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I know people like Lanny Davis like to mewl that Joe Lieberman's defeat in the primary at the hands of progressives was a "purge" from the Democratic party like it was a bad thing, but that's exactly what we did.
One year ago today. We kicked Joe Lieberman out of the Democratic Party.
It had a very deep and profound effect on everyone who was left, especially the "don't mention the war because it will be bad for Democrats" crowd, who proceeded to STFU and let us take back Congress in '06.
Drinks are on me.
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Jane!
I’ll have a double.
Ned!
Joe-Lie… “I’m the Lorax,” he told Jeff Goldberg in the New Yorker article sometime ago.
Five!
Jane!!!
Ned!!!
Don’t tempt us to come to CT!! .. lol!!
I’ll take a DLC on the rocks, thank you…
Single digits is alright with me. Hugs to Jan.
Just a coke, please.
The thing I remember the most about the primary win was Chris Bowers shouting during Joe’s “My Heart Will Go On” moment, “Ugh! This is like watching your senile uncle soil himself!”
Cliff Varnell @ 7
LOL — me, too!
Green tea, here - and hugs all round. Great work, Jane. Great work, Firepups.
I’ll take a Manhattan.
And damn, can’t take your eyes off for a minute around here. *sulks at no top ten*
If drinks are on you - are you still in DC?
OT: Slideshow of aerial news photos of the tornado track in Brooklyn:
http://www.wnbc.com/slideshow/.....etail.html
Oh my gosh Jane I think I love you! I haven’t had a smile like this on my face all week - buat after reading this post I’m all smiles.
I’ll drink to that!
But really, I guess we should be buying you the drinks…
EPU’d
Kensinger was hidden in plain sight - in his office. They tried to serve the subpoena only at his home. G*d the incompetence boggles the mind.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0808.html
I’ll have a few glasses of Chilean red wine (Carmenere) for the occasion. But tonight.
I truly need something to celebrate - I just found out that my representative was one of the idiots that voted for the FISA fiasco - and oh yeah, he’s a Democrat too.
Raising my glass of iced tea - cheers!
EPU’d (and I knew it would be)
Richmond @ 190
I’ll have a tall Pepsi on the rocks.
More green tea bubble-bath, please…
Redshift @ 14
Was anyone injured? Never thought I’d hear of a tornado in Brooklyn.
eCAHNomics @ 18
I bet thi was planned.
KestrelBrighteyes @ 20
You’re definitely not alone… Mine did too.
Two things throw my switch more than just about anything. Joe Lieberman. And the DLC.
God that was satisfying. Best weekend I ever spent in CT.
eCAHNomics @ 18
Link doesn’t work.
Congratulations, NedHeads of 2006. Jane’s right that the Lamont campaign was an important wakeup call, and the beginning of the end of Joe Lieberman. I’m hoping the next step in his decline happens soon.
Rain check on the drink, unless it is another cuppa java - we were up real late last night sorta partying with old friends in Fremont.
Redshift @ 14
Thanks very much. I was looking on NYT site. I should have known to look on a news site with helicopters!
Last news report I heard was one death, several injuries from falling objects & flying glass. But all the reports aren’t in yet.
Richmond @ 25
His lawyer’s statement sure makes it sound like it was.
And a toast to all the astonishing work Jane did for Lamont!
I’m still in awe of her effort and effectiveness - she got so many of us so fired up and heading to CT and she did the hard stuff needed.
Bravo Jane! We’re honored to get to work with you!
And we in this house are still waiting for anyone to explain exactly what it is that the DLC does. What is it’s function?
Drinks are on me.
Can I just go to my local and have them send you the tab?
Seriously, congratulations. Lamont’s victory was a watershed moment. Now we need some more of the same.
And what exactely is a ‘centrist Democrat’?
I await the moment in January, 2009, when the Senate has between 53-57 REAL Democrats and Harry Reid tells Joe to hang with his Republican BFFs from now on.
Of course, it would be nice if he did it now, but I’m not hopeful.
I spoke to Ned Lamont who was relaxing with his children at a patio table in Chicago. He asked me if I had seen you Jane because he wanted to talk to you. Anyway, he said that the Kiss Float was a very good part of his campaign and trailed Lieberman everywhere he went. What a nice guy he is.
We are still smarting about what right-wing Democrats did to Lamont.
Ned’s still going strong, just reconstituted his website.
Jane, Christy says I should ask you: checks sent to the snail mail address above go uncashed (been sending $ regularly for a couple of months now; not a lot but it’s all I can afford right now). Should we use PayPal instead?
