Joseph Sarandos
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Pro-War/pro-Israel/pro-Bush incumbents are LOSING reelection bids
They don't come any more pro-War/pro-Israel/pro-Bush than the Jewish Joe lieberman.
Now read this article:
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The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060808.LIEBERMAN08/TPStory/TPInternational/America/
Pro-war Lieberman on brink
In Democratic vote, Connecticut senator faces stiff challenge for backing Bush
ALAN FREEMAN
WASHINGTON -- Senator Joe Lieberman, the Democratic Party's vice-presidential candidate in 2000, could face a humiliating defeat in today's Democratic primary in his home state of Connecticut. And it's all because of the Iraq war.
"It's really a referendum on Joe Lieberman's support for Bush on the war," said Ken Dautrich, who teaches public policy at University of Connecticut.
Polls taken just prior to the vote show the three-term senator trailing his Democratic challenger, political neophyte Ned Lamont, who has made Mr. Lieberman's steadfast support for the war virtually his only issue in the campaign.
"That's where the Lamont vote is coming from," said Douglas Schwartz, director of the Quinnipiac poll, operated by Quinnipiac University of Hamden, Conn. "It's anti-Iraq sentiment."
The polling group's final survey of the campaign, made public yesterday, showed 51 per cent of likely Democratic voters saying they plan to cast their ballots for Mr. Lamont, compared with 45 per cent for Mr. Lieberman. That represents a comeback for Mr. Lieberman in recent days, but it may not be enough to save the day.
The primary is being carefully watched across the United States as an indicator of how decisive an issue Iraq is likely to be in the November congressional elections and how it can threaten not only Republicans, but Democrats as well.
Mr. Lieberman, 64, started the campaign well in the lead, but Mr. Lamont, who made a fortune in cable TV, surged ahead thanks to his unremitting attacks on his opponent's backing of President George W. Bush. The challenger has been aided by an estimated $4-million of his own money in campaign spending.
Mr. Lieberman has fought back, bringing in heavyweight backers such as former president Bill Clinton, and attempting to dilute his previously unstinting support for the Iraq invasion.
In a weekend speech, Mr. Lieberman said that although he still believed he was right to vote for the war in 2002, he now sensed a "heavy responsibility" to see troops come home as quickly as possible and end the war. Yet he said he believed a rapid pullout could simply make the violence worse.
In an effort to seek anti-war voters, he said, "I not only respect your right to disagree or question the President or anyone else, including me, I value your right to disagree."
Mr. Lamont has focused his campaign almost exclusively on the Iraq war and Mr. Lieberman's support of other Bush initiatives, saying that Connecticut voters need to be represented by "a senator who will stand up to George Bush."
"Rather than spending hundreds of millions of dollars a day in Iraq, it is time for America to refocus on issues back home: fixing our health-care system, upgrading our schools, and rebuilding our aging infrastructure," Mr. Lamont said.
Some grassroots Democrats have also been irritated by Mr. Lieberman's announcement that he will run as an independent in the November election if he fails to gain the Democratic endorsement today. They say it smells of the same kind of opportunism that Mr. Lieberman practised in 2000, when he ran for re-election to his Senate seat as a backup if Al Gore failed to become president with him on the ticket.
Polls show that as an independent, Mr. Lieberman would beat out both his Democratic and Republican opponents and easily retain his seat in the Senate.
Mr. Lieberman defended his decision to run as an independent by insisting that he has "a loyalty higher than to any party. That's to my state and my country."
"His support of the Iraq war policy is particularly unpopular here in Connecticut," Prof. Dautrich said, noting that liberal Democrats are the most consistent voters in the state's Democratic primaries and they are angry at Mr. Lieberman.
These same voters are upset at Mr. Lieberman's lecturing of Mr. Clinton for his personal behaviour in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and for his support of Mr. Bush over the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain-dead Florida woman who was allowed to die last year despite opposition from right-to-life politicians.
But Prof. Dautrich said Mr. Lieberman remains popular with the state's Republican and independent voters, which would allow him to win the election in November even if he were to lose the Democratic label.
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8/8/2006, 6:44 am
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Incog4
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Re: Pro-War/pro-Israel/pro-Bush incumbents are LOSING reelection bids
Joseph,
This is closely related. I posted it in another forum as;
More CORRUPT REPUBLICANS will not be SEEKING reelection
Embattled Ney says he won't seek re-election
The Associated Press
Published: August 7, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney abruptly abandoned his bid for re-election Monday, becoming the latest Capitol Hill figure to fall victim to the congressional corruption scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff [Jewish].
The six-term congressman insisted in a statement that he was innocent and said he was acting for the sake of his family.
"I must think of them first, and I can no longer put them through this ordeal," he said.
He is the second congressman to announce his retirement in the fallout from the probe. Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas resigned from Congress earlier this year after being indicted on unrelated charges he illegally funneled corporate contributions to Republican candidates. He has also come under suspicion for links to Abramoff.
Other victims of the scandal include Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition leader with ties to Abramoff who lost his bid last month for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in Georgia.
Ney has not been charged with any crimes, but court papers released from Abramoff's guilty plea to fraud and corruption charges detailed lavish gifts and contributions that Abramoff says he gave to an unnamed House member in return for official acts, including support of Abramoff's American Indian tribe clients in Texas. Officials have confirmed that congressman is Ney.
Ney and some of his aides, including Chief of Staff William Heaton, have been subpoenaed. Neil Volz, who was Ney's previous chief of staff, pleaded guilty in Washington in May, admitting he participated in a conspiracy to corrupt Ney, his staff and other members of Congress.
State Sen. Joy Padgett said she was prepared to run in a Republican primary to replace Ney. She told The Associated Press that Ney called her Saturday and asked her to run in his place.
Ney spokeswoman Katie Harbath said the congressman was not available for comment.
Democrats must gain 15 seats this fall to take control of the House of Representatives, and Republicans had long considered Ney to be one of their most vulnerable incumbents.
Several Republican officials said Ney had been prodded to quit the race by Rep. John Boehner, an Ohio Republican and the current majority leader, as well as other officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the details.
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AP Special Correspondent David Espo in Washington and Associated Press Writer Matt Reed in Heath, Ohio, contributed to this report.
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8/8/2006, 7:33 am
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Joseph Sarandos
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Re: Pro-War/pro-Israel/pro-Bush incumbents are LOSING reelection bids
"The Kiss of Death"
This gesture by George W. Bush toward Joseph Lieberman in 2005, while the 3-term Democrat Senator (a Jew) was Bush's strongest outspoken supporter on "all things connected with Israel and the Mid-East Wars," although Lieberman had been Al Gore's Vice-Presidential running mate against Bush and Cheney, and at a time when it was being rumored that Bush would appoint Lieberman to replace Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense, proved to be a great part of Lieberman's defeat in the August 8, 2006 Primary Elections in his home state of Connecticut.
Lieberman lost to a virtual political novice, whose major campaign "planks" were anti-War and anti-Bush, which is now representative of the overwhelming majority of American citizens.
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8/9/2006, 3:58 am
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NamVet2
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Re: Pro-War/pro-Israel/pro-Bush incumbents are LOSING reelection bids
I'll "toot your horn" for you, Chief.
Those who dig a bit deeper into Lieberman's defeat will find that lots and lots of the credit for knocking off this creep has been rightfully acknowledged and granted to internet fact-givers, among whom you are an outstanding example.
Do whatever you must to keep this "ship" afloat and steaming in the right direction.
Hand salute,
Greg
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8/9/2006, 7:43 am
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