| It strikes me that Joe Lieberman just can't accept that I am who I said I was - someone who grew up in Stamford who went to the same schools as Lieberman, a lifelong loyal Democrat, daughter of a proud Irish Democrat who used to be a regular customer at Joe Lieberman's dad's business, and someone who is really disappointed at Joe Lieberman for many reasons, but most acutely right now for only respecting the Democratic primary if he wins it.
He can't believe that I'd actually come to the event for the reason that I stated (and told his staffer when I signed in, using my real name). He can't believe that a normal person, not a paid political operative or his opponent's mole, would actually be honest to him to his face.
Of my interaction with Sen. Lieberman, Jason Horowitz further describes:
It was not a coincidence, then, that a protester at Mr. Lieberman's Irish-pub event on Monday morning carried a shoulder bag from Kos' annual convention--filled with red buttons depicting Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Bush engaged in a kiss. And neither, at least by Mr. Lieberman's reckoning, was the public scolding he got from Maura Keaney, a junior high-school teacher and Lamont campaign volunteer, who took him to task inside the Irish pub on Monday morning.
"I'm wondering why you're being a `fair-weather Democrat,' saying that you'll only respect the Democratic primary if you win--isn't that the epitome of a `fair-weather Democrat?" said Ms. Keaney.
"I'm gonna win," responded Mr. Lieberman.
"And if you win, I will respect that," Ms. Keaney said.
"I want ultimately to give a larger group--including a larger group of Democrats--the opportunity to vote in November," said Mr. Lieberman.
"Aren't Democrats smart enough to know when the primary is?" said Ms. Keaney.
"I hope so," said Mr. Lieberman.
Interestingly, I had spoken with this reporter for a while before the event started when the crowd was really small. I saw his reporter's notebook and asked him what paper he was from. We got to talking, and when I told him I was a Lamont supporter who came to learn more about the Irish-American Democratic organization, he asked what my main reasons were for not supporting Joe Lieberman.
The first reason I gave was about Lieberman supporting Bush cabinet nominees, like "pro-torture" Alberto Gonzales. I think I talked for a minute about being for Sam Alito (cloture) before he was against him (vote) and then mentioned Lieberman's unforgivably insensitive comment about rape victims taking a "short ride" to another hospital for emergency treatment.
Horowitz said, "But what about the war?"
That really struck me - I mean, anyone who opposes Lieberman is supposed to be all about the war, according to the script, right? So I told him, "Of course the war", but went on to say that there were many other Democrats who initially supported the war. The difference was Lieberman's relentless cheerleading for Bush's plan despite all of the new facts that have emerged. I mentioned him leading off the REPUBLICAN arguments in the Senate two weeks ago.
None of that made it to the story, though.
Other local news coverage of the event:
Stamford Advocate article
The Amazing Spazeboy TiVo'd the TV news coverage on NECN (starring my hair) and WTNH (starring my unflattering profile). Scroll down Spazeboy's page for the YouTube videos.
Slightly edited from version cross-posted at DailyKos. |
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