Lieberman concedes

gldstwmn · #1 08-08-2006, 10:12 PM

Announces his run for Senate as an independent live on CSPAN just now.

gldstwmn · #2 08-08-2006, 10:58 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/...ies/index.html

Lieberman concedes to Lamont, vows to run in November
Georgia's McKinney loses to primary challenger

Tuesday, August 8, 2006; Posted: 11:29 p.m. EDT (03:29 GMT)

Sen. Joseph Lieberman vowed to run as an "independent Democrat" this fall, despite losing Tuesday's primary.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Sen. Joseph Lieberman conceded to cable executive Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary for the Connecticut Senate nomination Tuesday night but vowed to run as an "independent Democrat" this fall.

With 94 percent of the precincts reporting, Lamont led Lieberman 52 percent to 48 percent, according to The Associated Press.

Lieberman, who was former Vice President Al Gore's running mate in 2000, is seeking a fourth Senate term. Lamont, a former Greenwich city councilman, is running his first statewide campaign.

After telling his supporters that he had called Lamont to congratulate him on his victory, Lieberman said "We've just finished the first half and the Lamont team is ahead, but, in the second half, our team -- Team Connecticut -- is going to surge forward to victory in November"

The three-term senator said he was disappointed by the results but said he was more disappointed in how the primary campaign was conducted.

"The old politics of partisan polarization won today. For the sake of our state, our country and my party, and I cannot, I will not let this result stand."

Lieberman had threatened to run as an independent in November's if he failed to claim the party's nomination, further enraging party activists and many Web commentators, who have boosted Lamont.

A source close to Lieberman told CNN that Lieberman has the 7,500 signatures necessary to get on the ballot as an independent candidate.

Voter turnout was high in the high-profile primary fight, according to Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz. Bysiewicz predicted Tuesday that turnout for the primary could reach 45 percent to 50 percent, nearly double the normal turnout for a primary election.

Bysiewicz's office said turnout was high, compared to previous elections, in Greenwich -- Lamont's hometown -- as well as Hartford, Danbury and New Briton.

New Briton and Hartford are considered liberal areas, with votes in the 2004 presidential election for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry exceeding two-thirds in both cities.

Both Lieberman's and Lamont's campaigns claimed that high voter turnout would help their chances for victory.

Meanwhile, Rep. Cynthia McKinney -- a vehement critic of President Bush who recently avoided charges in a March scuffle with a Capitol Police officer -- lost in a runoff against Hank Johnson, a former county commissioner in her suburban Atlanta district, the AP said.

With 89 percent of precincts reporting, Johnson led McKinney 59 percent to 41 percent, according to Georgia's Secretary of State.

In Missouri, as expected, Claire McCaskill won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate and will face Republican Sen. Jim Talent this fall, according to the AP.

Primaries are also taking place in Colorado and Michigan, but the Democratic race in Connecticut is the most closely watched of Tuesday's races.

All eyes on Connecticut
Lieberman was an unsuccessful contender for the Democratic presidential nod in 2004. He has been blasted by many Democrats in Connecticut and nationwide not only for his outspoken support of the war in Iraq, but also for his criticism of fellow Democrats who disagree. (Watch Lieberman's fans and foes among the voters -- 1:36)

"I think too often, Sen. Lieberman goes out of his way to undermine the Democratic message," Lamont said Monday.

In a state President Bush lost by a 10-point spread in 2004, Lieberman's critics have crystallized their complaint in a single image: Bush's embrace of Lieberman before the 2005 State of the Union address. Lamont boosters have mocked the scene with a pickup-mounted replica of the scene, dubbed "The Kiss."

Lieberman calls accusations that he has been a "cheerleader" for Bush "ridiculous." Former President Bill Clinton, former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland and fellow Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd have campaigned for him in recent weeks.

"I have opposed most of what this president has asked us to do in Congress," he said. "And secondly, that somehow I am not a real Democrat? It is outrageous."

Lieberman trailed Lamont by 6 percentage points in a Quinnipiac University poll out Monday -- about half the spread he faced the previous week.

However, despite the recent polling, Lieberman told campaign supporters that he expects to be the winner at the end of the evening.

"I gotta tell you, I have a very good feeling as we begin this primary day," Lieberman said. "This primary is not a referendum on George Bush. This is a choice they have between their senator, Joe Lieberman, and a guy coming up without any experience, running on one issue and running a negative campaign."

On Tuesday afternoon, Lieberman's campaign accused Lamont's of "dirty politics" on Tuesday after a denial-of-service attack knocked out the Lieberman campaign Web site. Lieberman spokesman Smith compared the hack to the kind of tactics used by Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser. (Full Story)

"There is no place for these Rovian tactics in Democratic politics, and we demand that our opponent calls off his supporters and their online attack dogs," Smith said.

The Lamont campaign has denied any involvement.

When asked by reporters at a campaign stop Tuesday if he or his campaign was responsible for the incident, Lamont said, "No, it's just another scurrilous charge."

Liz Dupont-Diehl, a Lamont spokeswoman, told CNN that the campaign "denounced and condemned" the action, and she denied any involvement by Lamont or members of his campaign. She added that the Lamont campaign did not know who was behind the incident.

