No Lieberman Endorsement?

Gee, if Joe and John McCain are such good buds, why isn't McCain supporting him?

Gerstein with Colin

I made the mistake of listening to this interview live while I was driving, and almost went off the road. You can listen without operating heavy machinery at the same time here

Stop calling Lieberman an Independent!

UPDATE: I just found out (11:15AM Sept. 1st) that John Mertens hasn't been added to the Senate ballot yet; a contact at Sec. of State Susan Byzwehiczhsihckzeks's (sp.?) office just told me that so far he hasn't had enough validated signatures to earn a place on the ballot. If this changes, I'll update the blog again.

(Unlike Lieberman spokesguy Dan Gerstein, I will admit my mistakes BEFORE everyone in the entire free world points them out to me!)

Does anybody know the name of the candidate who is running for Senate in the "Connecticut For Lieberman" Party?

Here's a hint: he loves getting lingering hugs and quick, wet kisses from Republicans.

(...and I'd like to apologize for that intense mental image.)

I'm speaking of Joe Lieberman, of course.

What I want to know is...why the HELL are people calling him an Independent?

The Independent Party in Connecticut already HAS a candidate in the Senate race. His name is John Mertens. He's a tenured Associate Professor at Trinity College. He is also, from what I gathered from his website, a nice guy and an earnest candidate.

But what counts is that John Mertens is the endorsed candidate of the Independent Party in CT. That much is clear.

So why does nearly every news source repeat the fiction that Joe Lieberman is an Independent candidate? The fact is, John Mertens is the ONLY Independent candidate in this race!

Why don't they represent Lieberman as the candidate from the "Connecticut For Lieberman" Party?

Take a look at these examples - this first image is the banner of the "Independent Party of Connecticut":

This next image is what Joe Lieberman's "Connecticut For Lieberman Party" banner would look like if their staff had a sense of humor:

Here's a prime example of this misrepresentation. The Zogby International poll has recently been calling Connecticut voters and asking this question among others:

"If the election for Senate were held today and the candidates were Democrat Ned Lamont, Republican Alan Schlesinger, Independent Joe Lieberman, Green Party Ralph Ferrucci, and Independent Party John Mertens, for whom would you vote?"

Zogby names every single candidate and their party accurately EXCEPT Lieberman's. Why is that?

This misrepresentation that Zogby and others continue to perpetrate seems to call their motives into question. Is there a reason that certain organizations won't use the proper name "Connecticut For Lieberman" when referring to Joe's desperate campaign to stay in office?

...And counting...

Thursday, August 31. The 23rd day since there has been a Web site with meaningful information at joe2006.com.

Kissing at Sunset

I'm promoting this out of the comments because it is priceless. You need a laugh to start (or end) your day? Click here

UPDATE: That fabulous romantic video came from our very own anonymous! Thanks!

And, here's a great column from Helen Ubinas and a story from Mark Paziniokas about the solar heat.

You Must See This

Do not pass go, do not collect $200 - click here to head on over to Crooks & Liars and watch Keith Olbermann shame this administration and Donald Rumsfeld in advance of the Iraq = 9-11 that starts tomorrow. Thank you, Keith, for speaking out so eloquently on behalf of all of us in America who don't support the war (and are not ignorant or traitors) and to John at Crooks & Liars for getting this baby up so fast. The video is even more impressive than the transcript.

Here's the quote he used to close

Thus forgive me for reading Murrow in full:

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty," he said, in 1954."We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear - one, of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of un-reason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men; Not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were - for the moment - unpopular."

Send this post to everyone you know.

This is what a REAL Connecticut sunset looks like

OK, so by now we've all seen Joe Lieberman's bought and paid-for footage of a California sunset, purchased from Getty Images (a non-Connecticut based company).

For god's sake, Joe, why not spend your money in-state?

Specifically, why not spend the money buying MY great Connecticut sunset images? God knows, I can use a new computer...and a few lobbyist's bucks could sure help!

