Salazar in a Tight Spot (pledged support to Lieberman)

[mhatrw]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4903995,00.html

Salazar in a tight spot
Colo. senator says defeated Lieberman worthy of support

Ken Salazar said he was "disappointed" by Lieberman's loss in primary.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Ken Salazar is in an awkward position after Tuesday's U.S. Senate primary in Connecticut.

Salazar has pledged to work to re-elect incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman in November, even though Lieberman now plans to run as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to challenger Ned Lamont on Tuesday.

"I am disappointed in the outcome," Salazar said in a statement Tuesday night. "Sen. Lieberman is a good friend and a good man who has contributed greatly to the nation and the state of Connecticut. He has sought to pursue common ground and worked to transcend the partisan poison of Washington, D.C."

...

Salazar is one of a handful of national Democrats vowing to campaign against the party's nominee, Lamont, and for the independent, Lieberman, from now until November.

[Oversea Visitor]

1. What happen to party discipline?

What happen to people choice?

What a mess. This guys all dumb.

[JI7]

2. "who is Salazar" ?

i think that's what most will think . more important will be the bigger names nationally such as Clinton, Gore etc. and they have already said they will support Lamont. and next important will be the major players in Connecticut, especially Chris Dodd.

but Lieberman may sink himself even with major help as he did in the Primary. he just appears more pathetic everytime i see or hear about what he is doing. he has contradicted himself so many times and just appears desperate.

anyone know what Chris Dodd will do ?

[Tempest]

5. Exactly

Salazer isn't considered a predominant Democrat and his ability to raise money is severely limited.

For all practical purposes, his support for Lieberman is meaningless.

[PeterPan]

11. In an interesting historical irony

Chris Dodd's father Thomas Dodd was once in a similar situation:
:

Dodd was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives in 1952, and served two terms. He lost a Senate election in 1956 to Prescott S. Bush, but was elected in 1958 to Connecticut's other Senate seat and then re-elected in 1964. In 1967 he was censured by the Senate for using campaign funds for personal purposes. In 1970, after suffering a heart attack, he chose not to run for re-election for the Senate, and the Democrats nominated Joseph Duffey to replace him. However, Dodd entered the race after the primary as an independent, and both he and Duffey lost to Republican Lowell Weicker.

Of course it was Lowell Weicker that Liebermann defeated in 1988 to reach the Senate. At the time Lieberman vowed he would never run for a fourth term like Weicker.

[John Q. Citizen]

32. I believe I saw he is supporting Lamont. n/t

[rpannier]

3. This may irritate some...

but I'd pull Salazar's committee positions before I'd pull Liebermans if Salazar does this.

[JI7]

4. not sure it will matter

Salazar is a Freshman Senator in a minority party. doesn't have much power to begin with.

[Tempest]

7. It will matter if the Democrats take control of the Senate

Then his committee positions become more important.

[JI7]

10. i doubt Harry Reid will do that

the Colorado Senate win was a major victory for Democrats. it would do no good to do anything that risks us losing it. and Salazar doesn't have much power or influence in Connecticut anyways so it wouldn't make much difference. it's just not worth it.

[w4rma]

9. Agreed. (nt)

[SensibleAmerican]

14. The day that happens Salazar goes Republican

Do we like being in the minority?

[dolstein]

25. Does the left-wing like being in the minority? HELL YES!!

If the left-wing really wanted to be in the majority, they'd be trying to expand the party rather than purging it of its moderates. They'd be devoting their time and resources to defeating Republicans instead of defeating Democrats. Frankly, I think it's pretty obvious that the left-wing would rather have a leaner and meaner party than a "big tent" party, even though, in a country where die-hard conservatives significantly outnumber die-hard liberals, the former approach is doomed to failure.

[w4rma]

27. LIEberman is no "moderate". He is a quisling. (nt)

[saigon68]

30. Joementum Limpmann is a disrupter who needs to be

[Critters2]

34. What's the point in a two-party system

without an opposition party?

[Guaranteed]

38. Do Democrats like their votes to actually be taken SERIOUSLY?

You bet!

Derrrr.

[villager]

41. Lieberman was scarcely a "moderate"

n/t

[High Plains]

31. So, what should we do about Democrats who campaign against

Democrats? Give 'em gold stars or what?

[niyad]

6. note to self--call idiot ken's office first thing this morning and blast

him, once again. I keep telling him that if we had wanted a conservative catholic republican, we could have voted for pete (love my family's products) coors. sighhhhh.

[krkaufman]

23. Yep, I'm sending this info to my family out in Denver.

They'll hopefully direct some meaningful ire Salazar's way.

[rodeodance]

8. well, Mr. Salazar--it is better to re-think rather than stay the course

[ShockediSay]

12. Note from a CT voter to Mr Salazar ...F*** Off!!! nt

[deacon]

13. he's a dem backing an independent? maybe he should go the way of joe

[Crunchy Frog]

15. If my senator, Ken Salazar, persists in supporting Lieberman

I guarantee that I will actively oppose him and support whatever progressive runs a third party campaign against him when he is up for re-election. He will never get another vote from me again if he goes through with this.

