Disclosure: I worked for the Lamont campaign doing web design and production and some writing for the official blog (from 9/5/06 to 11/07/06).

Monday, July 24, 2006

 

Hillary Set Up Bill Clinton Visit

After being "cornered" by Sen. Lieberman, according to a long and revealing piece on the race just out by Meryl Gordon in New York Magazine:

Though Hillary won’t support Lieberman as an independent, she’s the one who arranged her husband’s visit after Lieberman cornered her on the Senate floor and asked for her help.


The article also sheds some light on Lieberman's original decision to jump ship, painting the familiar picture of an uncertain candidate, a disorganized campaign, and trusted aides and family members giving conflicting advice:

Lieberman fretted for weeks about the decision to go independent. One adviser tried to talk Lieberman out of it, worried that the ploy might alienate rank-and-file Democrats who would perceive him as dissing his party. But his son and confidant Matt, 36, the headmaster of a Jewish day school in Atlanta, urged him to go for it. “My father’s in a fight,” Matt said, “and he’ll do what he needs to do.”...

As Lieberman headed off to make his announcement on July 3 in front of the State House in Hartford, an aide told him, “I don’t know if this will kill us or help us.” Lieberman just smiled in reply....

A Democratic senator from another state said disapprovingly, “Look, you’re part of the Democratic Party or you’re not. Once you move away, you’re making yourself more important than what you’re supposedly doing. Is it more important for the individual to be in the Senate or the ideals and principles you represent?”


Again, it's great that Sen. Clinton and President Clinton will both be supporting the winner of the August 8th primary. It has been suggested elsewhere that Bill might sit down with Joe today and try to convince him to abide by the results of the primary. It's sounding more and more like that's part of how (and why) Hillary - one of the first senators to come out and say she would unconditionally support the Democratic candidate in November - convinced Bill to come campaign for Joe.

Meanwhile, a couple of hours after Sen. Lieberman and his D.C. politician friends leave town, Ned Lamont will come to a restaurant in Waterbury for what's sure to be a very enthusiastic meet-and-greet/small-dollar fundraiser. Incumbent power vs. people power. The difference will be on display.

Update: While New York Magazine gets the real story, Joe once again plays the local press for fools, this time Mark Pazniokas at the Courant:

Lieberman said that Clinton's appearance, which was arranged before a Quinnipiac University poll declaring the race a virtual dead heat, is the result of his direct invitation to the former president.


Which was it? A "direct invitation"? Or "cornering" Hillary on the Senate floor?
Comments:
Above comment is probably a troll...
 
Either a troll or someone very misguided.

Look, Hillary and Bill aren't the enemy here. They are free to campaign for whoever they want in the primary, and the fact that they're supporting Lieberman is hardly surprising - they both worked on his first campaign 30+ years ago.

The fact that they've both clearly said they'll support the Democratic nominee in November is what's important here. They've both proven themselves better Democrats than Joe., and they both deserve credit for that. It will be great to see them supporting Ned Lamont in the general election.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home