Digby is right again, as usual. E.J. Dionne repeats a piece of conventional wisdom that irks the hell out of me every time I hear it – if Lieberman loses the primary and runs as an independent it will distract everyone from the true villain, the GOP, and therefore we should just give him a pass.
Balderdash. Lieberman has been an integral part of the GOP’s bully machine for the past six years, the Democrat useful for his willingness to dicipline his own kind. Ned Lamont is running a legitimate primary contest and Joe is refusing to abide by the results of that primary. As Lowell Weicker said the other day, when he became an independent he didn’t fuck with the Republican primary first (my words not his) he just left. Joe is fucking with the Democratic primary and then abandoning the party to attack it from the outside. How this is the fault of Ned Lamont or his supporters I would very much like to know.
"Vote for me or I’ll take the party down with me" hardly seems like an honest way to win an election.
Dionne says he personally knows and likes Lieberman. Perhaps he and all the other DC insiders who are so worried that this Lamont challenge will end up hurting Democrats in the fall should have a talk with Joe. After all, whether or not there is a "distraction" is entirely in his hands.
Joe is pulling in nearly $100,000 a day in donations; he’s now raised over $10 million dollars and he’s pouring it into vote buying. This money isn’t coming because Joe is beloved; it’s coming because toppling him is a threat to oh so many who see their gravy train coming to an end if they have to be responsible to an electorate who expect them to stand for something. I know many think Joe will be under pressure to withdraw from the race if he loses the primary, but I wonder if he will be under pressure to stay in, to fight a proxy battle on behalf of those who think they’re next. They have certainly proven themselves willing to throw gobs of cash at him to forestall that eventuality. It will certainly be interesting to see if any of those writing the big checks will be willing to stand with him and suffer political LieberCooties should that day come.
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Fitz!
Twolf1!
Angelides!
Bowen!
Peace.
Just now on CNN:
Wolf: … the Lieberman race coming up next week as well. How does that look, Jack?
Jack: He’s going to lose, and so is McKinney.
Digby!
Linda R — LindaR @
4
Go Jack.
How much do we love our new commenting software? Jamie’s a stone cold god.
I love how Josh describes Boltin’Joe’s attitude:
An exploding sense of entitlement.
These guys all owe each other favors over 25 years in business together. The trick is in appearing to grant the favor being called in while backpaddling furiously to avoid going over the falls with your good friend.
The new commenting software is great, Jane.
Has Lieberman had any fundraising help from the GOP? Anything like Santorum has been doing in PA — helping fund the Green Party candidate in hopes they will take votes away from his opposition?
it will distract everyone from the true villain, the GOP, and therefore we should just give him a pass
Change that to –
it will distract the party from its own villains, the VichyDems, and they fear that should come to pas.
- and then I’ll buy it.
The only way we, The Merkun People, can begin to make atonement with the world is to elect an authentically progressive Democratic House and Senate in November, impeach Bush and Cheney, beg the world’s forgiveness, and commit to reparations.
Forgiveness for what? For the mess this Administration has made of the world. And since Joesperation is Chief Enabler, the ending of his “career” next Tuesday would be a good preview of the November whirlwind.
kobe !
It’s really hard for me to believe Holy Joe will really go through with his independent run. I’m sure Clinton has tried to talk him out of it, for example. I just can’t think of anything more humiliating than the likely outcome — he loses that race too.
Dionn said an independent run by Leaverman “would divert national attention from the Democrats’ central goal of making this fall’s elections a referendum on Bush and the Republican Congress,” and he views this as a problem for Democrats.
I don’t see how it’s a problem. Lamont and the Democratic Party run against Bush, his Republican Congress, and his [formerly Democratic]enabler/apologist, Joe Lieberman.
Entirely consistent.
Joe is pulling in nearly $100,000 a day in donations; he’s now raised over $10 million dollars and he’s pouring it into vote buying
Q: Sen Leiberman, I’ve hear that you have raised over $10 million for your campaign. I understand why you might think your campaign is important, but surely you realize:
FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY YOU COULD BUY US ONE MORE HOUR OF WAR!!!!!!!!
Where are your principles, Sen. Leiberman? Are you not willing to buy us even one more hour of death, destruction and destabilization?
How about if I trade for a video game?
If Lieberman runs as an Indep. and hurts the party, it’s nobody’s fault but Lieberman’s. All his friends who are party elders should have a serious talk with him to call it quits.
I’m still nervous about Aug. 8 and GOTV efforts. I hope Mr. Swan has it all in hand.
twolf1 @3:08:
Lieberman has been getting a lot of support in the Democratic primary from Republican donors. Here is an NYT link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07…..ref=slogin
Yea Exile, it’s time for Joe to spend “more time with his family”.
I hope Lamont prepare some pithy soundbites for MTP re: what Mary said –
That Joe’s campaign is entirely funded and run from out of state — and mostly by Republicans.
Yea, they carried it in The Arizona Republic this morning, and it made me mad, too.
Why the self-loathing, Dionne?
Mary @ 10
I am gonna get myself in so much trouble here and I hate it when people start flinging the “nazi” slander around, but there is a valid anology to be made between Leiberman and a Kapo in a concentration camp.
Which is worse, a mindless brute who is running on hatred and has lost so much of his own humanity that he can no longer percieve an entire group of people as human?
Or the member of the martyred group, who betrays his own to the brutes, not just to save his own bony ass, but to gain privledges above his fellows?
It’s the willingness to betray his own, to hold his own to much much higher standard than he hold all others, including, or especailly the oppressors. Somebody called Leiberman a Kapo on an earlier thread and it stuck with me all day.
If someone has a less emotionally radioactive term, I’d like to use that instead. I really do HOTE using nazi analogies because I don’t want to trivialize the Holocaust
Also regarding impending retirements: hadn’t seen this on any other thread today:
ABC axes planned Gibson series on Holocaust
baghdad joe – thanks for the link
I just cam from a Ned rally in my small town of 6000 people where more than fifty people showed up to listen and give Ned a standing ovation. HoJo had a rally yesterday in New Haven (145,000) and he could not get twenty people to show up. Is there any question about who is going on win Aug 8th.
Look at the sitemeters and see how world wide this race has become. 1968 was last time the people really sent a message to the establishment but wait til Aug 9th and you will see and hear the sound of the people speaking loud and clear again.
