William Greider: Who's a Democrat?

[cal04]

The question of party identity takes on weird new relevance now that Joe Lieberman is cross-dressing in Connecticut. Defeated once as a Democrat, tiresome Joe is now running again as an independent. Only he says he's still a loyal Dem at heart. How can we know he's not lying?

Karl Rove and the Republicans appear to think otherwise. They are pouring serious money into Lieberman's campaign and dumping a classic Republican smear job on Ned Lamont, the legit Democrat. Ned, remember, beat Joe fair and square in the party primary.

But Joe agrees with Karl that Ned is a threat to the Republic because Lamont thinks Bush's war in Iraq is a bloody catastrophe--as do nearly two-thirds of the American public.

Something about this odd drama doesn't pass the smell test. I suspect Karl and Joe have made a deal. A back-scratching understanding, you might say.

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http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=114118

[kentuck]

1. Greider is a wise man...

We should pay heed.

[patricia92243]

2. tiresome cross-dressing Joe - lol!!

[sendero]

3. Good find..

... an interesting analysis, and probably pretty damn close to the truth.

[madfloridian]

4. This is exactly right...oh so right. Loyalty to the party works both ways

"If Democrats fail to demonstrate their genuineness, they may very well create a much more serious problem for the party down the road. A Lieberman victory, regardless of how it occurs, would encourage the rebels and insurgents from within the party to skip party primaries as bogus events and run their challenge candidates in the general elections--just like wayward Joe.

These rebel challengers might not win, but they could rally enough dissenting voters to bring down a lot of incumbent Dems. Joe tossed party identity out the window; why shouldn't they?"

This is the serious part people don't seem to understand.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/213

[madfloridian]

5. The sad part is that the party leaders are letting Lieberman attack Lamont

and not doing anything about it. It can and should be stopped by them at once. Schumer has the power to do that, so does Harry Reid. If they don't want Lieberman attacking Lamont...they can stop him.

They need to do that right now.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/213

[theanarch]

6. it's a generally good article, but i disagree...

...that Lieberman would become a Republican, except in the most extraordinary circumstances; and the only one i can imagine is that the GOP loses control of the senate by one or two seats, and needs Joe to help them retain their majority. I don't think Rove et al give the proverbial dead rat's ass who Lieberman caucuses with as long as he votes with the GOP on the big, signature issues--Iraq, the WOT, supply-side tax cuts, corporate giveaways, etc. The real danger of a Lieberman victory is that the GOP, the DLC and the M$M will trumpet it as a vindication of the Bush's war policies, which will compel all those Scare-D-crats in congress to keep rubberstamping more appropriations and weapons programs for Bush, and embolden the neo-con's into expanding their militarist adventurism to Syria and Iran. Grieder is right that, when that happens, the progressive-left and anti-war movement will leave the DP in droves, exaserbating the schism that has already reduced the DP to being America's permanent second party.

As far as the election is concerned, Democrats will be lucky to break even in the Senate: yes, they may pick up Ohio, but they stand a good chance of losing New Jersey; and may even be looking at a net loss if Ben Nelson blows Nebraska...everywhere else--Va., Pa, Mont, Mo.--i don't see Democrats winning. And should K. Harris lose the GOP primary in Florida on 9/12, don't be surprised if that race suddenly becomes competitive.

As for the House, i'm thinking the Democrats might be looking at a net gain of 4-6 seats.

[madfloridian]

7. Yes, if Harris loses, it will become competitive...

My hope is that Collins would be the one, but I am afraid McBride will be strong. I am not so sure of his ties to the religious community, his wife's father owns some Christian stations...and he is said to be Rove's friend.

I figure LeRoy could not be different enough from his Democratic Governor daddy to be that bad. His dad was a very good man.

As to Lieberman, he doesn't have to actually become a Republican to damage the party. He is doing it already by attacking Lamont. Many have called for him to drop out, and now the others must as well. They must not enable him.

[Name removed]

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[KT2000]

9. Gotta dance with them that brung ya!

an old saying that fits here. The repubs will be donating money for sure and getting their corporate benefactors to pitch in.
Lieberman is bought and paid for.