PM
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Wow, the ads from Ned Lamont keep getting better and better. With ads like this hitting the airwaves, Joe is in serious trouble.
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.
posted by ctblogger @ 2:38 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 1:21 PM
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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.
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).
posted by ctblogger @ 11:17 AM
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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!
posted by ctblogger @ 10:38 AM
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Boy, Joe is really desperate.
posted by ctblogger @ 8:33 AM
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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...
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.
posted by ctblogger @ 2:16 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 11:44 AM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 10:48 AM
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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."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.
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."
posted by ctblogger @ 4:46 PM
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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.
So much for Lamont being an one-issue candidate...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.
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.
[...]
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.
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.
posted by ctblogger @ 4:36 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 2:49 PM
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Ah, it all becomes clearer now...
posted by ctblogger @ 2:10 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 1:01 PM
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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.
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."If you think that's great, wait till you read about McEnroe's encounter with everyone's favorite press secretary.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:
- 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."
- 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.
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.
In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson:Snap, snap.
They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're altogether ooky,
The Liebercampaignstaff!
posted by ctblogger @ 11:56 AM
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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.Is it safe to say that Hamzy will not be supporting the Republican nominee for Senate?
"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."
posted by ctblogger @ 10:32 AM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 8:52 AM
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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.Dittohead is dittofucked.
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.
Lets move on...
posted by ctblogger @ 8:51 PM
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WHAA! Ned's not being fair! WHAA!
Statement from Marion Steinfels on the Lieberman Campaign's reaction to Negative Ned's Latest Smear Tactics: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?
"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".
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.
posted by ctblogger @ 5:34 PM
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John DeStefano unveiled a new ad in which he goes after Wal-Mart. View it below.
posted by ctblogger @ 4:18 PM
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Stay the course=lie and die.
Just remember, according to the President's Press Secretary, it's only a number.
posted by ctblogger @ 4:12 PM
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posted by ctblogger @ 1:23 PM
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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.
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.Is a liar like Joe Lieberman the type a person you want as your senator?
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."
posted by ctblogger @ 12:13 PM
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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: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.Damn right, kiddo. Joe's going to have a hell of a time in New Britain as long as Spazeboy's in town.
- Lieberman just opened an office in New Britain (He also recited the address, which I thought would be on Joe's website…he probably doesn’t have the bandwidth for a list of local offices).
- Lieberman looks forward to running on his record (Obviously why Lieberman has already put out two negative ads attacking Lamont. One that he wasted a chunk of change on for TV airtime, and one that he put on his website so everybody in the world could see how shitty it was)
- Lieberman looks forward to earning every vote in New Britain, even changing a few (from Lamont, I presume). Seeming to acknowledge the fact that he was in New Britain, this youngster added five words that I will never forget: "That’s probably not gonna happen"
After the Lieberman staffer spoke, the committee delved into topics not nearly interesting enough for me to blog about with two notable exceptions:
[...]
- 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.
posted by ctblogger @ 11:31 AM
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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.Look, this is just B.S.. Joe's jumping ship as he has no other choice at this point.
"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."
posted by ctblogger @ 11:49 PM
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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."Oh Bill, where do I start with you.
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.
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?Bingo!
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."
posted by ctblogger @ 10:57 PM
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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.
posted by ctblogger @ 10:42 AM
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