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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

MundiMuster! The "Lieberman Problem" for Beltway Dems

[via dKos ] Senator Chuck Schumer has just been quoted saying that the DSCC "fully supports" Sen. Joe Lieberman in his primary bid, and he refused to rule out continuing that support if Joe "Joementum" Lieberman were to run as an independent. As Kos points out, this means "Schumer just gave Lieberman permission to quit the Democratic Party" in the face of his trouble in his upcoming race against the more genuinely progressive and ever-more popular challenger, Netroots favorite Ned Lamont.

Schumer went on to point out that one "can run as an independent, you can run as an independent Democrat who pledges to vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader." But as Kos is quick to reply: "That's true, when there isn't a Democrat on the ballot, like in Vermont. Connecticut isn't Vermont."

From the DSCC mission statement:
Our mission is to elect more Democrats to the United States Senate. We are the largest organization committed to electing a Democratic Senate in the country. From grass-roots organizing to candidate recruitment to providing campaign funds for tight races, the DSCC is working hard all year, every year to increase the number of Democratic Senators.

No ifs ands or buts about it, supporting Lieberman over a victorious Lamont would constitute an unambiguous violation of the DSCC's mission. There is little doubt that such contortions reflect the panic of a coddled ineffectual Old Guard content with their petty privileges and comfortable pieties confronted out of the blue with a new generation of reformers and true progressives with the imagination, intelligence, and energy to save the world and no patience in the least for a permanently marginalized opposition party going through the motions while a corrupt bloodthirsty Empire crumbles around their feet.

Kos concludes: "Schumer is a Democrat. He runs the DSCC. He needs to respect the will of the Democratic voters in Connecticut."

Senator Reid's office apparently is "refusing to comment" on this question. Barbara Boxer, who I otherwise adore, actually endorsed Lieberman on the floor of the Yearly Kos convention, which she had every right to do, but which I now see as an ominous premonitory rumbling of the current brouhaha. Chariman Dean has made it clear that the DNC will support whichever democrat wins the primary, exactly as one would expect and exactly as we must demand from the DSCC.

Remind the Dems who they work for. Let them know that times are changing. Here's some relevant contact information:

DSCC:

info@dscc.org
Phone (202) 224-2447

Schumer's office:

(202) 224-6542
(212) 486-4430

DNC

202-863-8000

1 comment:

Tom said...

Maybe Schumer will need a primary challenger, too.