So has there been any sign, any sign, ANY SIGN, that anyone is collecting signatures for the Joe for Joe campaign?
I can’t believe that 7,500 needed names could be done totally under the radar and at this point in time there’s only one week left.
Cluebat for E.J. Dionne: YOU are harming the world with that fucked up logic.
If Joe looses decisively on August 8 he is toast. End of story. At that stage we’ll have moved beyong Connecticut to a conversation about what happens in 08.
semi-EPU’d: when Joe gets sent packing, I suggest he retire to Shyster Island.
Phil!
Shez @ 26
Yup. I usually like Dionne’s analyses, but I saw right through this one and started muttering under my breath. No small thanks to FDL, which has helped clarify my thinking on such matters.
Rev Deb
Indy signatures, unlike registered party sigs can come from any registered voter, regardless of affiliation, so long as they have not already signed a petition.
So, instead of going door to door for these, you send volunteers to shopping malls and movie theatres and commuter train stations.
A single volunteer can do 20-50 sigs an hour at a good mall. so that’s between 150 – 350 manhours.
Or 50 voluteers for one full work day each. At $40 a “volunteer” Joe could do the whole thing in a single Saturday.
The interesting thing is that this race has evolved in a way that validates everything the progressive netroots have been saying. The Democratic establishment is interested in top-down managemment of our party, there is too much special interest big money in politics, and Lieberman isn’t loyal to the party.
Every day provides further confirmation that we had good reason to back Lamont.
yes RevDeb, there have been several reports about LieberPetitioners here on FDL. Professional petitioners could get thousands of signatures to get Mel Gibson for Ambassador to Israel or Jeff Dahmer as WhiteHouse Chef …
Sounds like E.J. Dionne has developed a habit for munching on cocktail weenies. Too bad, I usually like his writing.
More at my 31
The whole operation, including organizers, printing, transporatation , clipboards, lunch money and pens, could be done for $10 K if you had an experienced hand running it.
the LieberStipend for LieberVolunteers is $80/day
Someone commented here recently about a business meeting her hub was in where an executive interrupted to ask the entire group to sign RGJoe Indy petitions. Can’t recall who painted that picture, though I remember she said her hub didn’t sign since he’s a contractor, altho all the others (employees of the requestor) did sign.
So it’s happening, even if we can’t see it….
LindaR @ 11
Amen, LindaR. But hey, spellcheck is your friend; shouldn’t that be the Merkun Peeple? ;)
*ilson46201 @ 36
My mistake, new calculation 50 x 80=$4K
You know what? In my head I bugeted $4K for the feild stipend, so the $10K total still stands. Somehow, even though I had the feild stipend amount wrong, I still bugeted the right total. Go figure
There was also some discussion earlier about whether these petition-collectors would have to be members of the MY EGO party, like RGJoe, since this isn’t exactly structured like a pure Indy play.
There’s this guy out of Houston Texas. His name is John Hagee. He is a preacher of death. He’s an evangelical with a huge television show and all, who advocates destruction and misery. This nut is just one of many leaders of the Christian fundamentalists who supports the ‘anything the Israeli government chooses to do movement’ is great and (of course not stated) self-servingly prophetic. This character has a gigantic following, including President Bush. Last month Hagee led a large rally in a Washington D.C. hotel where he called Israel’s monstrous actions in the Middle East a “miracle of God”. The Wall Street Journal quotes Hagee as saying that if Israel restrains itself in it’s goals in Lebanon it would go against “God’s foreign policy statement” in showing that Jews are doing God’s work. And Bush sent Hagee a message praising him for “spreading the hope of God’s love and the universal gift of freedom”. The Israeli/U.S. arrangement is a nihilistic marriage of convenience brokered in hell. It is a mutually sick symbiotic relationship where each participant is suckering the other. And in the end there will be no winners. ‘Til death do they (and we) part.
ROFL this is too good from last thread to miss:
It would be interesting if Lamont would start gathering signatures on petitions asking Joe not to run as an independent. It wouldn’t stop him, of course, but it might be funny if Lamont collected a bunch more joe-don’t-run signatures than Joe collected for his independent campaign.
there have been other reports that the signature rate seemed to be running low but the observers might have been biased.
I still have no hopes that the 7500 plus 50% signatures wont be garnered. Its a very cut and dried procedure in politics anymore …
Montana Senator Baucus’ Nephew Dies in Iraq-
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/new…..173991.htm
why do I alwayds always always transpose my “i”s and “e”s? Sigh
for the life of me i can not see why any human being would think george w bush is operating in the best interest of this country. we should vote out of office anyone in congress who even smiles at him.
and why does tony blair look so smitten when he is with him? does w give off some sort of compelling musk that politicians find irresistable?
neurophius, I like the no-run petitions, but I don’t think they should come from Lamont; they should be independent of him. Not that anybody’s actually gonna do it, but just saying if anyone gets ideas.
TeddySanFran @ 40
No, B/C it not a “party” in the regular sense. it is just a line that you petition to put in the machines. the qualification for those carrying is simply that they are registered voters in the state and have not already signed another petition for that office.
Historically the Holocaust was the last stage of a frightfull process that began with the Nuremburg laws @1933? They were equivalent to Jim Crow laws in the US and IIRC, used similar language. Kristallnacht, the night of the broken glass, taking away jobs, homes, the Warsaw ghetto, the concentration camps, slavery, all led to the “Final Solution,” about 1941.
Xtians in Germany allowed all this to happen, and especially Roman Catholics following Pope Pius XII.
Kapo’s are as far as I know are only a factor at the end in the concentration camps. And, so far as I know, they didn’t have any significantly greater range of choices than those beneath them on the food chain.
In my opinion the Xtians deserve far more responsibility for what happened than the kapo’s. JMO.
looseheadprop @ 3:32 pm (#39) – Sometimes, two wrongs actually do make a right ;)
1. Lieberman is collecting $100,000 A DAY??? That seems like a huge amount of money flowing in. Any data on who/what is making such contributions?
2. I continue to believe that if Lieberman loses on 08/08, he’ll still run as an Indy. I don’t think Clinton extracted any promises from JoJo. I think Clinton was there purely to serve his wife’s constant triangulation stuff. As for Lieberman, he’ll run because he’s always been in it for himself. That’s his history. He’s never made a sacrifice for the good of the Party….it’s always been all about Joe. Me, me, me. That’s Joe.
