WaPo Supports Lieberman
Well, there's no hope at all of the Washington Post editorial staff getting any thank you cards from the Koz Kidz. In an editorial today they strongly back Joe Lieberman making an independent run for the Senate.
But Mr. Lieberman became an object of voter anger not only about the war but at the Bush administration in general. Because Mr. Bush has governed too often in a partisan way, many Democratic voters concluded that anyone who reached across the aisle in an effort to cooperate must be a sap. In such an environment, party orthodoxy comes to matter more than accomplishment; any assumption of good faith on the other side becomes a sign of weakness.
In that sense, the mirror-image defeat in Michigan of first-term Republican Rep. John J.H. "Joe" Schwarz was similarly disheartening. Mr. Schwarz, who backs embryonic stem cell research and abortion rights and opposes a ban on same-sex marriage, lost to a conservative whose race was fueled by the anti-tax Club for Growth. (We do not similarly mourn the defeat of Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.), whose intemperate behavior and attraction to conspiracy theories led voters in her district to boot her — for a second time.)
Becoming beholden to orthodoxy is not healthy for either party. Compromise is not the equivalent of weakness, and Mr. Lieberman is no sap. He is a person of strong views who believes in listening to those who disagree with him and, if possible, finding common ground. The alternative is gridlock. Mr. Lieberman's brand of centrism and bipartisanship is a needed salve for a divided country, which could use more such lawmakers, not fewer.
They conclude that it is better for both the Democratic party and for the country as a whole to return a man like Joe Lieberman to the Senate. There will be a run on computer keyboards and monitors today as spittle tends to short them out. Punching them is even harder on them.
By Dan, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 2:08 pm
This is a classic reason why your website sucks. You just spit out the same “leftist” demeaning crap that I could read from the wingnuts on FreeRepublic.com, or Captain Ed, who is far more eloquent, if perhaps a bit too verbose.
The fact is, you completely ignore that fact that Lamont won by only 4 percentage points. You take this narrow margin and ignore it so you can plaster the Democratic party with your “Loony Left” labels, that are way too cliched to be in the least bit clever. Your “witty” line about keyboards and monitors (which is just stupid since “spittle” could not short either out) serves as a really bad illustration about how all the Dems will be oh-so-angry at the Post.
What you fail to realize is that YOU are the conservative equivalent of Kos and his followers. The difference is, that he has a tangible and sizeable audience, whereas you are writing to yourself…and me when I’m bored.
By Gaius, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 2:12 pm
Then don’t read here. Quite simple really.
By syn, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 2:39 pm
Lamont was elected by supporters who enjoy ‘blackfacing’ anyone who goes against the purity of their ideology, was fianancially supported by the most white-on-purly-white mulit-million dollar Liberal homeowners living in the toniest district of a very toni state plus received a ton of cash from useful idiot Hollywood celebrities.
Now what were you saying about demeaning, Dan before your black paint began to run?
By Blackhawk, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 2:54 pm
(Warning, cheap shot coming up)
This is a classic reason why your blog rocks. In addition to stating your opinion on your site, you also link to relevant information. Many bloggers do not, reducing their posts to mere rants.
Lamont’s narrow win is certainly a major coup for the KozKids, and as you have already opined, the next three months of increased scrutiny will certainly be a test like no other for them. Can they stand up to the intensity of the increased (and unfortunately often vicious) attention? Oh, that’s right. The KozKids are all about vicious attention…based on what I have personally read on that site. Oh, I do have to concur that spittle won’t short out a keyboard or monitor (at least not a flat screen). I’ve been testing that on a co-worker’s station while they were away.
What I particularly like about this site is that is doesn’t devolve into juvenile name calling, base sexual-orientation slander, or exercises in four letter word slinging. No, this site is far more sophisticated: only adult-level name calling here ;). As for audience, who cares? Last time I checked, this was your site, not someone else’s, and I’m glad you’re running it, even if I’m the only reader.
Besides, no other site has their finger on the pulse of the animal uprising like you do.
Tootles, gotta run. Co-worker coming back…
By Gaius, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 3:14 pm
I’m not worried about the Dans of the world. A drive by insulter. I know I have readers. That’s what Dan’s afraid of….
By Dan, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 5:21 pm
Oh yeah…I’m terrified. If you or your witty followers had really paid attention, you’d realize that I am a Democrat who is not happy at all about the fact that Lamont won. When Lieberman wins as an independent in the fall, and the Democrats lose a(nother) seat, I’ll be even less happy. Which is exactly the point you, and syn and Blackhawk are all missing.
Just as it would be stupid of me to think that you all are the voice of the Republican party because you are the loudest and most obnoxious, so would it be for you to believe that Kos and Co. are the new Democratic party. If they are, I can tell you that I hope Lieberman starts an independent party that catches on with the political center, and leaves the fringes on both side to fight amongst themselves.
If you notice, I’ve not disagreed with Syn’s assessment that Lamont’s supporters were those who want to cast out anyone who doesn’t toe the party line, which is really no better than the far-Right wing bullies who threaten moderate Republicans for not jumping on the Culture-of-Life boat. My point is that the 4 percentage points that carried the primary for Lamont is NOT a heavy win, and that there are probably far fewer “spittle flinging leftists” than you all seem to hope exist because of WaPo piece.
Why not see this as an opportunity to mow down all the partisan politics that got Lamont where he is, rather than participate in them on the other end of the spectrum? The stuff you put it up makes you a clone of just about every other partisan-driven conservablog out there.
“Drive-by” is not the term you’ll want to use to describe me. I’ll stand here and weather all three of you until it seems you’ve understood my point, no matter how long it takes me to put it correctly.
By Gaius, Thursday, 10 August , 2006 @ 5:28 pm
Dan,
Go look at all the posts I have done on Lieberman, then come back. You are taking what I am writing in exactly the wrong way, obviously.