Salon: "Lieberman And Home State Democrats...Troubled Marriage"...

[LincolnMcGrath]

Salon: "Lieberman And His Home State Democrats Have Been Slogging For Years Through A Troubled Marriage"...

On Sunday, the two most influential newspapers in Connecticut issued endorsements in the Democratic primary race between U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont.

The Hartford Courant offered a tepid endorsement of the incumbent, arguing that since the war is only one issue and Lieberman votes with his party 90 percent of the time, there isn't enough reason to turn him out of office.

What the New York Times said, on the other hand, was momentous. The editors endorsed Ned Lamont, accusing Joe Lieberman not just of shilling for George Bush's war, but of providing Bush cover for his abridgement of civil liberties and expansion of presidential power. Whatever momentum Lieberman might've gained from Bill Clinton's recent drive-by in Waterbury had been slowed with a few sharp words from the paper of record.

But newspaper endorsements have a notoriously iffy impact on political races. Though they can be used to good effect in advertising, it's tough to find a voter who will admit to having been swayed by an editorial. Besides, both papers emphasized Lieberman's support for the Iraq war, which I think misses the point. The reasons for Connecticut's disenchantment with its junior senator long predate the invasion of Iraq or that kiss on the cheek from George Bush or even his strange crush on the whole Bush administration. Lieberman and his home state Democrats have been slogging for years through a troubled marriage, a slow, painful breakup straight out of an Ingmar Bergman movie. Indulge me in a little history.

Read entire article here.

[OKNancy]

1. Good article

thanks for the link!

[LincolnMcGrath]

2. kick

[JerseygirlCT]

3. That's a good article,

and sums up how I've seen it, too.

Colin is a terrific writer!

[kath]

4. VERY good article. Thanks for posting it.