Here's some examples of some real-live Connecticut sunsets. Take a look at them, Joe, and try to tell me that they aren't just as good as your cheap California sunsets:

This is a Connecticut sunset, Joe. You see the stack of the Bridgeport CL&P power plant? I took this picture from my boat while still located in Connecticut waters. Think you can use this for your next ad?

Here's a lovely Connecticut sunset. We took this photo on Connecticut soil, right down at Milford Point. Pretty, isn't it?

So Joe, I ask you...wouldn't you rather have some REAL Connecticut sunset images in your next commercial?

Repeat After Me....

Attention all people with brain cells! The Bush administration starts its full court press tomorrow with speeches at the national VFW convention that Iraq and 9-11 are inexorably linked. This will be the Wurlitzer music through the anniversary at least.

Repeat after us....
...there is no connection between Iraq and 9-11
...there is no connection between Iraq and 9-11
...there is no connection between Iraq and 9-11


UPDATE: Sorry, it was Rumsfeld at VFW, Bush at American Legion.

Frist Caught!

Olbermann tonight let us know that when Frist renewed his medical license, he said he had completed the necessary professional continuing education of 40 hours, and he did not. Having a nursing license myself, believe me when I tell you that little people would be in trouble for doing the same thing. Accountability, anyone?

DFA Endorsement Rally for Diane Farrell

This is a very important House race, and Diane Farrell needs your support. She's running against Chris Shays in the 4th District.

You know Chris Shays. He's the guy hugging Joe Lieberman:

DFA Fairfield County, Jim Dean, et al, are hosting a rally on:

Thursday, August 31st from 6pm to 8 pm
In Greenwich, CT, On the grounds in front of the Havermayer building on Greenwich Ave (near exit 3 off I-95)

Jim Dean will be there to publically announce DFA endorsement of Diane Farrell for The House of Representatives.

Also there in support will be Ned Lamont and a slate of local candidates including Frank Farricker and Ed Krumeich running very key races for seats in Hartford (do not underestimate the great importance of these state races for desperately needed leadership in Hartford and two years in advance of the next Presidential election).

With all that is happening around the country CT races are getting national and even international attention. Diane's strong campaign and impressive presence is driving more and more attention from voters, from the media and from politicians.

SO PLEASE COME,
PLEASE BRING A FRIEND,
BRING YOUR FAMILY.

For more info:
http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=11969
http://www.nedlamont.com/page/event/detail/rallies/wrw2

A Must-Watch (if you can stand it)

Kudos to Brian Williams on this one. You can't just listen -- watch Bush's body language during this one-on-one from the combative cowboy in the beginning, to the disheveled boy when asked about his father, to I-don't-know-what as he tries to convince Williams he decided to add Shakespeare to his light summer reading list.

Then remember that Ahmadinejad can see this. No wonder he challenged Bush to a debate.

They Don't Miss a Thing

From today's Courant

The commercial was produced by Josh Isay, a former chief of staff to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York. Isay now runs his own consulting firm, Knickerbocker SKD. His past clients include Schumer and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Lamont's campaign gleefully seized on the image of the sun setting on Lieberman.

"Is the sunset in Joe's new ad a fitting metaphor for the end of his Senate career?" said a statement issued by Lamont's campaign. "Like the rest of the information coming out of his campaign it is full of distortions and lies."

Each campaign issued dueling fact sheets backing and attacking the claims made in the commercial. In an interview, Gerstein took issue with the idea that the sun is setting. "It's actually a sunrise," Gerstein said. "It's very much a sunrise."

Where are the meterology experts when we need them to settle this?

Another Republi-hug for Joe

Joe Lieberman just can't keep his arms from wrapping around Republicans!

Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) gives a welcoming (and quite loving) hug to Joe Lieberman (I-CT) at a joint appearance. Joe returns the hug with the same amount of warmth and sincerity that he used when he chided the voters of Connecticut for voting against him in the Senate primary:

"Well, they should have thought of that before they had the primary," stated Lieberman in a not-so-rare fit of pique.

It must gall him every single day to wake up and be reminded that the Democrats have rejected him, and they only way he'll be able to keep his sucking place at the public teat is to turn his back and trash his career-long political identity and slither onto the ballot any way he can.

