On the Lieberman Front

There are a couple of editorials in the Hartford Courant that are worth noting today. The first is by David Sirota, Who's Lieberman Represent? Not You. Sirota spells out why it's not just about the war. Lieberman has gone against the Democratic Party and the people of Connecticut on multiple fronts but thinks it's a jihad when anyone calls him on it. As we noted here Lieberman's campaign even has a very Republican look consisting mostly of lies and deception. Sirota points out the following issues where Lieberman is not looking out for the citizens of the US or Connecticut.

• The Iraq War


• Partially privatizing Social Security


• Support for the drug industry


• "Free Trade" benefiting only corporations

Read David's commentary for the details.

The second editorial is by the federalist neocon turned Democrat Marshall Wittmann. Now everyone knows that I think that the only reason Wittmann left the republican party is they wern't feeding his ego enough because ideologically he remains in the Republican camp. In his commentary No Conservative: Lieberman's A JFK Democrat

Joe Lieberman, more than any other national Democrat, represents the JFK tradition in the national Democratic Party. Like so many others of his generation, including former President Bill Clinton, Lieberman came of age politically with the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy.

In addition to being a standard-bearer for the party's tradition of equal opportunity and upward mobility, Kennedy was a muscular internationalist who understood that force was sometimes necessary in order to protect the nation's freedom and security. As Lieberman notes: "I am a Democrat. I believe in the Democratic Party. I believe in the vision of JFK and, I must say, the vision of Bill Clinton."

That tradition is now being challenged by the left in the Democratic party. Driven by a motley coalition of left-wing bloggers and the MoveOn.org crowd, a serious primary challenge has been launched against Lieberman. However, if Lieberman is defeated, a disastrous message would be sent to the nation that centrist hawks are unwelcome in the Democratic Party.

The Connecticut Senate primary is nothing short of a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party. That is why outside left-wing groups have converged on this state.

Now I don't often agree with Wittmann but he makes a couple of good points.
1. "The Connecticut Senate primary is nothing short of a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party".
2. Although for the most part any comparison of Joe Lieberman to JFK is a bad joke I doubt that Kennedy's military adventurism would go over to well among progressives today.
But as Sirota explains the editorial shows just how out of touch the DLC Democrats are not only with Democratic Party activists but with the American people as a whole.