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August 07, 2006
Lieberman's Last Stand?
In the small New England state of Connecticut, the first major electoral battle of the 2006 midterm takes place tomorrow. Three-term Democratic U.S. Senator and 2000 vice-presidential nominee Joe Lieberman faces a huge primary challenge from wealthy scion and political novice Ned Lamont. The Times has the rundown.
Lieberman, who has been criticized by liberal Democrats over his support for the Iraq War and perceived coziness with President George W. Bush, has trailed by as much as double digits in recent polls, but appeared to be closing the gap in Quinnipac's latest survey.
This race is being watched by some as a bellweather of the Democratic Party's national direction on foreign policy, but may more accurately intimate just how motivated the party base is to turn out for change in 2006.
From a distance, Lieberman seems to have hurt himself by his tone as much as his actions. After all, most Democrats on Capitol Hill voted to give President Bush carte blanche in Iraq, including New York Senator Hillary Clinton. Lieberman's votes are hardly unusual.
More damaging would seem to be his inability to strike the right chord with an angry, deeply polarized electorate. Lieberman is a consensus builder, an admirable trait not often seen in today's Washington. But he represents an overwhelmingly Democratic state, where Bush is highly unpopular. Political reality suggests it would behoove Joe to distance himself from the administration, to put it mildly.
Lieberman has apparently finally done that, in an unusual two-minute TV ad. Will it be enough to save Joe and return him to Washington for a fourth term? We shall see. Of course, even if he loses, he's filed to run as an Independent. We await Tuesday's returns with great interest.
Posted by houtopia at August 7, 2006 11:26 PM