How does he manage to look in the mirror in the morning?

But then again, with friends like these...who needs Democrats?

Need a Job?

This could be fun -- a posting for a job in the Lieberman campaign from Craig's list, posted by Colin at To Wit Only, Colin left out the part that pay is $2000 a month or a generous $12.50 and hour. How republican of you -- Go get 'em Joe!

Potty mouth?

Normally I don't quote stories I get from Drudge, but this one was too funny. CNN’s Kyra Phillips left her body mic on while she went to the bathroom, and her somewhat catty girl talk went out live over the air.

During President Bush's speech.



Newsbusters has the transcript. If Krya's brother's wife was a bitch before, just wait until she hears her sister-in-law's comments! Poor guy.

The Straight Man

I do love being the straight man here to set up Bob's fabulous video work. It's the joy of teamwork!

Joe's new commercial...CTBob-style!

Yeah, this thing was just begging to be screwed with. I mean, when Joe serves up a hanging slider like that, EVERYONE wants to take a swing at it!

Here's my attempt at jazzing up his boring "Deep Thoughts"-like ad:



UPDATE: Scarce has put up his version of the ad RIGHT HERE. Watch very carefully and see if you can pick out what's different about this ad. (Hint: I'll never get tired of seeing the KISS float!)

UPDATE II: The video clips that are shown in Joe's coma-inducing video aren't even Connecticut shorelines. From the comments section on the official Ned Lamont blog; tip o' the hat to JeffW:

Some smart person at MyDD said it’s probably stock footage from Getty Images, and indeed it is—actually two stock clips.

If you go to gettyimages.com, search the film section for “sunset and ocean”, on page 2 of the results you’ll find items 843-1 and 843-2 from Image Bank Film. That’s what they used. So where was it shot?

Here’s the info provided for the clips (click on the “i” symbols under the thumbnails):

#843-1:
Medium shot pan from sunset reflecting of ocean to waves lapping up on shore / Santa Barbara, California

#843-2
“Wide shot sun setting over ocean / birds walking along water’s edge / Santa Barbara”

It’s definately a sunset, and it’s definitely California.

Earth to Media: Get a Brain...

...is the title of a great column from Northeast magazine in the Hartford Courant on Sunday.

The candidate, Democrat John Edwards, did squeeze in one private meeting with perceived powerbrokers. In a Yale medical school cafeteria, Edwards glad-handed, praised and answered questions from Connecticut's local bloggers...

Handed a sunflower named "Lorenzo," Edwards agreed to grant it a quick "interview" at the request of bloggers from the My Left Nutmeg site. Dreadlocked v-logger "CTBlogger" simultaneously worked his still and video cameras as Edwards discussed his presidential ambitions. Accounts of this exclusive press conference appeared on his web site, other Connecticut sites, as well as the national Internet commons known as the Daily Kos.

Click back to the original for the links.

Embarassing Video

Bob and I are pretty busy this week, so click your mouse and send some blog love over to ConnecticutBLOG this evening for your viewing and reading pleasure. He starts with the new Lieberman "sunset" ad -- complete with the UTube commments that are being deleted by Lieberman forces, but not before they can be copied and pasted here. As you would expect, there is also plenty of commentary at FDL

But, wait! There's more. Scroll down a bit and treat yourself to Chris Shays' efforts to wiggle out of his support for Iraq. Noron (Norah O'Donnell) is not exactly one of our favorites, but she had his, um, package in a vice on this one -- and kept squeezing. It is an instant classic.

"Racist Morons for Lieberman"

There are SO many things wrong here that I'm having trouble finding a place to start.

I'm sure this guy thinks he's a real hoot, and he probably cracks up the boys at his monthly Klan meetings, but you have to wonder if he represents a significant portion of those people who support Joe Lieberman?

Obviously this is someone whose TV remote has been surgically altered to only click on FoxNews channels. He drinks his Kool-Aid by the vat.

But that doesn't excuse the guy from what is a despicable, loathsome, and shameful display.

I can only hope that this walking piece of human fecal matter doesn't have plans to procreate...