Clinton has very close ties with the DLC.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 35
I should have said DCC. I meant those who are afraid of using words like liberal, people, consumer interests,etc.
Oh if only Ned.
-GSD
P.S. It looks like the Party of diapers, hookers, mistresses, rape and furtive blow jobs is planning on attacking Hillary via Bill’s past indiscretions.
~~~ModNote: Edited for content to clear filters.~~~
i have felt that the cheneybu$hco war on Iraq has always been just Rover’s wedge issue to use against the democrats, period.
all the other noise about saddam and vengeance against plots about bush1, geopolitical claptrap, blah, blah, middle east blah, blah … all that was distraction.
rover found his wedge issue that he would be able to get the dems split and have them running over their own toes.
it worked.
same thing this time:
wedgie the dems with more domestic spying and dare them to risk being blamed for another 9/11.
KestrelBrighteyes @ 20
I know that you have already written, called and faxed your rep - keep up the good work. Sorry he/she is an idiot and needs to hear it from you.
Who does Lieberman work for, really. Where are his loyalties?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 35
collaborator
Oklahoma kiddo @ 35
A DINO, see Diane Feinstein, Joseph Lieberman, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton for examples.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 45
Israel — where his son is…
Hugh @ 47
Don’t forget Evan Bayh, the quintessential DINO.
I’m getting kinda scared. Check out this diary from Kos about that video game the military is having soldiers play - Gulp:
http://dailykos.com/story/2007/8/8/91955/84979
You’re being sarcastic, right? That crowd not only did not STFU, it stayed in power and, in the person of Rahm Emanuel, nearly FU’d the election, then took credit for the victory. Then they voted to fund the war and for the FISA bill.
Jane, I’d like to buy you a drink.
Here’s to Lieberman’s eventual defeat. I look forward to his being stripped of any power or influence in American politics like kids look forward to Christmas morning.
-S
Today, MSNBC reported that new evidence shows that Baby Einstein videos may actually harm children and lead to delayed development of language skills.
In Bush’s Baby Einstein Gaffe published on Slate in January 2007, Timothy Noah informed us that the President had lionized a mountebank at his state of the union address. Follow the link for the complete story, but here’s my edited version.
Here is how Bush summarized her achievement:
“Essentially,” Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan Lynn told the Chicago Tribune “Media Mom” (and occasional Slate contributor) Nell Minow in December 2005,the baby video industry is a scam. There’s no evidence that the videos are educational for babies, and a review of the research on babies and videos concludes that while older babies can imitate simple actions from a video they’ve seen several times, they learn much more rapidly from real life.
In May, a child-advocacy nonprofit filed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission about Aigner-Clark’s creation, alleging that claims made on the videos’ behalf (example: With Baby DaVinci, “your child will learn to identify her different body parts, and also discover her five senses … in Spanish, English, and French!”) are deceptive and false. Filed with the complaint were letters of support from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. “The reality,” wrote the American Academy of Pediatrics, “is that parents play the videos to give themselves some time to do other household chores, like cooking dinner or doing laundry. However, they shouldn’t be led to believe that it helps their baby.”
LS @ 50
I think that one of the mistakes that the Bushies made if they truly wanted a permanent takeover was to insist on a volunteer army. These service men and women have loyalties to their communities (states) more than to the apparatus of a federal force. Happily.
Guinness Stout.
Here’s to you.
What a great message, Jane - and thanks for making it a dream come true!
OT back to phony healthcare initiatives, John Agwunobi - an Asst. Secretary at HHS who led DemFromCT on about his genuineness about pandemic flu preparation, has just jumped ship to go directly to Wal-Mart to head up its “health and wellness” initiatives (in other words, it’s walk-in retail health clinics and prescription drug pricing schemes). Agwunobi was notable for his cheerful dispensing of wrong information and misleading information about pandemic flu preparation on the phony “blog” that Ogilvy controlled for the HHS called the Pandemic Flu Leadership blog. It was Bush Administration propaganda and talking points that purported to be a “dialog with the public”.
Somebody say drinks?
LS @ 50
That game looks really fun.
Hugh @ 48
Joe Lieberman is no longer a Democrat.
LS @ 51
I can think of a few of Senators who should be pitching a fit about this right about now.
OT. Holy cow, how many kids does Romney have?!?!? better question might be: how many wives?
Sorry to be OT again, but this is never likely to be on-topic, and I just had to pass it along. Remember Bush’s pal he gave a shout-out to a the State of the Union, the wonderful “Baby Einstein” entrepreneur who showed what great things the free market is doing for kids (and who just happens to be a major Republican donor, too)?
