the rix mix

I haven't tried to pay close attention to the Lieberman-Lamont contest, but it's such a common blog topic. Lieberman upset incumbent Sen. Lowell Weicker 18 years ago because CT. repugs abandoned their too-liberal candidate in droves. In Jersey, Bill Bradley was easily elected to the senate after venerable Sen. Clifford Case was beaten in the 1979 GOP primary by a right wing jerk named Jeffrey Bell, who went on to a very profitable career as a shill for the wingnuts, including the odious theocrat Gary Bauer. Since Bell knew he had no hope of winning the general election against Bradley, his candidacy was an exercise in trashing the NJ GOP for personal advancement, although he's probably a beacon of reason & integrity to uber-rightists like Scott Garrett & Mike Ferguson. So there's a risk if Lieberman is turned out tomorrow, no guarantee that Ned Lamont wins in November. But Ned - who has a fortune, is not Jeffrey - who had yet to earn his. For me, Lieberman's main political sin isn't his support for the Iraq War, although that's bad enough; it's his one-way bipartisanship. Unrequited love is for assholes. The Repug leadership demands lockstep obedience within their own ranks - the "50+1" tactics. . Screw the Dems, & if you're Lincoln Chafee or Olympia Snow, we'll screw you too if you get outta line. They do loosen the leash a bit for elections. But Lieberman went soft on issues other than Iraq, including Social Security, & has behaved like the Republican leadership actually needs his support & George W. Bush is a trustworthy man of moderate & accommodating temperament, & competent president, too. Democratic & Republican primary voters are heavily drawn from the partisan core of the parties. It's telling that Lieberman didn't see this potential reckoning at the hands of his own local base several years ago, & prepare for it. He was obviously out-of-touch with them, with their views, frustration & anger. He isn't running for re-election in Nebraska but in one of the blue-est of blue states. If he loses, he has no one to blame but himself. You don't go down to D.C. & hold hands on the national stage with one of the most partisan - & worst - presidents this nation has ever suffered, & then come home & arrogantly say in-effect , "I'm a big shot so I'm your guy; besides who else you got?" Well, Joe's Democratic constituents, the only ones that matter on Tuesday, may have found someone else.