Ghostman
Dionne is a perfect example of why we Democrats have consistently lost. Fear of losing seems to make them act in ways that will guarantee loss. Most of the elected Democrats have been running scared since 2000. Enough is enough!
I’m not in CT, but I’ve donated often to Ned. He’s my version of a wake-up call to the Democrats who have let us down so often.
lhp 45 – someone has to do battle for the e-s after those pompous i-s managed to cut that sweet “i before e” deal. E-s have voweled to fight back.
Joey the purple-trending-to-red demosaur says, ‘I love you, vote for me, FDL wants to extinctorate me… Bad, naughty Jane! Bad, naughty Christy! Bad, naughty FDL! Spank yourselves and think of the children’
;>)
Well, Mary, if the e-s and the i-s are determined to do battle–letter rip.
John Casper,
As I said, i hate it when folks start flinging nazi comparisions around. It’s just that the “Kapo” moniker, sums up the problem with Joe so succinctly. it’s pithy.
Phil, per punaise thanks for the great update!
lhp at 35
Also, it might be politically advantageous to do the signature gathering this weekend before the primary. It would increase buzz and reassert name recognition and it might be too late to get the media to see it for what it was:
Volunteer asks: “Would you sign a petition supporting Joe Lieberman for Senate?” Bada bing, bada boom. And, it might give Lieberman a new way of arguing he needs to run as an independent to epresent ALL the people of the State, not just democratic primary zealots. You know the tune.
So Saturday would probably be Sig-Day if there was going to be one?
Here is the 22 page mandatory FEC daily report of recent contributions above $1000 for Joe…
Mary @ 54
I hope punaise is suitably impressed.
LOL
*ilson
Your Lieberman list link only gets me an error message.
darkblack, I hope you’ve seen all the comments about your Easter Island riff.
The Nefarious Leslie @ 38
Saturday would be when I would do if using volunteers b/c for some reason (maybe the vestiges of the blue laws) it is easier to get folks to do stuff on a Saturday than a Sunday.
But, Joe may turn to conservative, republican jews for his signatures.
Since there wasn’t a rep primary, there should be oodles of reps who have not yet signed a petiton. They can’t sign on Saturday. So lets not count out Friday and Sunday. Espacailly Friday night. Sundown is very late this time of year.
Mary54. I did a double-take. I thought it was punaise
{{{ must not click on darkblack while at client’s }}}
Is it any surpise that of course, it’s a Democrat’s relative?
cosmo @ 45
My stress level is pretty high lately. Everything in the ME is escalating daily.
Joe Lieberman is a spoiled child. I can’t wait for him to lose.
SusanD @ 53
Fear of losing seems to make them act in ways that will guarantee loss.
No kidding. I’m not in this to win. I don’t support candidates because they have the better chance of being elected. I’m in this to make things better. If I have to eschew making things better to win, what’s the point?
And your point is taken. In sports, you learn fairly early that if you don’t believe you can do something, you might as well not play. It’s only when you have the confidence to believe you can win that you really have a chance, given even moderately good competition.
He’s my version of a wake-up call to the Democrats who have let us down so often.
Ditto. When neither party is willing to go to bat for us, why should we care who wins? As others have mentioned, most consensus Democratic party positions are the ones supported by the majority in this country. Why run from that. It’s never made any sense to me. Clinton seems to have been the only politician to make that policy work on a nationwide level, and he probably could have sold us just about anything. He’s really not a good test case.
Hahahahaha! That’s my new favorite phrase, LieberCooties. After Aug 8th, when Lamont wins the primary, everyone I know who’s conservative is gonna hear me say “Ooooo, you’ve got LieberCooties! Get away!”
Love that Hamsher snark. 8)
FEC Report again — the latest 22 page daily report of only contributions above $1000 …
Mary @ 54
It’s a consonnant struggle
i’m going home. Got to meet client at 7Am to prep for Depo tomorrow. Must get SOME sleep.
Catch late in the day maniana
lhp — mucho good feelings to baby mitts
Question: Under election laws, can Lieberman use any of the money he’s collected running in the Democratic primary, as a Democrat, for a race he’d run as a member of another party? Those contributions would not legally be for that race, would they?
Darkblack@65 – AAARRGH! Those teeth! TEddy, don’t look, don’t look.
What do you think would happen if we introduced him to TRex?
Well, if that’s what he’s doing, it would have to be THIS Saturday. He has to file by August 9th.
LindaR — the simple answer is “yes.” However, the party cannot spend anything or work on his behalf
LHP,
‘i’ before ‘e’,
except after c,
And when prounounced as ay,
As in nEIghbor and wEIgh.
BC
Via the Muckraker
http://www.nydailynews.com/new…..0389c.html
Bush’s recent nominee to the 5th Circuit gets a UNANIMOUS UNQUALIFIED from the ABA.
Sheez freakin louise.
The war is more horrible in its impact, but what he has done to the whole system and framework of justice and law in this country is so profound and long term.
There are a boatload of people out there well qualified to be judges. OTOH, you can’t say this about all of them: “The law will not get in his way,” said a judge quoted in the report by lawyer Kim Askew.
Heck, can we afford to have him on the bench? What if something happens to Gonzales? The man has AG for Bush Administration written all over him.
*s*
HoJo is a real diphthong
immanentize @ 79
Gosh, my naivete is showing again. I am stunned.
LHP,
‘i’ before ‘e’,
except after ‘c’,
And when prounounced as ay,
As in nEIghbor and wEIgh.
BC
But I like punaise’s version better
Oklahoma kiddo @ 3:33 pm (#41) – Christians like Hagee should really read the second half of their holy book before they decide what their god wants.
Judging from his behavior and demeanor during this primary battle, I’d have to conclude that Joe is not ready for the kind of defeat about to swamp him.
Money? Independent run? Watch it all evaporate…
Does anyone one know if anyone organization will be challanging the signatures for Short Rides Indy run?
