Posted by
Dave on Saturday, July 15, 2006 1:19:39 PM
Joe Liebermann has announced that should he lose the Democratic
nomination for Senator in the Connecticut primary, he plans to run as
an independent. Based on his support of the Iraq War effort, this has
resulted in several of the conservative pundits to laud his intentions,
as well as make some statements that upon closer examination are either
disingenuous, hypocritical, or simply moronic.
Earlier today on
her show, Laura Ingraham spoke of how Liebermann should do "what's
right", leave the Democratic Party altogether, and become a Republican,
stating that the possibility of Liebermann losing the Democratic
primary was further proof of Zell Miller's thesis that the Democrats
are a "national party no more". Sean Hannity spoke of how it was an
example of "the left... stabbing Liebermann in the back", and in
several interviews with the Senator has expressed support for
Liebermann's campaign.
The statements of Ingraham, Hannity, et al
seem to ignore several facts. First of all, Liebermann is a committed
liberal. A quick check of the Americans for Democratic Action ratings
show Liebermann's voting record to the left of Mary Landrieu, equal to
Harry Reid's, and only slightly to the right of Joe Biden and Charlie
Rangel. Liebermann has voted against tax cuts, against estate tax
repeal, and at various times has supported filibusters of judicial
appointments. I believe he also opposed John Bolton's appointment to
the UN. During the 2000 campaign, he endorsed the environmental
policies of Al Gore. He supported campaign finance reform. He opposed
drilling for oil in ANWR and on the Outer Continental Shelf. He
supported John Kerry against George Bush in 2004. He has actively
worked to make Harry Reid the Majority Leader of the Senate, and Nancy
Pelosi the Speaker of the House. This is a guy we want on the
Republican side? Is this someone that is going to support free market
capitalism -- issues like tax reform, private accounts for Social
Security, medical savings accounts, property rights, and less
regulation for businesses? I think not.
Using Hannity's logic,
were "rightists" then stabbing Arlen Specter in the back in 2004 when
they worked to beat him in the primary with a conservative, Pat Toomey?
Hannity seems to think that Democrats should preserve its "moderate"
members, but the Republican party should get rid of its own (think:
Specter, Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe, etc.). Yet now he seeks to
welcome someone to the party who would vote to the left of Republicans
that he's sought to remove in past years. When the Democrats undertake
actions on the left that are consistent with and analogous to those he
has supported on the right, the Democrats are "intolerant"; however,
when Republicans do it, it is "standing up for conservative principles".
Personally,
I think Sen. Liebermann is a good and reasonable man, and I think it is
courageous that he is willing to take a stand that is unpopular within
his own party on the war, especially in refusing to "moderate" his
position in the heat of a strongly contested election.
Should
Liebermann lose the primary, I think he should accept the defeat. To
run as an independent, especially to begin planning ahead for it now,
seems to me to be a bit too much desperation at holding onto power,
however. There are times when one must stand one's ground and take the
"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", as Shakespeare might say.
There are times when such a stand might result in a loss, and a time
when one must accept one's fate. Now is such a time for Joe Liebermann,
conservative pundit cheerleading notwithstanding.