WakeUpWalMart.com, launched last year by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, will visit 35 cities in 19 states for 35 days of rallies, town hall meetings and state fair visits to back its calls on Wal-Mart for higher pay and better health insurance for workers.

The tour plans to stop in Bridgeport on Wednesday with a rally on the steps of the City Hall annex. Among Connecticut Democratic politicians scheduled to appear are U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont, gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano and Diana Farrell, a candidate for Congress....

What has saved Lieberman, time and again, has been his famous charm and affability. When politicians and activists march into his office to complain about something he’s done, they walk in mad and emerge calm.

He’s done it to me too, and it's more than smiling and nodding. Lieberman really seems to be listening and considering the possibility that you’re right and he’s wrong. And he usually makes it clear that he still likes you, even though you sharply differ with him.

That charm and affability have deserted him this summer. The 2006 Joe is one angry guy. One of the first signs was an explosion on my radio show this March. Lieberman hadn’t liked a column I had written the previous Sunday, and he blew up at me. The audio clip went all over the Internet on blogs such as Daily Kos and Firedoglake, which marveled at the crack in Joe's legendary composure and crowed, "He's losing it!"

He never really got his smile back. You might call that a political miscalculation, but I don’t think he can help it. Lieberman is truly appalled by the number of former friends who are now foes. He can't hide it. It's all over his face.