In AZ several of the local groups challenged the Nader signatures and he failed to qualify for the ballot in 2004. It is against the law to use paid signature gathers in AZ who are not AZ residents and qualified to vote in the very election they are petitioning for. So those gyspy petitioning companies who travel the country for the money get reported to the Attorney General (nice progressive Democrat)
I would be willing to chip in to fund the signature investigation!
Thank you all for your compliments on my works.
:)
If my pictures can help to alleviate the encroaching darkness in any small way for someone, then I have accomplished what I have set out to do.
But there is much work for us to do before the dawn.
Joe’s “a-vowel” problem:
“I” before “thee”, and everybody else.
great work from Darkblack Ink. :~)
He is, punaise, but is that gerund to the battle of e-s?
Now via Rawstory (why do I do this?)
Not a Single Army Combat Team ready
Haaretz of Israel
By Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Israeli commandos landed by helicopter late Tuesday night near the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek in what Lebanese security sources described as a major operation against suspected Hezbollah positions.
Lebanese security sources said the troops landed as aircraft launched several strikes near Baalbek, which is located in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. One Lebanese officer saying the Israel Air Force presence in the air above the ancient city was “unprecedented.”
The army refused to comment on the reports.
Hezbollah’s chief spokesman told the Associated Press that Israeli troops had landed near a Baalbek hospital and that fierce fighting was raging between commandos and guerrilla fighters. “There was really an Israeli landing of troops around the Dar al-Hikma Hospital in Baalbek. Hezbollah fighters engaged Israeli troops in fierce fighting that has been raging on for more than an hour,” said Hussein Rahal, Hezbollah’s media chief.
The operation began with at least five rapid air strikes three hours before the end of Israel’s self-imposed two-day pause in air attacks.
“The extreme, unprecedented number of aircraft indicates the possibility that the Israelis are planning to land troops, but we cannot yet confirm that,” said one security official on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
Other security officials, also speaking anonymously for the same reason, denied IDF troops were on the ground. Flares held aloft by parachutes lighted the night sky to a daytime brilliance, the official said.
Witnesses in Baalbek said they saw dozens of IAF helicopters hovering over the city. They said a private hospital in Baalbek, filled with patients and wounded people, was bombed by IAF helicopters late Tuesday. Plumes of burning smoke billowed from the hospital after it was directly hit, they said.
There was no immediate word on casualties.
*ilson 33
What is the matter with one of your Pit babies?
Punaise:
Shyster = Shylock = anti-semitic parody of a Jew.
As much as I love Shakespeare, and as much as I appreciate your humor and light touch, this one . . . not a good idea.
Mary – Joe has a problem with NeoCon(sub)jugation. He’s a dangling participant, but not a misplaced maw defier.
Please stop, punaise. You are about to make me have a spell.
Hardball covering Big Dog/Lieberman right now.
I dont rightly know about why the pitbaby is sick — he was getting way too skinny and throwing up — I started him on home-made pedialyte and he’s doing better and eating well … he’s been devouring little cans of cat food
Jane, thanks once more.
I have a feeling that nerves will be so frazzled among the Power Elite, including the media, if Joe loses the primary, that there will be enormous pressure on him to give it up.
For me, THAT will be test of Joe Lieberman’s character. And the only one. I think he’s a principled, honest, decent guy; I just disagree with his principles, which is why my poor ass has donated to Ned’s campaign.
I want change. I don’t care where it comes from.
And I don’t think I’m alone.
squirrel hiller @ 47
I like the way you think.
In fact, every time I see that bloodthirsty fool grinning, I just want to know WTF he has to smile about.
I have a question for the good senator. Being that he is talking about what he did for civil rights is the 1960’s, in the words of Janet Jackson, “Senator, what have you done for me lately?
Koheleth @ 94
I beg to differ:
I don’t see any link to Shylock there, perhaps I’m overlooking something.
*ilson46201 @ 72
Is this just for out of state contributors? There isn’t a single name on that list with an address in Connecticut. There are quite a few from Penn., though.
HopeSprings, honey, how’s it going? You and your husband are often in my thoughts. When my gloom lifts long enough to have a thought, that is.
I eat when I’m stressed. I hope you have healthier coping mechanisms. I’m making some of Christy’s lemonade right this very minute, extra sugar. I’ll lift my glass to FDL.
I went to my chiropractor Fri. In his storeroom are shelves and shelves of every homeophatic known. He gave me radtox. Somewhere, he said, someone is testing nukes. Cheers!
Just a hit-and-run–cited Lamont as an anti-war candidate, talking about how Iraq has been dividing the Democratic Party.
Mixed emotions on this one – but Miller may have to turn over phone records after all:
Editor & Publisher link Prosecutors winning in Second Circuit
It’s one of those – of course if she deliberately or stupidly tipped off a group handling terrorist funding /launderig – she should have to turn it over. OTOH, it’s one more brick in the wall of journalists being beaten down, while Gonzales and DOJ are gearing up to go after journalists and whistleblowers.
The world’s not an easy place when bad people are running it.
I’ve finally blogged about Lieberman’s stop in Dayville today. Read my thoughts and see pictures at my website.
punaise @ 95
Sounds like one of *ilsons pitpups.
Hmmm. My comment vanished.
the fact that the 22page LieberReport of just one days over-$1k contributions contains so few (if any) donors from CT says a lot about the JoeDonorBase…
Hope 69
Hi, Hope!
Any news from across the ponds today?
Mommybrain @ 111
“Maw me be rain” does not sound right.
Putting on my Nostradamus hat:
If Joe loses badly to Lamont, he will not risk a second defeat at the hands of a beginner by running as an Indie. Right now he thinks he will, and therefore the petitions, but the humiliation of a defeat by Lamont will hit him like a ton of bricks on next Wednesday. He will attempt to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and say he is bowing out for the good of the party because he is a true Democrat, blahblahblah. He will not accept a job with the Bush administration because he knows that leaves him no room for redemption (Joe is a fool but he is not dumb). Besides, any such job may only last 2 years.
And then he will go out and rake in 5 mil a year to lobby for his corporate angels, using his insider connections to Comgress. He will game the system to the very end.
And of course, there is that million-dollar tell-all book contract waiting for him, perhaps ghosted by David Brooks. The book will be remaindered 6 weeks after being published.
Can anyone point me to a reasonably detailed online map of the southern Lebanon/northern Israel region?
