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http://www.fromtheroots.org/

I haven’t seen anything specific yet, but Weicker did say before the primary that he planned on a committee of Independents for Lamont this fall. Assuming Weicker still has some sort of CT following, this could also be very very useful, particularly if he can organize person to person — phone calling and all — to his former supporters.

Because where Lamont needs to pick up votes is among Independents and moderate Republicans perhaps, we need to keep the inside Senate Democratic Caucus stuff in the background. Remember, Joe is campaigning against partisanship, and he must have polling or focus group data telling him this is an attractive position. To position Lamont as someone hell bent on party discipline may not be the position that helps most. What probably will work is identifying those areas where Joe and Bush were linked at the hip — and make clear that he disagrees and will be most vocal about such policy disagreements.

[snip]

I understand the need to believe the GOP can be crushed into powder. The alternative is too grim to contemplate. Of course, things have ways of working out in the long haul, in ways none can foresee.

[snip]

I imagine that’s what they thought in Germany and the Soviet Union too. Things did indeed work out, unless you were one of the 30,000,000 people killed, or the unknown number of people who lived in prison or abject poverty because of government actions.

It CAN happen here.

That’s where Lieberman’s strength is, so Lamont would have to solidify the far left (done) and try to get each and every rank-and-file Democrat to absolutely believe Joe is a Traitor to the Party and lock-step vote for Lamont. I thin k he’s working on this now.
Then, with a 20-30 race between the most ideal GOP candidate and Lamont, Lieberman would be forced to dominate independents to win.

I need to point out that I am just toying with numbers here, and am not some kind of wonk or anything.

My reasoning is that DCCC has a lot to lose in the House in November with Joe in the race. Joe’s strategy is to bring as many Republicans to the polls to vote for him in a state where the R candidate has absolutely no traction. This is *very* bad for the three CT House seats we would be likely to pick up without Joe in the race. With Joe in the race we may miss picking up House majority.

Call the DCCC and any members of the DCCC who you might be able to persuade. We need to have these organizations make the name of Lieberman poison to Democrats, so that *everyone* is very clear that Joe is effectively a Republican Bush-enabler and a traitor to the Democrats at this point.

Keep calling Harry Reid to oust Lieberman for all committee seats so everyone’s clear that he will have no seniority if he returns, call the DSCC to put pressure on Lieberman to drop out, and call the DCCC to poison Lieberman’s well.

We need him out of the race ASAP.

I agree with Joe Buck that the 4 per cent number is too low; but it’s not just abortion that will cause goopers to vote gooperly–it’s immigration, guns and taxes. Those are the issues that will become clear winners for Shlesinger…not enough to make a go for the seat, certainly, but enough–I’ve got to believe 10 to 20 percent–to win it for Ned.

The bigger effect, though, will be on turnout. Do Republicans who have never voted for Joe in their life feeel strongly enough about him to actually show up at the polls in enough numbers to overcome the Dems who DID vote for Joe in the primary but are now repulsed by his Better Red than Politically Dead tour?

Menothinkso.

Actually, as a CT GOP lifer, I’d say Joe’s support among Republicans in CT is very strong; Schlesinger is another surrender candidate– the CTGOP has long known it can’t keep Republicans in the party where’s Joe’s involved, so they usually run absolute jokes (the latest is a scandal-ridden degenerate gambler) in Senatorial races.

I campaigned against Joe twice and voted for him once. Most other CTGOPs I know will admit to having voted for Lieberman. Schlesinger’s a throwaway candidate, and most CT Republicans know it. The real choice is Lamont or Lieberman– the better of two evils from that point of view. And that’s the battle Lamont’s got to fight. If I were advising him, I’d say getting the CTGOP to pull Schlesinger and replace him with a better candidate may be the only way to go– 20-30% of CT voters are registered Republicans, but only 4% are sticking with the party? Joe’s got the GOP on his side, I’d say.

And I’m not sure DeStefano (note spelling) is in a close enough race at this point to be much of an issue in the Senatorial races. A lot of John’s future will ride on how well the Democrats can pin Rowland’s scandals to the squeaky clean, popular Rell.

As for the GOP issues to splinter GOP from Joe, I don’t think you know Connecticut that well. It’s a very very odd state. I have lived here all my life and have been off-and-on politically active. The Nutmeg Republicans are more Giuliani/Rockefeller Republicans than Reaganites. The Consevrative Revolution didn’t ever happen here. To wit, the last few GOP officeholders in CT have been social liberals: Rowland, Lowell Weicker (in the Senate) was Joe Lieberman’s opposite number– a Republican so liberal, he was basically a Democrat. I cannot think of a single honest-to-God Conservative Republican in statewide or national office in my life. They ran ultra-conservative Tom Scott for Senate a couple years back, he lost badly, but I think he was the last time they tried the conservative thing.

Ned’s got problems. If he runs ads to highlight Lieberman’s liberal votes, trying to drive GOPers away, he hurts his own campaign narrative. He obviously can’t attack Schlesinger. It comes down to a tapdance routine to maintain his Democrat leftists and fish for moderate and Independent voters (about 50% of CT’s voters). If Joe didn’t save the Sub base, Lamont would be a shoo-in.

Just a few thoughts about zany Connecticut politics.