'Splaining the Lieberman thing to the MSM

[mojogeorgo]

Oscar's got a good post up at Howard-Empowered People about this...

The only remaining question about the Democratic primary for Senate in the state of Connecticut is how just wide Joe Lieberman's margin of defeat will become. The MSM is framing this as anti-war, dovish liberals taking the Democratic Party into the abyss just like in the '70s with Vietnam. This perspective is wrong on so many fronts that it should be obvious to anyone paying attention, but few people actually pay attention any more so let's spell it out.

More here http://howardempowered.blogspot.com

A lot of people have had a lot to say about "what this is really about", I think Oscar's thoughts on the matter carry special weight because those of us who have known him since the Dean campaign, and have read his "Word for the Week" columns, know that he is more conservative than the average liberal blogger.

Sometimes I wonder why the MSM doesn't "get it", but I think the reality is that they refust to get it, and still believe they can make reality whatever they say it is. A lot of the time, it seems to work for them.

[chelsea0011]

1. I view the Lieberman campaign as Democrats willing to toss out

a leader of the party because of their beliefs. I've always been proud of how Dems fractured the party during Vietnam. Unlike Republicans, Democrats will turn on you if they percieve you as not bringing forth the party goals. And I'm sorry if Lieberman, as his weekend interviews shows, that he thinks we view him along one issue lines. Maybe. But like Vietnam, Iragi deaths in the thousands can't be ignored when we were lied to. And he still doesn't get it.

[Atman]

2. You're right...the fact that Joe still thinks this is all about Iraq...

...just shows he hasn't listened to a word of the charges being levelled against him. Which is exactly why we (I live in CT) want him gone. He refuses to represent US, THE CONNECTICUT RESIDENT, in favor of voting with the republicans on many more issues than Iraq. Iraq just happens to be the one issue which is killing more people than the other BushCo issues he's supported.

[calico1]

8. What kills me about Lieberman and

his followers is the claim that he is a Moderate who works with Republicans. Since when does working with the opposition party mean totally caving to them? Doesn't compromise mean that each side gives a little something in exchange for getting something? Lieberman gives them 100% in exchange for NOTHING for Democrats. Yet he and his followers like to depict him as a Moderate who compromises and works with Republicans. NO THANK YOU. We cannot afford people who compromise like that. :grr:

[cmkramer]

6. Not hard to explain at all

His opponent used the Rovian tactics of lying and smearing. Lieberman used the Dukakis tactics of assuming that his constituents knew his record as a moderate to liberal Democrat and decided he didn't need to respond.

Rovian tactics will always beat Dukakis tactics.

[Atman]

9. Are you a Connecticut resident?

I've received all the mailings from both sides. I've followed the campaign closely. The only people claiming there was "Rovian" lying and smearing are people from outside the state who don't know what the fuck is going on. Joe's mistake was not that he thought constituents knew his record. I'm one of his constituents, and I know it well. Joe simplyd DIDN'T CARE what his constituents wanted. He told us flat out, "You voted for me to represent you, but I really don't care what you t think...I'm voting the way I think, and the way the President thinks."

Voting with your party 90% of the time is great. But the 10% of the time he didn't, he voted for the most vile, damaging legislation for the country and the American people. If I drive to California from CT and get 90% of the directions correct, it won't matter in the slightest...those final few 10% of the turns that end up sending me off a cliff into the Grand Canyon are the ones that do the damage.

[calico1]

10. Are you from CT? n/t

[sendero]

3. With polls tightening up..

.... CT voters cannot get complacent yet! Let's be sure he loses the primary before we do the post-mortem.

[itzamirakul]

4. That blog is awesome! Thanks so much for posting the link!

The Howard Empowered Blog expressed so well the way so many of us feel about Lieberman and the other Democratic leaders who have not had the guts to stand up to either the Republicans or the msm that is now so busy trying to pain Joe as a perfect Democrat....oh, er, that is...except for the Iraq war thing.

Howard expresses so well that Lieberman gained our disrespect and in my case, downright dislike for so MANY things that he has done these past two years. So he will have to suck it up. It is not possible to represent the views of the opposition and ignore the views of your own constituents at the same time and that is, sadly, what Lieberman has done.

He dug his own hole with the help of the GOP and the DLC.

[mojogeorgo]

5. Thanks

Credit for the post goes to Oscar, of course. I like the way he compared Lieberman to Nelson--it's not about how conservative you are, or "how much you hate Bush", but how willing you are to stab fellow Democrats in the back.

Have you seen "Dear Joe: A GOP Love Letter" at YouTube? It's one of the videos I've highlighted here.

http://www.squidoo.com/howardempowered/

When you see that many right wing people using someone as their example of a "good Democrat", you know something's wrong.

[CatWoman]

7. ....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1837775&mesg_id=1837775