Lieberman Warns Democrat Party

Update: There are some dots to connect between the DNC and the move to take down Lieberman. Were I him, I wouldn't be too happy with Dean, who seems to be manipulating things behind the scenes to drag the party to the Left.

The money quote from this piece comes all the way at the end.

"I know I'm taking a position that is not popular within the party," Lieberman said, "but that is a challenge for the party -- whether it will accept diversity of opinion or is on a kind of crusade or jihad of its own to have everybody toe the line. No successful political party has ever done that."

The Kos Kids can yell all they want, but if the adults in the Democrat Party don't appreciate what is going on as regards Connecticut, it could spell the Democrat Party's doom. They suffered significantly enough by refusing to allow a PA governor, Bob Casey, to speak at a convention one year. The consequences of losing a Senate seat in CT for similar reasons would be more severe.

Connecticut politics may be Democrat, but three of their five current Representatives are Republican. Connecticut is also battling a terrible corruption problem right now that cuts across both parties. And if you total the votes in the last House elections, CT only went Democrat by 10%. That might seem like a lot, but traditional Liberals who are mostly Democrats are nothing like the Far Left who may try and take the primary.

If Lieberman leaves the party, it's they who are going to be more alone. As a moderate, Lieberman should be able to find a home in either party. He's already more conservative than some New England and Northeast Republicans, but far from an ideologue of any stripe.

Also, CT has a fairly stable history of electing incumbents. Any state race would be his to lose and with him on the ticket as an Independent, the RNC might not give the race much attention, focusing those resources elsewhere. That would have the added benefit of making Lieberman quite a friend.

Between the recent rhetoric of the Democrat Leadership, they appear to be headed back to being pinned down as Far Left. It's as if the last thirty-plus years haven't taught them anything.

The Kos Kidz may not realize it, but they are helping to give Republicans precisely what they want. The ability to marginalize the Democrat Party due to its all too Liberal base.

Comments

[don surber]

You worry way too much about Kos.

[Dan]

Worry? He's the best thing that could have happened to Conservatives.

[Crazy Politico]

Actually Don, I think Lieberman is right, and the Democrats don't worry enough about him. His website is going to be a treasure trove of out of context quotes to use against a number of candidates.

[Mark]

You instantly discredit yourself by repeating the old canard about Bob Casey. He wasn't allowed to speak at the 1996 Dem convention because he didn't endorse Clinton, and that's the only reason. That's standard procedure for both parties, not a sign of intolerance.

[Mark]

In the 50's and 60's the super rich were in the 90% tax bracket. Of course, they didn't really pay that much, due to loopholes, but they were still taxed at a very high rate compared to today. During that same period, the middle class paid less taxes than they do today. Your theory on taxation is totally wrong, like just about everything else I've read on your site.

[Right Democrat]

I hope that Joe Lieberman stays in the Democratic Party and is renominated. We need to have a center in both parties and I don't want the Moveonner Left to completely take over my party.

[Lawrence Johns]

Senator Lieberman is the best hope for the Democratic party. All national candidates who have gone too far left from the center have been defeated. Back to the center where you find Presidents Roosevelt and Harry Truman were located, and give me Senator Scoop Jackson's liberalism at home with his conservativatism abroad and watch eventually the Democrats win more often.Isn't that where Senator Lieberman is located? Go back to the winning path instead of going in the fringe of being defeated over and over. Get it right for a change!