Censure Vote Tonight

by: mattw

Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 00:29:44 AM EST

That's disappointing, especially since the content remains essentially the same (meaning that those who oppose censure will oppose this as well, but will claim vindication even if it passes) – but it does go beyond Lieberman's McCain/Palin-endorsing ways to address his ideological collapse and that his actions can't be reconciled with the Party's platform, so imo it's relatively serviceable.

So, what's left to do to ensure that this measure goes through?

• Come to the State Central meeting tonight -- 7pm, 179 Allyn Street in Hartford. If you're on the fence about going, go -- the votes are not by roll call, so the only way to tell how the State Central reps vote is to show up and watch them. If you can adopt a district or two of State Central reps and report back here after the vote, make a note in comments.
• If you can't come, don't hesitate to contact your State Central Representative to let them know what you think. (If you don't know which district you live in, check this page for your town and look up your State Senate district.)
• Vote in the WFP survey on the Lieberman censure.

Now, a word about that last one -- if you visit, it's a pretty straight-up list-building page of the sort MoveOn routinely does, and they pointedly offer both perspectives so they're aren't staking a claim on either side of the issue. And one might ask why WFP is concerning themselves with a Democratic Party resolution at all.

Of course, WFP is going to be involved in the 2012 season, and to have the knowledge that your email list was (or was not) actively interested in Lieberman's status has to play a meaningful role in your planning down the road. That said, I'm really posting it because, frankly, it's internet organizing 101 and the Democratic Party in CT ought to be doing it – but if the WFP wants to sweep in and eat their lunch, then to the better-organized go the spoils.

In a roundabout way, this highlights the major shift that a successful vote tonight would reflect. It's important to signal that Lieberman is not welcome to run under our banner again, but for a long time, there seems to have been a consensus that the state party acts as an adjunct to elected officials, rather than being a year-round organizational and media force from which candidates at all levels benefit.

The real impact of a censure resolution would be to assert that it's not Joe Lieberman's world -- it's our world, and that he just lives in it. It's easy for new activists (like me) to demand things from Senators and Congressmen, but people on State Central aren't accustomed to dictating terms to wayward Democrats. This has been a competitive state in the past, but as we slide further towards solid-blue status, we need to make sure that accountability is built into what we do if we're going to have meaningful quality control over who's representing us.