Kevin Rennie of the Hartford Courant gives a great first-hand account of the Connecticut Convention.
When Ned Lamont captured a staggering third of the 1,509 votes cast Friday, the green challenger’s handlers were the most surprised camp in Hartford’s Expo Center.
Holy Joe has a serious primary on his hands. And it is his own fault. Allowing Fox News to use him as a puppet parroting their hawkish line, involving himself in the Terri Schiavo case, telling victims of rape to drive around until they can find a hospital willing to provide emergency contraception, putting his big fat lips on George W. Bush’s cheek…these are not things that can be lightly overlooked by Democrats. Now he’s in trouble.
The Lieberman people seemed dispirited all night. His demonstrators waved and rubbed together curious-looking wiener-shaped balloons advising “Stick With Joe” as they made their way through the aisles in a short, obligatory demonstration to the tune of “Still the One.” They became animated only when “Soul Man” came over the sound system, providing a cover to stop chanting and start dancing.
Discomfort turned to pain for the Lieberman campaign when the first town in the 1st Congressional District began the roll call: Barkhamsted cast its two votes for Lamont. The challenger received votes in town after town, sometimes one at a time, sometimes considerably more. When once Lieberman-friendly Windsor cast 13 of its 17 votes for Lamont, a roar of surprise filled the hall. Lamont would sail past the crucial 15 percent threshold before reaching his 4th Congressional District stronghold. Lieberman ought to be grateful it was not a secret ballot. If it had been, some of the 100 missing delegates might have found the backbone to vote.
It will be interesting to see if Lieberman decides he has a better chance of winning reelection as an independent. I hope he doesn’t take that step because it might allow a Republican to win the seat. Lieberman should let the Democrats of Connecticut decide if they want him to continue as their Senator. I give him a better than even chance of pulling it off. But Ned Lamont showed some real strength on Friday night. It’s possible that he will pull off a shocking upset that will send a very important message to the DLC, and to people like James Woolsey and Jane Harman that have neo-conservative sympathies. We don’t need or want these kind of Democrats in the party.
Beginning to really love the Hartford Currant also. They have been interviewing military families one on one about PTSD and being sent back into combat on anxiety and depression medication! They ROCK TOO!
Over at The Next Hurrah Sara has an interesting post
“Wellstone to Lamont with a few sidetracks”
GO NED. Bring it home in August and November.
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The proceedings ended with the crowd ignoring another state party icon. When U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, bounced onto the stage to accept the nomination on Lieberman’s behalf, the crowd beat a retreat to the hospitality tents outside. DeLauro addressed the backs of heads while history marched on to the state’s first primary challenge of an incumbent U.S. senator.
Ned M. Lamont
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
The long-term fate of collaborators is rarely a happy one. The best one can say about Lieberman is that he’s on the wrong side of history.
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I would consider Joe not representing his constituents. He clearly has taking a seat on the wrong side of the isle.
The CT voters should be called out to support or condemn his position on issues, especially on Iraq and the 100,000+ lives lost based on lies and deceit.
The follow-up diary by BooMan cannot be coincidental ::
Social Conservatives Fed Up With GOP
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
A collaborator at least in the sense that he’s gone along with the GOP agenda. The extent to which his constituents recognize the Quisling in their midst and act accordingly remains to be seen.
I would like to offer a small reward to the first person who discovers and links to a ‘centrist’ Democrat calling Lamont supporters ‘selfish’, ‘elitist’, ‘haters’ and/or ‘purists’. There will be a double bonus if the same operative can be found dissing one of the more liberal members of the BCC within the past month or so. It’s been my observation that those white boys just can’t help themselves….