McKinney trails challenger
Meanwhile, McKinney appeared to face an uphill battle in Georgia's 4th Congressional District, a largely African-American district she has represented for most of the past 14 years. Published polls showed her trailing Johnson, who has called her "an embarrassment" to the district.

McKinney, an outspoken liberal, calls herself Bush's "worst nightmare." She lost her bid for a sixth term in Congress in 2002, after she suggested that members of the Bush administration stood to profit from the war that followed the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington -- but won the seat back in 2004.

In March, she clashed with a Capitol Police officer who stopped her to check her credentials. She announced later that she was sorry for what happened, and a District of Columbia grand jury that looked into the matter brought no charges. But she's still defending herself.

"The fact of the matter is, I was never charged with anything," she said in one of her debates with Johnson.

She fell short of a win in a three-way race in July's Democratic congressional primary, leading Johnson 47 percent to 44 percent. Johnson said her scuffle with the police was "one more controversy that could have been avoided."

He says he's running on the "ABC" ticket -- "Anybody but Cynthia" -- and promises to be a less divisive figure if elected.

vermicious knid · #3 08-08-2006, 11:01 PM

What doesn't he get? He is not wanted.

gldstwmn · #4 08-08-2006, 11:22 PM

Gotta love this headline from the WaPo:

Lieberman Concedes to Antiwar Challenger

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...080800596.html
HARTFORD, Conn., Aug . 8 -- In a stunning repudiation, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) lost the Democratic Senate primary here Tuesday night, falling to antiwar candidate Ned Lamont in a campaign that became a referendum on the incumbent's support for the Iraq war and what opponents charged was his failure to challenge President Bush's war policies.

Full story at the link.

SuzeQuze · #5 08-09-2006, 12:09 PM

Crap, there was a good headline about this that made me lol this am but can't remember it. Running as an I should get him real far.

strandinthewind · #6 08-09-2006, 12:12 PM

I think it is a little odd that people are celebrating this concession when it was to a complete neophyte.

It will be interesting to see how L does in the main election as many R's may vote for him over this unknown D.

DavidMn · #7 08-09-2006, 12:40 PM

It will be interesting to see if he can win in November.

Nixxxed · #8 08-09-2006, 12:49 PM

This appears to be just posted on several blogs:

According to a close Lieberman adviser, the President's political guru, Karl Rove, has reached out to the Lieberman camp with a message straight from the Oval Office: "The boss wants to help. Whatever we can do, we will do."

http://abcnews.blogs.com/theworldnewser/

Rickypt · #9 08-09-2006, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMn

It will be interesting to see if he can win in November.

Impossible. The Democratic establishment will not support him, meaning he won't be able to raise money.

Hooray for Connecticut! I'm loving you today.

DavidMn · #10 08-09-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickypt

Impossible. The Democratic establishment will not support him, meaning he won't be able to raise money.

Hooray for Connecticut! I'm loving you today.

Ok, I can understand that, but it's not llike this Lamont came from nothing either. His family has PLENTY of money. Not that that makes him a bad guy.

Rickypt · #11 08-09-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMn

Ok, I can understand that, but it's not llike this Lamont came from nothing either. His family has PLENTY of money. Not that that makes him a bad guy.

Actually, I'm agreeing with you on this. Lamont has tons of money and Lieberman will not be able to raise much because the Democratic Party won't support him. Maybe he can raise from Republicans, but that will turn even more Dems and Independents off.

I don't even know much about Lamont, but this anti-war statement was really important, especially going into the November elections.

Lieberman will be okay, I'm sure there's a nice Cabinet post waiting for him in the Bush Administration.

SuzeQuze · #12 08-09-2006, 12:58 PM

So would this mean the Rs wouldn't run an R?

DavidMn · #13 08-09-2006, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickypt

Actually, I'm agreeing with you on this. Lamont has tons of money and Lieberman will not be able to raise much because the Democratic Party won't support him. Maybe he can raise from Republicans, but that will turn even more Dems and Independents off.

I don't even know much about Lamont, but this anti-war statement was really important, especially going into the November elections.

Lieberman will be okay, I'm sure there's a nice Cabinet post waiting for him in the Bush Administration.

I have an idea about a new cabinet position aince the current administration seems to enjoy creating new ones. How about chief Ass-kisser? maybe Joe could fill that nicely.

SuzeQuze · #14 08-09-2006, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

So would this mean the Rs wouldn't run an R?

The reason I ask is if a D and an R are running with Lieberman as an I then the votes will be skewed and I'm betting that will be to the D. With 3 contenders it is easier to win. Also, any "help" from Bush will polarize most voters toward the other side.

Nixxxed · #15 08-09-2006, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

The reason I ask is if a D and an R are running with Lieberman as an I then the votes will be skewed and I'm betting that will be to the D. With 3 contenders it is easier to win. Also, any "help" from Bush will polarize most voters toward the other side.

I've heard every possible permutation of this scenario has been discussed the last few days, and I have no idea how it will play out (nor do I think anyone else does). The problem seems to be that most voters in Connecticut are actually Independents (more than D and R combined), and no one really knows how they'll vote.

The Rs do have a candidate -- in the link I posted, the theory is that Dubya's help may be in getting the R candidate to drop out and skew his votes to Loserman. The D primary gap last night was only 10,000 votes... The Rs win if either their candidate or Joe wins.