Well, it turns out, not so much:
((((Jane))))
Sorry late to the party. Was just catching up on F*X Noise flood.
Seems they had the ark all built & all, but couldn’t fit it thru the door.
Jane - thanks again for inspiring me to volunteer for Ned’s campaign. nothing has given me so much hope that our system might still work the way it’s supposed to.
would love to be saying “senator lamont” now, but even without that - so much was accomplished. a great success and a great experience.
California is going to be center stage come O8 elections. To use a
new verb, I sure hope Nany Pelosi is “Lamonted” and retired.
I will drink to that!
TiredFed @ 62
Big Love from Big Mitt!!
And this “third way” gibberish is code for something.
One of the many things in our home we like about Gore, is that the DLC detests him. And we are aware Mr. Gore was at one time a DLC member.
Gore for president!
Shuttle Endeavor to launch in a couple of hours. I think it is supposed to launch at 5:30 CT
Oklahoma kiddo @ 68
SECOND!
As to whether Mr. Lieberman is, or is not a Democrat, is not for me to say. The vital thing is how Harry Reid views Lieberman.
Today I looked at a bunch of videos that Spazeboy, CT Blogger, and I shot during primary day, and wow, was that a great time! It’s hard to believe that was only a year ago…so much has happened since!
What does mewl mean.
That was a great moment Jane. And I even got my butt up there to help out.
We got a lot more sea changin to do.
Where’s CTBob theses days?
Oops he sailed right in under my genoa!
GSD @ 43
Well, betcha Larry Flynt is holding on to some good information…he can let it out as appropriate.
Today in History:
My bold.
Sam @ 65
With who? Sheehan will be laughed right out of the state. Is there a credible alternative contender?
TiredFed @ 62
Now, now, I know it’s funny, but let’s not get into religious slurs. I’ve got Mormons in the in-laws (m-i-l is from Utah) and there hasn’t been polygamy in a century except in tiny splinter groups. Not to mention the fact that the only major Republican candidate who doesn’t have more than one wife is the Mormon.
eCAHNomics @ 31
And … his lawyers’s a prick.
Redshift @ 63
see me@54, above.
CT Bob @ 72
I would like to see Mr. Lamont run for something again, or perhaps have a position in the next Democratic administration. His is a talent way too valuable to waste.
SanderO @ 73
Heh heh…now THAT’S serendipity, my friend!
Jane,
Thanks for everything you did and everything you do. You are the best. I love you
Indeed… stop over in Dering… look for Shiva in the SE corner.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 35
A conservative Democrat who’s trying to get us to ignore the fact that there’s no one to the right of them in the party.
Or alternatively (and perhaps more accurately), someone who always tries to be halfway between the mainstream of the two parties, no matter how far the GOP moves to the right, and then tries to convince everyone else that the center of public opinion is there, too.
Redshift @ 10
Make mine a double, please! Woo! Good on ya, Jane.
SanderO @ 73
mewl = mew, the sound a cat makes. In As You Like It, Shakespeare used the word thus:
BigMitch @ 80
Yeah, that’s what I get for blogging at work, getting interrupted before I can hit “Submit.” Great minds think alike!
I would like to see Mr. Lamont run for something again, or perhaps have a position in the next Democratic administration. His is a talent way too valuable to waste.
Well, Chris Dodd is almost definitely in his last term, which ends either next year with a trip to the White House, or more likely when his term is finished in 2010.
Every time I see Ned, I remind him of that fact!
If the Democrats had done as they should, and poured into CT. to help Mr. Lamont, we wouldn’t have to contend with the likes of Republican Joe today, and every day.
BigMitch @ 87
Shakespeare’s got it right, but it doesn’t mean exactly the same as a cat’s mew (though the words are obviously related.) It means a weak cry, though when applied to adults, I think a better synonym would be “snivel.”
CT Bob @ 89
Is Dodd running for prez to get a cabinet post?
We like Dodd, Kucinich, Edwards and of course Mr. Gore
Ned sends us email. He should run.
Recall Lieberman? YEA
Shays sux
Siun @ 32
Tru dat, holmes…
Redshift @ 91
That Shakespeare guy does seem to get it right a lot of the time, although he seems to rely too much on cliches. :-)
I will say it once again:
Jane Hamsher is a national treasure.
Dick Cheney gave a shout out to the creator of Baby Mengele.
-GSD
I posted these random questions over at Americablog but got EPU’d. Do any of the FDL’ers have the answers:
1) Does Lorita Doan still have a job and if so why?