The problem with Dionne’s thesis is that it presumes the majority of CT’s Dem voter’s will want to save Holy Joe’s job because they know and like him almost as much as the Beltway chattering class.
Except that Holy Joe has been AWOL from CT for most of the last 18 years, so the voters don’t actually know what a nice *cough*, charming, *cough* compassionate *cough*, fella he is.
So they’ll be forced to make their decision based on what he says and does. And I don’t see that working for Holy Joe.
I don’t read Dionne as saying people should vote for Holy Joe to stop him from running as an independent. Dionne is clearly criticizing Joe’s decision to run as an independent as being distracting. EJ is allright by me.
*ilson46201 @ 113
The fact that he knows quite a few homemakers who have a spare $1K in the cookie jar probably says something, too.
It looks like there’s one duplicate page in that form, BTW. It’s the second-to-last page that has donors on it. I guess that makes it twenty-one pages.
orangejumpsuit
For a while, I was getting unwanted e-mails from a company offering Coultergeist’s latest hardcover book for $4.95. Maybe they will get the Lieberman contract, too.
Alphonse @ 119
That’s the way I read it, too.
Koheleth @ 94, just to close the loop on that, I do appreciate the intent of pointing out what you perceived as a faux pas. I’m not prone to deliberate racist/anti-semetic cheap shots, but that doesn’t preclude semantic “accidents”.
I hate to be a wet blanket, but what about the voting machines/polling people?
It seems Lamott will win. But are we going to have another 2004, where all the polls said Kerry won, and then afterward they all said, “We must have been wrong”?
And please don’t say, “Well, we have to win by a huge amount.” 90%? 80%? IF this happens — ANYWHERE in the US — will people take to the streets in massive numbers?
Peony — I believe a lot of that “European growing anti-Semitism” is part of the increasingly-discredited ideological trick of equating any criticism of the policies of the government of Israel with anti-Jewish anti-Semitism.
“What? You dont believe Israel has the right to bomb a building full of children? What are you? Anti-Semitic or something?”
Actually, I thought of a book that a defeated Joe could write that might sell well. He would describe August 9, 2006 as a big wake-up call (I was going to say a road-to-Damascus experience, but decided not to). He would talk about how it gave him a new world-view, revealing the dysfunctionality and corruptness of the Incumbency Party, causing him to realize that having 63 lobbyists for every member of Congress (or however many there are) is just wrong, that our current campaign finance status quo is evil, and filling him with a reformist zeal to help revitalize the Democratic Party as an agent of positive change…
.
.
.
.
.
Dream on, neuro. It’s not going to happen.
One of the contributors in that list is SUNPAC, which, according to this comment in a Kos diary, is a pro-Israel PAC. To answer an earlier question, my guess is that Joe’s position on the Middle East hasn’t changed much in the last week or so.
punaise – well, he can identify Americans as the subjects of his
Presidentpredicateneuro @ 126 – that’ll be the day….nice fiction piece!
Mary @ 128
…as we suffer the adverbs affects of his policies
Shell @ 121
CW sez (i think): the gop diebold advantage can be used for about a 10% thumb on the election scale. anything more would HOPEFULLY be to OBVIOUS!!
that said: we can not put anything past these cheating scumbags —– that means you JOE!!!
Sorry, punaise. For a minute there, I was having a Joecellunation…
If this has been discussed already, I apologize. Tangently related to *ilson’s comment at #122.
“What? You dont believe Israel has the right to bomb a building full of children? What are you? Anti-Semitic or something?”
Steve Clemons on John Bolton nomination hearings:
“At his Thursday Senate confirmation hearings, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee majority staff passed out Ambassador Bolton’s “official statement”. In that opening statement, there appeared a controversial and provocative sentence that asserted that Israelis and Lebanese who become innocent casualties in this war are not morally equivalent. His argument is that Israeli innoncents are more important than Lebanese innocent casualties because the Israelis were attacked by Hezbollah.
It was a shocking sentence, and the moment I saw it, I blogged about it directly from the Senate Hearing Room.
The sentence read:
But it is a mistake to ascribe a moral equivalence to civilians who die as the direct resulte of malicious terrorist acts, the very purpose of which are to kill civilians, and the tragic and unfortunate consequence of civilian deaths as a result of military action taken in self-defense.
Now, some have misunderstood what happened next. My surprise did not come when John Bolton read a script that was different than the one in hand. What happened was that just as John Bolton was beginning to read his statement, a new statement was distributed — with only this line of text removed.”
http://thewashingtonnote.com/
Heads up, folks! Sharpton’s gonna be on Hardball next talking about Lamont.
a Joelucenation?
The Nefarious Leslie @
38
That’s Peepul.
BBC
What makes this story doubly-disgusting for me is that today is my very first day on Medicare (my Bday is much later this month)
So it’s all *ilson’s fault.
Until Eli arrives, then he must be stopped.
Medicare is a “scheme”?
Jeez, I thought it was a social safety net that has served our nation well for over 40 years.
Thanks wilson, for the link. As others noted,
1. I didn’t find any donors from Ct.
2. Lots of folks giving $1000 from Va., Pa., and NY….whatever that means.
Ghostman
Shooogarp — in England “scheme” is used like “program” or “plan” is here. It’s a boot/trunk, biscuit/cookie thing.
shooogarp
Your statement is just further evidence that reality has a liberal bias…[S. Colbert]
*ilson – hope the pup is covered by your Medicare (or would that be Med-dog-care?)
Medicare is a “scheme”?
“Scheme” is a Britishism for the good American word “program” — the story was from the BBC.
Why can’t those foreigners use proper English?
shoogarp @ 133 – that’s outrageous
SLindaR @ 138
So in England the word “bush” used for dumbfuck?
I read Dionne’s article as being, in the old cliche, more in sorrow than in anger. Dionne thinks Joe fucked up, but hopes he will pull through with the good graces of the elderly electorate in CT (those who have adored him for 18 years) and learn something. In other words, according to Dionne, Joe’s best chance is to be saved by old farts like Dionne himself.
All this says of Dionne is that he is a well-meaning old gentleman, but out of touch with today’s political realities. He totally misses the significance of the Lamont challenge — that this is not just about Lamont, but about the direction this country has been heading the past six years…downhill. Dionne thinks this is about Joe, when Joe is just flotsam caught up in the storm. We need to reverse that slide, and Lamont gives us some hope for that. At bottom, Joe is irrelevant.
