Lamont: “This is not Fox News, Sir”

[im10ashus]

Thirty minutes before his only Senate primary debate with Joe Lieberman, Democratic antiwar challenger Ned Lamont was standing alone Thursday night in the dusty parking lot behind WVIT-TV trying to get some peace of mind.

His suit jacket off and his blue Hermes tie (or a convincing facsimile) on proud display, Lamont seemed more like a relaxed suburbanite walking to his car than an upstart cable-television entrepreneur about to take on his party’s former vice-presidential nominee in a debate broadcast live on MSNBC and C-Span. Rather than rehearsing his opening statement, Lamont preferred to reminisce about the Fourth of July parade in Willimantic where he was cheered and Lieberman, the three-term senator, fought off a smattering of boos. The candidate only jerked back to reality when I asked him what he expected from the upcoming debate and he replied in an on-message tone of voice, “A hard-hitting debate on the issues, if I have anything to say about it.”

The debate turned out to be hard-hitting enough to qualify as a blood sport. It was less a high-minded discussion of the issues and more an initiation rite into big-league politics as Lieberman went on the attack from the outset determined to reduce Lamont to pipsqueak status. Lieberman, an unswerving supporter of the Iraq war, responded to a recent Lamont TV ad in which the senator’s voice was syncopated with the president’s face, by declaring, “Ned, I’m not George Bush. So why don’t you stop running against him and have the courage and honesty to run against me?” A few minutes later, Lieberman ridiculed Lamont’s call for a rigid deadline for withdrawal from Iraq as “dumb.”

Lamont accomplished what he needed to do, which was to survive onstage with Lieberman shielded only by his lectern festooned with the NBC peacock. There were moments, especially at the beginning of the debate, when the whites of Lamont’s eyes grew large and radiated that deer-in-the-headlights look. But aside from a few minor verbal stumbles—such as saying billion rather than million when referring to the number of illegal aliens in this country—Lamont gave a credible and sincere, if not necessarily inspired, performance. The novice debater even got off a few one-liners of his own, responding to a Lieberman interruption by snapping, “This is not Fox News, sir.”

cont'd...

http://www.trueblueliberal.com/2006/07/07/lamont-this-is-not-fox-news-sir/#more-8127

[CottonBear]

1. I only saw part of the debate. Lamont did very well. Joe whined a lot.

I think that Senator Lieberman can't unlink himself from DimSon and his pro-war position. He came off as petulant and whiny IMHO.

“This is not Fox News, sir.” :rofl: Good one, Ned!

[H2O Man]

2. I thought it was

a good debate. Lieberman came off as defensive. He is unable to distinguish his position on Iraq from that of Bush-Cheney. Lamont came off as an American citizen who is concerned about the direction the nation is headed, and who is willing to do all he can to make progressive change.

I donated to the Lamont campaign, even though I live in New York. I consider it to be one of the best investments in democracy that I could make.

[im10ashus]

3. I wasn't able to catch it.

Have only read snippets here and there. I think, from what I am reading, Lamont came off looking more concerned as well. I donated to him too. Since it's part of the tri-state area, I thought it was the neighborly thing to do.

:-)

[bigscott]

5. the one opportunity ned missed

is when loserman claimed iraq was better today than it was a year ago after three elections - Ned should have mentioned the increase in American deaths, the increasing frequency of IED attacks etc

And when Lierman said the iraqis were taking over military operations Ned should have asked when we were going to bring the boys home - they are standing UP right?? Why aren't we standing DOWN??

screw joe

[Erika]

4. And Faux News is shown for what it is.... n/t