[Robbien]

17. Don't tell us, tell him

Email him, fax him and call him. He needs to hear Democrats feel he is letting down the Democratic party.

[Crunchy Frog]

20. He certainly is going to hear from me. n/t

[katinmn]

16. Why do Democrats keep electing people like Salazar?

[Robb]

18. Because they keep running people like Coors against him

Sigh.

[jobycom]

26. SO that Pete Coors doesn't get in the Senate.

You may live in a place where liberalism wins elections, but not everyone does. I'd take Salazar or Lierberman here in Texas any day over what we have.

[bling bling]

45. I'd take Salazar or Lieberman too.

Over the two conservative buttheads I have in my state. The only good thing I can say about them is that they actually respond when you call or e-mail. Well, not personally. But they have one of their people respond. Not that it matters because they don't care about the Dems in their state one iota, they cater strictly to the conservatives only.

I have a feeling that neither one of these guys will ever be voted out, either. We can try to get Talent out this November. I'm hopeful but not getting my hopes too far up.

[ananda]

19. Dems are in bad shape..

.. totally gutless and sold-out if they support Lieberman.

They have totally lost their way as the party of the people.

This is so sad.

[krkaufman]

24. Give them some time to turn around ....

... but give them a kick in the ass, first, to get 'em moving. We call them our "leaders", but in a representative democracy *we're* the leaders and our elected officials are simply supposed to represent us and address our concerns.

Remember... of, by and for.

[otohara]

21. Salazar Votes More w/ GOP Than Lieberman

I can't stand him and won't be voting for him again! Not to mention, he keeps interjecting himself in controversial issues over and over.

[Jacobin]

22. Why does Salazar hate our freedoms?

Is he like Bush? Does he only recognize elected officials who are friends of his and who he agrees with?

Doesn't he believe in democracy?

Doesn't he understand that the Senate is not some lifetime appointment, but senators can actually be voted out of office for not reflecting the views of their constituents.

Isn't he embarassed to suggest that he won't honor the voters of CT and will actively try to sabotage a democratic election for a democratic candidate?

Does he need to change parties, too?

I'm so tired of this DLC bullshit and their connivance with the Republicans to pretend we have a two party system.

Time to throw ALL these assholes OUT

[w4rma]

28. If he does not support the Democrat, then I would support the independent

candidate running against him. DLCers shouldn't play with fire. They might get burnt.

I've opposed the Green Party in the past, but perhaps they have a role to play in enforcing DLC loyalty to the Democratic Party?

[wisteria]

29. What other Dem's? Salazar is the only one I have heard of and it

might be a matter of friendship on his party.

[mitchtv]

44. Schumer's silence is deafening

they were after all, separated at birth
OK,OK He's off the hook, I justsaw a statement he signed w/ Reid. I hope he is genuine, I doubt it,he's anothe AIPAC senator

[mvd]

33. Um, no - Lieberman did not work to

"transcend the partisan poison of Washington, D.C." He embraced the ultra-partisanism of the Repukes.

[Dr Fate]

35. I thought these DLC types presented themselves as loyal Democrats?

So now the DLC is basically a front for conservative Independent Party members running against Democrats?

I rememeber when I used to join them in fighting Green spoilers- and now THIS?????

Shame, shame, SHAME.

[TankLV]

36. They were - when they thought they would WIN.

Now that they LOST, this just proves all their talk about "supporting the party" is just bullshit - they are all phoneys.

SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES OR SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.

It's that simple.

Their true colors are showing.

Just as WE - the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party - knew all along...

[Dr Fate]

37. I always vote straight DEM. I thought I the DLC agreed w/ me on at that.

Apparently not.

I need some guidelines here- I thought the "grown-ups" in the DLC were at least for party loyalty.

I guess DLC "party loyalty" only applies when the Democrat in question leans right or supports Bush on the major issues. Otherwise some of them seem to be encouraging spoilers and vote splitting.

Will the DLC be funneling money to the C.T. Independent Party now?

[Guaranteed]

39. I am simply SHOCKED, Doctor.

SHOCKED that they would do such a thing.

[Dr Fate]

40. I know- I thought that only "the far left" acted that way. ;)

;)

At least according those folks who are apparently now members of the C.T. Independent Party.

[coalition_unwilling]

42. He and Lieberbush should be immediately stripped of all

Senate committee memberships by Harry Reid. Let him and Lieberbush form their own party.

[Bretttido]

43. By all means, maintain your support of Lieberman

But don't look shocked when you are left in the gutter by the people whose vote for Lamont you've ignored. And all you will have left to show for it is support from an ex-Senator named Joe who cares more about his own power than the people he supposedly represents. In other words, you will have NOTHING!