Fern @
114
Here’s one that I found somewhere or other just yesterday, from just north of Tyre down to the southern border with Israel.
Ok, this punning is becoming far to cute and clever! What I want to know, is how many of the FDL regulars are Geminis?
hey shoogarp
Have you added another “o”: shooogarp? Is that an age ring or something?
:~)
Leo here on the cusp of cancer — but you probably knew that:
Never uncertain, often wrong, ruled by his stomach….
About 13 years ago, I was disabled in a car accident. The driver who plowed into four cars at a red light got out of her car and said “Don’t worry, I am fully insured!”
Her coverage was a total of $35,000.
I couldn’t work for almost ten years. If it had not been for Social Security disability and medicare, I would be a bag lady by now. I have a few years left of medicare (I am working again), and I truly dread the end of it. Except for the donut hole (except for being disabled, I was pretty much healthy!), medicare has been quite adequate coverage. I wish everyone had it; and I think if our representatives represented us, everyone would have it.
immanentize @ 150
it’s his engagement ring!
LindaR – that’s quite an ordeal.
Zoe de yak? Jim ‘n I
Holy Joe, I just got hit tonight.
A teen aged black kid came to my door – holding a Lieberman brochure. I asked him how much he was making – $60 bucks he said.
I showed him my sign I made for tomorrow’s rally – “Joe takes Walmart PAC money”. He wanted to know what PAC money was. He didn’t know that there was going to be a rally in Bridgeport about Walmart. He goes to Kolbe Cathedral High School – Bridgeport.
I asked him if he knew that Joe was pro-war – he didn’t know that. I asked him if he knew that Joe supported all of Bush’s trade agreements, sending thousands of jobs out of Connecticut. He didn’t know that.
I told him he should be ashamed of himself, and he made me ashamed to be a Bridgeport teacher. If he wants to work for a candidate, he should at least know the facts – and you do it for the love, not the money.
Poor kid.
Yes, LindaR. I am sorry to hear about your tragedy, but I am happy to have a nice story about how an effective and compassionate government helps people in need.
By the way, where is you SSI at these days?
“Have you added another “o”: shooogarp? Is that an age ring or something?”
“it’s his engagement ring!”
You’re both right since I proposed on my b-day. After spending five days in 100 degree heat at a bluegrass festival, I’m thinking this year’s ring will have a red hue to it. : )
Sorry if this has already been addressed in previous comments, but, what are the actual mechanics of voting in the Conn.primary? Electronic, optical, paper ballots, etc…
And, who runs the polling places…who counts the votes…who decides where polling stations are placed???
Thanks,
Ben Ginsburg (GOP toady and shyster) endorses Lieberman on Hardball.
Lest it be forgotten, Ginsburg was involved in the Swiftboaters…
punaise @ 155
Many people have worse injuries than I did. I only wanted to illustrate how great Social Security and Medicare are, even if they could be better.
I don’t think politicians realize how important these two “schemes” are, nor how many people they help. It’s not just those collecting benefits. Think of what a stress it would put on the families of those collecting benefits if those benefits suddenly evaporated!
Joe will not run as an Indie. The inner logic of his situation countervails against his running as an Indie if he loses in the primary. Joe is an old gamer, and he knows his future looks brighter if he turns away from elective politics…at last. So I don’t understand all the hand-wringing about an Indie run. It is a hollow illusion and Joe knows it.
Isn’t it interesting how all the GOPers are for LIEberman … and are calling him MODERATE? ROFL That says it all!
*ilson46201 @ 158
Ginsburg has been involved in every GOP dirty trick since the stolen Florida election.
I wish people were informed enough because that kind of endorsement should sink Joe in Conn.
orangejumpsuit @ 163
I knew it! HoJo is a bluffoon….
*ilson46201 @ 158
He’s a dick. Jenny’s doing a good job. And I swore I heard the fill-in say Sharpton was going to be on, but apparently I’m wrong. Maybe he said tomorrow.
Yup, apparently Sharpton is on tomorrow.
“Ben Ginsburg (GOP toady and shyster) endorses Lieberman on Hardball.”
I hope Ned works that in, maybe Newt will endorse Joe too.
shooogarp @
156
Did you go to Telluride?
WTF?
“We are delivering to the Lebanese border
and around Gaza”
http://pizzaidf.org/
Hey all you Rocky Horror fans, maybe we should show up at a Holy Joe rally and throw toast at the stage?
Ok, the cops would probably not be down with that, so maybe The Kiss” guys could just make a “Toast” float and dog him the last week.
“Ginsburg has been involved in every GOP dirty trick since the stolen Florida election.”
Take this from an OLD timer — he was a dirty-trickster long before 2000.
Great story Sue at 4:51, thanks.
Sue – Did I misconstrue? You shamed the teenage kid?
Not at all in agreement with that tactic. Joe’s the shameful one. The kid was merely uninformed. And a kid.
LindyH @ 133
Ryte you are! It awkerred to me leighter.
The mainstream democrats have lost their way being just a few shades to the left of Joe Lieberman, but all trying to be Republican lite.
Maybe this time around in November they will stand for something.
Do you write about anything else but the
firedoglake awiftboating of Joe Lieberman?
no wonder your comments average 150-200.
Isn’t this the same guy that ran for V.P.?
Even an article about Ann Coulter has more legs than this hatchet job!
Hmm . . . now where did I leave my bottle of Troll-Be-Gone?
To anybody who closely follows politics, the Ginsberg endorsement ought to be the kiss of death for JoMo. Coulter and Hannity are basically barking freaks, however much attention they get; Deathshead Ginsberg is truly one of the evil gnomes operating just below the surface. Clinton’s impeachment, Flordia 2000, the Swiftboaters, god knows what else, he’s had his bony fingers in just about legal/media action the flyin’ monkey right has undertaken in the last ten years.
Hey, Fran. It’s only swiftboating when it’s not true.
Stephen #167 -
I have been to the Telluride Bluegrass Fest many times in the past, however I have graduated to the Rockygrass Festival in Lyons, Colorado. It is put on by the same folks and is much more family friendly than Telluride, which was a big consideration since I was going solo with my fiance’s 4-year old daughter for our first roadtrip together. And I quote: “More walking!?!”
