Connecticut Democrats are considering whether to ask Sen. Joe Lieberman to leave the party for speaking at the Republicans' convention and backing GOP presidential nominee John McCain.How about Lynn Forester de Rothschild? Zell Miller did it in '04 and supported Bush. So did a lot of Democrats for Bush. Americans for Bush did it in 2000.
The party scheduled a debate Wednesday night on a resolution that would censure Lieberman and ask the veteran politician to resign from the Democratic Party.
Lieberman was re-elected to the Senate as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in 2006 to businessman Ned Lamont, but while he calls himself an "independent Democrat" in the Senate he remains a registered Democrat and has said he has no plans to change his affiliation. The four-term senator nearly became vice president in 2000 as Al Gore's running mate.
One of several Democrats pushing for the resolution, 30-year party veteran Audrey Blondin, said Lieberman's very public support of McCain over Democratic nominee Barack Obama is hurting the state party.
"If you have someone who says they're a Democrat, who is registered as a Democrat and is a national figure supporting a candidate who is opposed to all the ideals and beliefs and positions that we hold as Democrats, he's diluting — in my opinion — the meaning of our party," she said.
Lieberman says it best:
Lieberman's staff did not respond to a call from The Associated Press seeking comment Wednesday, but he said on a radio show that the move toward censure surprised him.They elected him, and Independents are known to go - well, independently either way. McCain edges his toes close to that line too, so I can imagine a few other Dems are following Joe's lead. At least the man has a spine and is thinking for himself.
"Honestly, I thought that was the kind of thing that happened only in the former Soviet Union," Lieberman told WICH-AM.
"I understand that people are unhappy, but, you know, I'm doing something that I really believe," he said. "I thought in this country you don't get punished for that. So, I hope that in the end, my colleagues will understand and life will go on either way."
The truth is, the Democratic party just can't be everything to everyone, as it keeps promising.
2 comments:
Oh puhlease... as if Republicans haven't tried time and time again to kick Ron Paul out because he also has worked with Libertarians. Texas loves the guy, but that doesn't stop the party from challenging him in primaries constantly, and even trying to boot him out of the party.
Thats how parties work.
Pure Democrat tolerance. Joe should not be surprised. He's lived in that party for a long time.
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