Lieberman weighs re-election bid options

[cal04]

(snip)
Lieberman's campaign contends that it's focused only on winning the Aug. 8 primary, but the Democrat has not ruled out petitioning his way onto the November ballot as part of a backup plan to secure a fourth term in the Senate.

(snip)
Lieberman has until Aug. 9 — the day after the Democratic primary — to collect 7,500 signatures from registered voters to gain a spot on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate.

But any effort to gather signatures before the primary would be a sign of weakness, indicating that Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000, fears that he could lose to businessman Ned Lamont. The effort also would rile Democrats who already question Lieberman's party loyalty and his perceived closeness to President Bush.

(snip)
"I think he'll alienate Democratic voters, but to be honest with you, I think he already has alienated Democratic voters," Kukk said. "If Lamont is gaining ... I think you'll see Lieberman jump."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060614/ap_on_el_se/senate_lieberman_4

[rpannier]

1. If he wants to run as an independent that's fine.

It's part of the democratic proceess. What totally p**ses me off is that f**k wad schumer's comment about how the 'Party' might still support Liebermann if he ran as an independent.

on edit:
scummers quote:

Schumer said that the DSCC "fully supports" Sen. Joe Lieberman in his primary bid, and he refused to rule out continuing that support if Lieberman were to run as an independent.

There were degrees of independence, Schumer said. "You can run as an independent, you can run as an independent Democrat who pledges to vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader."

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/06/post_14.html

[panader0]

2. What's hard to believe is that Gore picked him for VP

[madaboutharry]

8. I have to think that Gore saw him

as a real moderate from the center rather than the ass kissing Bush lover we know now. They were good friends back in the Senate, but in the years since 2000 they have really gone down different paths. Gore has grown in these years, he has evolved into a better man. Lieberman has just allowed himself to get sucked into the BS. He is a hard liner when it comes to the middle east even though the right wing in Israel is beginning to see that there has to be another way.

[tridim]

3. So his plan is to get the Repuke elected by dividing the Dems?

Gee, thanks Joe!

[IndianaGreen]

4. Lieberman should drop from the Democratic race NOW

and start running as an independent. If he waits until after the primary to bolt the party, then he is no better than Zell Miller.

[TheVirginian]

5. Not at all.

There is no viable Republican candidate. The majority of Republicans are voting for Lieberman.

[tridim]

10. Got it. Thanks. n/t

[AlamoDemoc]

6. this ought to surprise some people, but it didn't surprise me, of course

"Schumer said that the DSCC "fully supports" Sen. Joe Lieberman in his primary bid, and he refused to rule out continuing that support if Lieberman were to run as an independent."


http://www.crooksandliars.com

[w4rma]

7. He did the same thing in 2000 & possibly cost himself the vice presidency.

He should have given up his senate seat then to spend more time campaigning in Florida.

[sandnsea]

9. If he loses, he should step aside

I don't support this stuff. There are a variety of views in this party and you fight it out in the primary. The winning candidate and their view is what you support when the election is over. At the same time, Greens shouldn't run as Democrats because that makes it hard for Democrats to craft a message that appeals to enough people to win elections.

[AtomicKitten]

11. I suspect he'll bolt BEFORE the primary if he thinks he's going to lose.

Asshat. '

[sandnsea]

12. BIG mistake

Dems won't like it one bit. Although, it would make it easier to talk about Iraq if we didn't have the right saying "Democrat Lieberman says". Maybe we should be encouraging him to go independent. I was really disappointed when Gore chose him, but I never figured him for this big of a putz.

[AtomicKitten]

13. Ned's only 6-points down.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2679425

Which explains why Joementum's campaign is getting pissy. As per the below, they are under the delusion that the 6-point spread is fueled by an "extremely small group" of Dems. That's breathtaking.

June 13, 2006
Lieberman Allies Planning Independent Bid
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/06/13/lieberman_...

Political Wire has learned that key allies of Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) are making contingency plans for the three-term senator to run as an independent in this fall's U.S. Senate race in Connecticut. Lieberman faces a challenge in the Democratic primary from businessman Ned Lamont.

In fact, an important Lieberman backer, former Connecticut Democratic chairman John F. Droney Jr., is quoted by the Hartford Courant as a supporter of the plan: "I think to be terrorized through the summer by an extremely small group of the Democratic Party, much less the voting population, is total insanity for a person who is a three-term senator."

Though the Lieberman camp is trying to discourage such speculation, the senator's campaign manager was quoted on the radio today saying they would not back Lamont (D) if he won the Democratic primary.

[IndianaGreen]

14. It explains all of the recent trial balloons about Holy Joe going indie

Amazing in how much contempt Lieberman and Schumer must hold the Connecticut Democrats that they are already telegraphing their intentions.

[AtomicKitten]

15. It's arrogance, a sense of entitlement. n/t