So Joe "Joementum" Lieberman, a three-term CT senator, announced on Monday that if he loses the democratic primary on August 8 to Ned Lamont, he will run as an independent in the general election. You may be thinking, wtf?! Usually when somebody loses a primary they kindof get it, you know, that they lost and they sulk away to a lobbying firm for a huge-ass paycheck. If I lost an election I might also consider why it is that I lost. Hmm, did I lose touch with the people in my state? Did I lose touch with my party? Why is it that people in my state ditched me after eighteen years for someone new? But not Joementum. Some, far more eloquent than I, would say that would be trying to have it both ways. Says Harold Meyerson:
Now, maybe I've had this backward all my life, but I thought that elections were held to enable voters to choose between candidates espousing different points of view on the most important issues. Lieberman seems to believe that elections exist to enable voters not to choose -- indeed, to "accept diversity of opinion." And that if voters have the temerity to go ahead and choose anyway, they have crossed the line between party and sect in their zeal "to have everybody toe the line."
But at least Joementum's making his Republican base happy. The Courant contains this little nugget:
"This is an earthquake happening in Connecticut politics," said George Gallo, the Republican state chairman. "There is no other way to characterize it."
Lieberman's decision means that should he lose the primary, the Senate race would turn into a three-way contest in November, giving Republicans their best chance at winning a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut since 1988, when Lieberman unseated a three-term Republican incumbent, Lowell P. Weicker Jr.
"I'm ecstatic," Gallo said.
Yes, Joementum at his finest, making republicans ecstatic. There's more glee from Alan Schlesinger, the Republican candidate for Senate:
...Schlesinger said his prospects for victory could not be better, with Lieberman sweating a primary challenge from Lamont and a popular Republican governor on the ticket.
"I plan on making the best of that opportunity," said Schlesinger, 48.
...
"We want (voters) to know early on, 'Hey, there's a nice alternative out here. He's a mainstream Republican, not some right-winger, off-the-wall conservative,' " Schlesinger said.
Course, Schlesinger still uses the phrase, "That's the $64,000 question" so maybe he isn't as savvy as he claims. Still, he has more reason to be optimistic in a three-person race than a two-person race.
Okay, I'm in need of some sleep but before bed, here is the best in bloggy goodness:
Atrios declares the winner of the name-Joementum's-new-party contest: attaturk's entry, the Bullshit Moose Party.
Firedoglake is ALL over the Lamont-Lieberman race. All. Over. It.
Maura asks why Joementum is arranging his own Plan B while he doesn't support Plan B for rape victims.
Gengis Conn notes that Bridgeport voters prefer a cokehead mayor to Joementum. (Yup, they cheered Fabrizi while booing Lieberman.)
The people make it clear they want the DSCC to actually support the Democrat (read the comments).