2) Will there be any accountability for all of the Hatch Act violations (including the recent DOJ revelation)?
3) Why do we never hear about the so-called “War Czar” — isn’t this guy supposed to be doing something on our dime?
4) I sent faxes to my CA reps (Boxer, Feinstein, Waxman, Pelosi) and for good measure Reid. No responses yet. Have ANY made public statements besides Pelosi? After the Democratic leadership’s pitiful handling of FISA last week, I’d hope they would at least be doing some heavy duty PR but from what I’ve seen its all been crickets and tumbleweeds.
I’m sure many of you got this email too:
Dear Terry,
What Did Last Year Mean To You?One year ago in the Senate, the Kerry-Feingold amendment, which called for a one-year timeline to redeploy our combat troops in Iraq, had been overwhelmingly defeated by all Republicans and over two-thirds of Democrats.
One year ago in Connecticut, tens of thousands of newly registered Democrats, inspired in part by our campaign, were going to the polls for the first time to vote in the Democratic primary.
And one year ago tonight, thanks to so many of you, our victory in the primary was a wake-up call to the politicians in Washington that it was high time to reconsider our military strategy in Iraq.
What a difference a year makes.
In November, voters across the country turned out to end the war and push for a political and diplomatic solution to end the bloodshed in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld was redeployed. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group emphasized a diplomatic rather than a military surge, following the lead of General Abizaid.
And one year after the defeat of the Kerry-Feingold amendment, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate, including all Democrats, would finally vote for a timeline to bring our troops home, which would have allowed our generals and the Maliki government to plan accordingly.
Instead, of course, President Bush has continued an American military escalation in Iraq with no end in sight. September now looms as the key month in deciding whether America will continue down this path - and perhaps even expand the war to neighboring Iran, as some have suggested - or else follow a new one along the lines suggested by the Iraq Study Group.
Pro-war legislators up for reelection this year - such as Rep. Shays (R-CT) and Senators Sununu (R-NH) and Collins (R-ME) - are home for the recess and will hear from their constituents. And as the pressure continues to build, we are getting closer and closer to the supermajorities necessary to override filibusters and vetoes in Congress and end this war.
The entire country heard you loud and clear last August 8th.
And they need to keep on hearing from us: not just on Iraq, but on all the issues we fought for.
I am so proud of the most important and lasting legacy of our campaign: you, the tens of thousands of new voters, hundreds of new activists, and vast numbers of staffers, volunteers, and supporters who have stayed involved. You are running for office, joining your local town committee, getting involved in other campaigns, and keeping your representatives honest.
One year later, so many of you are staying active and continuing to challenge the status quo when it needs challenging.
In this spirit, we have relaunched our website at NedLamont.com as a place where you can keep up to date on my political activities and stay connected.
To start, you can take the opportunity to speak out about what last year’s primary victory meant to you - and about what you are doing now to fight for the same issues we all fought so hard for during the campaign. Write a letter to the editor here:
http://www.nedlamont.com/oneyearlater
Life has certainly calmed down a bit for our family since last August 8th, but our victory then was just the start.
Thank you once again for all that you did last year. I look forward to all that you will accomplish in the future.
Sincerely,
Ned
He’s a Liebercrap.
-GSD
This appeared in New York Mag on August 7, 2006, the eve of the primary:
GSD @ 98
707
Mrs. Friedman, for how long has your son had this tic ?
Does anyone want to guess if some of those poor missing souls in the Utah mine are undocumented workers?
Why else is Redface McAsswipe keeping their identies secret…..
-GSD
To be precise, a mewl is the sound a distressed cat makes. It’s softly voiced, with flat intonation, and no trill.
You are all my witnesses.
Sometime in the future, I will be accused of being a Lieberman troll because I defend Gore’s choice of a running mate.
Notice I am not, and will not say a good thing about Lieberman for the simple reason there is nothing good to say, as long as Dems can caucus 51 Senators without him.
SanderO @ 97
Move on sent me some damned petition to sign to show to congress. I used my “personal comment” space to tell them to hire Hamsher, or someone with at least as much media savvy, so they’d stop getting their asses handed to them. I hope one of them reads it.
BigMitch @ 107
Mitch, we all love you. Maybe you could forestall that accusation by not trying to defend the indefensible.
BETTENDORF, Iowa — Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended his five sons’ decision not to enlist in the military, saying they’re showing their support for the country by “helping me get elected.”
And Mr. Chicken hawk Liberman; is you so serving?