Great music; Earl Scruggs, Steve Earle with a cameo by Peter Rowan, Blue Highway, Tim O’Brian, Darrell Scott, etc.
For those who have never been: http://www.bluegrass.com
http://pizzaidf.org/ Anything to make a sheckel !
Allegedly there are Pizza Hut restaurants on major US bases in Iraq, including the Green Zone and Baghdad Military Airport.
Thanks fran, you can go away now. As a concern troll, I’d give you a C. Should be lower, but something tells me you’re new at this.
fran, how much have you contributed to FDL via paypal?
Please fran, I’m very interested, what blog would you suggest I visit?
Isn’t this the same guy that ran for V.P.?
No, fran. This is a different Joe Lieberman from CT that ran for V.P.
fran, don’t you want to ask about Poland or Mexico or Beligium too, about why we’re not covering those either?
what makes fran tick?
Hi Fran,
I think you misundertand the reason that the Coulter piece got over 500 comments. It was up for over 10 hours. This one has been up for two that’s (2) hours — and a significant portion during many people’s work hours. Even then, far more per-minute comments here than there. Or did you have another point?
as a *Moderator*, I have the power to swiftly erase trollerie like Fran but it’s so pathetic and weak that it’s worth keeping up just so folk can see the desperation creeping into the LieberYouth …
quelle frommage! (channeling Chaucer)
*ilson, wasn’t the concensus, “Mod Buns?”
Thanks, prostratedragon – I also found this map today – not exactly detailed, but informative in other ways.
I don’t know, when they don’t even bother with the “I’ve been a member of the Democrat party all my life…”, I feel like they’re not even trying anymore.
Still, for a Liebertroll to use “swiftboating”, after JoMo went to Palm Beach County and slammed Kerry and (effectively if only partially) endorsed Bush in October, 2004… desperate, clueless , or both?
fran: Welcome to FDL, but if you have something in defense of Joe Lieberman to say, you are welcome to say it here. We may not disagree, but we will read it if it is offered as your sincerely held point of view.
Whether Lieberman is being swiftboated here I cannot say because I am not sure what swiftboating means. I suspect it is like beauty… you know, in the eyes of the beholder.
But if you want to defend Lieberman, go ahead. Just make it interesting.
just coz I sit on my fat ass here trying my best to bring decency and civility and progressivity to the world, why do you have to bring up “Buns” ?
immanentize @ 162
He’s an all around complete asshole. So says a friend of mine that was co counsel with him in a litagation case years ago in D.C.
Oklahoma kiddo @
41
What, does this guy have megachurch Franchises? Because we have a John Hagee here in San Antonio who runs one of those megachurches and is involved with crackpot Xtian Dominionist politics. I work with some of his “followers” and hoo boy are they soooooo the missing chromosome crowd.
Example: Abu Gonzales was on the cover of a Hispanic magazine–as man of the year, no less (gag, hurl!), and the Hagee Hag had no idea who Abu was but decided he must be a “good guy” because he was so “clean cut, so handsome. He looks like a God-fearin’ man.”
Yes, she said this.
I just about lost it:
“You don’t even know who the fuck he is, do you? He’s a war criminal and a traitorous scumbag trying to destroy any shred of decency America stands for. He thinks it’s a-ok to torture people. Think Jesus would have been a-ok with torturing people? Or do you even have a clue about what Jesus really had to say about it?”
“Well,” said with one of those little pompous sniggers and a smirk, “He’s named Man of the Year on here.” As if that proved a damn thing.
My reply: “Time Magazine once named Hitler Man of the Year, too. Your point?”
And she went pale then. And fortunately shut the hell up. Stupid twit.
But what could she know? All Hagee does is tell the flock to let God speak to them to tell them what to do with their lives. Like, be in that ugly eyesore of a church every time the doors open, and to empty their pockets in the collection plates. And leave your checkbook, while you’re at it. And–oh, don’t forget all your credit cards, too. And the only thing “God” (read HAGEE) wants them to do beyond that is read is the bible or HAGEE’s books, watch movies/TV that God–through HAGEE–tells them they can watch, and listen only to radio or music as God–through HAGEE–deems fit for them. And, btw, don’t vote for anybody but who GOD–as per HAGEE–tells you to vote for. In fact, don’t do ANYTHING unless God–through HAGEE–approves of it in advance!
And these people who pack his church (Cornerstone) are different from Moonies HOW?
another requisite phrase for a true concern troll is to state you’ve been a regular regular reader of FDL for six months now — it’s truly amazing that they all use the “six months” timeframe…
LJ/Aquaria, that was one righteous rant!
*ilson46201 @ 193
Is that like TWO BEERS? ; ) LOL
immanentize @ 184
I’ll be counting this one!
I am not a gem-in-eye. I am a tar us.
*ilson46201 @ 193
Isn’t six months a standard Friedman?
Cozumel @ 195
you beat me to it!!
Judge Joe Brown: Been hearing these stories for thirty years! Still waitin’ to hear just one guy order that third beer!!
“I don’t know, when they don’t even bother with the “I’ve been a member of the Democrat party all my life…”, I feel like they’re not even trying anymore.”
Yes, exactly.
Another frequent entry is, “I’ve been reading/lurking at FDL for six months.”
Another is “why aren’t there any posts about [insert any story except Joe Lieberman]?”
immanentize @ 184
I thought it was all the puns. It took me at least an hour to laugh my way through it all!
fran says at 5:22 pm – “I’ll be counting this one!”
you can count?
(sorry, it was too easy)
*ilson,
I have a question about these donations. When Lieberman loses the primary (I am being positive) is he able to take the money raised to run as an Independent?
Pas de quoi. ‘Course as I looked at it more closely I realized that it doesn’t go down to the nearest large urban areas in Israel.
Hmmm, let’s see … (clattering noises) … (jackhammer sounds) … here it is. UTexas Library’s Map Page. Lots of maps, various formats, scales, and coverages.
*ilson is just tired from busting his hump all day.Jumping between 2 threads at once,moderating,speaking russian to Egregious, searching through 400 page PDF’s,You know,just another day at the lake.
IANAL but I’ve heard it said that he can use leftover cash to run for dogcatcher or whatever…
Sue said she’s a teacher.
