Come to Waterbury TODAY to Thank Bill Clinton...

Why Is the Big Pooch Doing This? (0.00 / 0)

Steve Clemons suggested something on Brian Lehrer this morning that really has me disturbed: namely, that Clinton is here in CT in an attempt to preserve the favors of the big Jewish donors to the Party, Lieberman apparently being a favorite of many of these people.  Even though CT's Jews apparently are as sick of Lieberman as everyone else (or more so), is the AIPAC crowd pulling out the stops to save Joe?

Presumably Lieberman's people will read this and label me one of those liberal blogosphere anti-Semites, but I most surely am not.  This is one of those sensitive and disturbing questions that our Party will have to come to grips with.

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by: bob h @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 12:31:33 PM CDT

DLC (0.00 / 0)

That could be part of it.  My guess is that the DLC wants to keep their star Joe in the Senate, and so they're asking Bill to show up in exchange for their future support of Hillary's '08 run. 

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by: jhayes @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 12:40:38 PM CDT

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Highly dubious. (0.00 / 0)

I really don't think that Clinton is coming here for anything like that. This is simply an attempt at using some big name recognition (that carries well in Connecticut) to give Lieberman the boost he needs to creep back into the lead.

Social libertarian.

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by: Quarterly Prophet @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 12:42:33 PM CDT

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Disturbing (0.00 / 0)

Would it disturb you as much if a Pharma company sent Bill here to preserve their favorite?  How about if the DLC sent Bill to preserve their favorite?  I would imagine interest groups send people all the time to places to help campaigns.

What is so disturbing to you about an interest group sending someone to help their favorite senator? 

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by: concorde @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 12:51:07 PM CDT

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This from Kos: (0.00 / 0)

Lieberman and his apologists believe that having Bill Clinton do a single campaign event for him will somehow convince Connecticut voters that Lieberman has delivered for them the past 18 years. I doubt it will be successful, any more than Dean's parade of high-profile endorsement helped him in 2004.

People vote for the candidate, not the candidate's friends, especially in a case like this where the candidate is so well known and opinions are so clearly defined. Lieberman's poor constituent services, his years-long absence from the state, and his lack of fit with voters is more determinate of how voters will vote on August 8th than anything any blogger or even Bill Clinton can say.

Connecticut voters don't need outsiders to tell them how to think about their senators.

The cynic might say that Bill Clinton is going to Connecticut, despite being trashed by Lieberman during the impeachment saga, to protect a fellow member of the elitist establishment's insider's club. They may say that the DLC called in the biggest favor it can offer Lieberman (its patron saint) -- a visit by a former popular president. They may try to find a tortured explanation of why this helps Hillary.

B. Clinton's visit may have been arranged by the DLC (didn't they have some sort of "anual conference" this past weekend? Did anyone care?), but what it tells me is that Bill is a far bigger man than Lieberman ever was or can be.

Despite being on the withering receiving end of Lieberman's sanctimonious public screeds during the impeachment saga, on the floor of the Senate AND in television studios all over the place, Clinton is willing to come to the senator's aid. He could've held a grudge and none would think less of him.

Instead, he repays Lieberman's backstabbing with kindness.

So I actually respect Bill for doing this one event for Lieberman. In a funny way it makes Lieberman look even smaller, pettier, and pathetic than he already does.

On the other hand, Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is sneaking into Connecticut today for a Lieberman fundraiser, hoping that Clinton's visit overshadows hers and no one notices she's in town, is suddenly a profile in cowardice.

Funny how things work out in politics.

And who is the hero? Maura!

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by: Sue @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 13:50:30 PM CDT

Joe in Pomfret? (0.00 / 0)

So is Joe still appearing in Pomfret on Tuesday evening?  Or has he chickened out?  Will there be a pickup truck awaiting him?  The Chair of the Pomfret DTC is a Lamont supporter.

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by: mikect @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 20:42:35 PM CDT

Cancelled (0.00 / 0)

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by: Scarce @ Mon Jul 24, 2006 at 20:43:08 PM CDT

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quotable quotes (0.00 / 0)

Jim Amann makes the most obnoxious comment of the day:

In defense of Lieberman, James A. Amann, D-Milford, speaker of the state House of Representatives, offered some of the most forceful words Monday on Iraq.

"Shame on all of us if we allow a shrieking minority in this party to hijack this primary," Amann told the crowd.

Lamont takes it all in stride.

Lamont arrived about an hour into the event, making light of Clinton's appearance on behalf of the three-term incumbent.

"Oh, is he here today?" Lamont said in response to a question from a television reporter about the former president.

Leo Canty wins the "kick me" award:

But not even everyone on stage was committed to Lieberman. Leo Canty, an official with both the AFL-CIO and the teachers' union, the AFT, said he is still struggling. The AFT has endorsed Lamont, while the AFL-CIO is backing Lieberman.

"I'm in the middle," Canty said. "I'm looking for a real good reason to support Joe Lieberman."

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by: mikect @ Tue Jul 25, 2006 at 06:43:37 AM CDT