She was teaching that kid when she explained Joe to him.
If you’re a teacher, it’s hard not to teach. :)
little dog…I can’t find your comment now but here is an excerpt from todays email from ‘across the pond’:
“Thanks for thinking of me. This rotation is really hard, mentally and physically. There are constantlu 4-star burglars walking around and gazing at the newly blown up guys while we are trying to do shit. It is really annoying. I don’t usually speak to them because I’m am so fed up that this is happening. Apparently, lots of movie stars come around too; I just missed Cher. If I had seen her I would have asked her if she saw Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur do their rendition of “I Got You Babe” on the Golden Girls.
Dr.HopeSAT
new thread ! — more Ned !
fran @ 196
(Acknowledging that it exposes how pathetically sad my life is that I would take precious time from it to comment on this comment:) How sad.
John Casper at 5:23
The only people I have heard refer to “the Democrat party” have been non-Democrats.
Democrats call it the Democratic Party.
It may not always be accurate, but it is an ideal that many of us strive for.
“Democrat” as an adjective is sort of a slur.
immanentize @ 186
Oh his buns are decidedly post-modern.
^__^
210: Acknowledgement is good for the soul.
We’re cleaning house and Joe is the first Republican to go! Yahooooooooo!
orangejumpsuit @ 213
If acknowledgement is EPU’d, does it exist?
“If acknowledgement is EPU’d, does it exist?”
That sounds like a question best put to Evil Parallel Universe himself…
OT: Sorry if it’s a repeat. President Clinton spoke in Seattle today at fundraisers for Sen. Mariah Cantwell and Rep. Jim McDermott (WA-07).
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/…..ton01.html
Mega church lemmings are moonies…different “religion”, same brain washing. When do the mass weddings begin?
neuro, wrt “I don’t know, when they don’t even bother with the “I’ve been a member of the Democrat party all my life…”, I feel like they’re not even trying anymore.”
That’s a quote from Jim at 5:15.
In an Evil Parallel Universe acknowledgement would come out tnemegdelwonkca, but pronounced the same way. Drives people crazy.
HopeSpringsATurtle @ 211
Bless his heart. And I mean it. Bless him.
And funny, too. You’re right, he’s Hawkey Pierce, except this century and this damned war.
At risk of being EPU’d
LJ @ 192
“And these people who pack his church (Cornerstone) are different from Moonies HOW?”
Which reminds me of this
ANNOUNCER
On Mar. 23, 2004, in the Dirksen Senate Office building, in Washington, D.C. in the U.S., 81 U.S. Senators and Members of Congress…26 ambassadors to the United States…and some 450 leaders from various fields…came to participate in an Ambassadors for Peace Awards…and Crown of Peace Ceremony.
Yea, that’s right, US Senator’s and Congressperson’s Crowned Rev Sun Yung Moon as a prince
prostratedragon @
204
Hit the jackpot this time! I do love maps.
John Hagee operates out of San Antonio. Not Houston. My mistake.
new thread fyi
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..-the-wire/
lhp & Stephen Parrish
lil snippet for you at/twd end of Pach’s “Do More than Vote”
thanks, & apologies for not answering you sooner.
A ;->
Cozumel @
191
Ben Ginsberg was a big player in the Hunting of the Clintons.
Sue: Thank you for being a teacher. Anyone who comes to your door, even a kid by the joementum of $60, should be willing to learn. Good for you.
cosmo @
32
Bingo.
I’m envious that CT voters have such a fabulous choice in Ned Lamont.
That ad made me misty-eyed. I’m beginning to hope that a newly-seething electorate finally has a chance to call ‘bullshit’ on the national swindle in DC.
Thank you Ned, Jane, Pach, Christy, Howie, and FDLers for calling bullshit on the degraded condition of US politics in such witty, subversive, snarky, insightful, ingenious, artistic fashion.
It seems to me, that it is clearly unfair, for Joe to run as a independent if he looses the primary next week. It is the equivalent of a do-over of the Championship Games. Sorry New England, not all of the other teams fans showed up, so it is a do-over. Sorry Boston Red Sox, not all of the New York Yankees fans showed up, so it is a do-over. Sorry UConn Men, UConn Women… Maybe the citizens of Connecticut and the rest of the country should pass referendums to out law the if you lost as a ______. You can’t run as a independent. Just a thought.
So the democratic process in action is distracting? If a majority of the voters reject you their decision should be respected. Lieberman should not pervert the process by trying to be a spoiler. Is his ego so large that he really thinks he is the only person that can do the job. Just like any other job in America it can and will be filled if the person holding it fails to do it. Lieberman should accept that his personal beliefs no longer are shared by the majority of the voters. He had every opportunity to rethink his position and didn’t do it.
speaking as a CT voter can i jsut say that I am so sick of people coming in from out of state and telling me how to vote. And the “whoa is me, the Lieberman people kept us from crashing their event without valid tickets” thing didnt help endear me to them either.
If Ned Lamont wins will all of the bloggers stay in CT when it comes time for one of our senators to work his influence on an important issue for CT voters? would Ned Lamont have been able to work up a coalition to save the Groton Sub base? Is a junior senator with no political experience going to be able to have the pull that Lieberman has on all teh committeies hes a mmeber of?
Yeah, we all dont like his stance on Iraq. But hating Liebermans stand on one issue is not a good enough reason to vote for an empty suit like Ned Lamont. If a valid candidate stepped forward that had the experience and integrity, I would vote for him. I met Ned Lamont. He’s not that guy.
Lieberman is disdaining the very democracy h wants to spread in Iraq. Elections mean something, and he should abide by them. Lamont could have run as an independent from the beginning- under the assumption that 3 term incumbents always win primaries- and he has the money. Lamont did not do that and instead subjected himself and his money to a difficult primary battle.
Joe is naive to believe that he can win a general election and republicans will support him. As the general election draws closer and Republican control of the Senate is jeopardized, the Republicans will only support their candidate while the Democrat’s voting strength is diluted because of Lieberman’s candidacy.
If Lieberman believes that Ralph Nader cost him the VP job, then he should understand that his independent campaign may well cost the Democrats the Senate. It will be his fault, because he could not accept election results.
Back in the camps, someone like this was called a “capo”, I believe.