The world has enough racist morons as it is.

Ned Lamont: "Rock Star"?

We all know that Ned Lamont is becoming amazingly popular as a result of his astounding victory in the Connecticut Senate primary. As more people hear his views on the issues, they realize that Ned is the right choice for change.

But...is Lamont becoming a "rock star" in the world of politics?

I don't know...we've all heard his singing of that Wang Chung classic '80's tune, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" in the "Messy Desk" commercial; I can't say that he sounded like a rock star, but he may have been acting like a bad singer for the sake of the commercial.

Recent media coverage seems to be jumping on the "rock star" metaphor:

Lamont nearing rock-star status by SUSAN HAIGH, Associated Press, via the Bradenton Herald (08/27/06)

HARTFORD, Conn. - Ned Lamont headlined a recent fundraiser for the liberal Democracy for America. Days later, the Democratic Senate candidate was rubbing elbows with celebrities at a charity event sponsored by the liberal MoveOn.org, and he's been a guest on Air America, the liberal talk radio network.

Has the Greenwich businessman who defeated 18-year-veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman in this month's Democratic primary hit rock-star status among progressive Democrats?

"He's pretty darn close," said Tom Hughes, executive director of Democracy for America, which helped raise more than $100,000 for Lamont during the primary.

Lamont was the top attraction at a recent fundraising event for the group, founded in 2004 by Jim Dean, brother of Howard Dean - chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former presidential candidate.

"It was the talk of the political town when he was here," Hughes said. "He is known to progressives across the country right now as somebody who just toppled a really behind-the-times entrenched incumbent. That's a huge deal."

24

Finally! 24 got the recognition it deserved, winning the Emmy for best drama last night. I have not missed a single episode since the very first when we met Jack Bauer and presidential candidate David Palmer and his deliciously calculating wife, Sherry.

On the Al Franken Show this afternoon, guest hosts Tom Oliphant and Christy Harvey were discussing the appeal of 24. She suggested it was the terror-porn aspect of the show, and he wondered if it appealed more to the right or the left.

They asked if the same people drawn to 24 were West Wing fans. That's me. The common thread in both shows is that there is a fundamental underlying competence in both shows relating to our government. We so long for that in our real government. Instead of praise, the Jack Bauers of this administration get subpoenaed, have their secret identities leaked, and lose their jobs.

24 gives me an hour of hope.

Schieffer Gets it Right

Bob Schieffer's commentaries at the end of Face every week are usually the best 2 minutes of Sunday morning television. This week's was no exception.

One year after Katrina and we can't figure out how to get money to people who lost their homes in New Orleans, we're still not sure if it can survive another hurricane but a terrorist group has figured out how to get American money to the homeless in Lebanon?

Read or watch

I'm back from vacation

Today is my first full day back from our sailing adventure. Joyce and I are enjoying getting reaquainted with our queen-sized bed and with plumbing you don't have to pump to flush.

Yeah, sailing is hell.

I'm not going to apologize for that awful shirt; hey, I was on vacation!

For more photos and some details of the trip, visit my sailing blog on the link below.

Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that there aren't any more pictures of that shirt.

"The Full Tilt Sailing Team"
And let's hear a great big round of applause for Kirby, for taking such great care of the blog while I was gone. Thanks, Kirby!

Does it Add Up?

As of today, killed in Iraq 2,611 in Afghanistan 328, total: 2,939. Those killed on 9-11: 2,973. There are still 15 days to match the totals for the fifth anniversary of 9-11.

It's just sad.

Freedom?

While we rejoice at the release of the two Fox journalists captured in Gaza, Mr. Kirby offers this observation...

Are you really free if you work for Fox News?

Good question.

We've Lost Another

Please pray for Jordan Pierson and his family. The 21-year-old Corporal was killed in Iraq on Friday, August 26. He's from CT Bob's hometown of Milford, so I'll defer to him for more information.

Bob: Thanks, Kirby. I do have something I'd like to say about this tragedy.

This is kind of difficult for me, because I can't help but think of the loss that Jordan's little brother is feeling right now.

You see, I lost an older brother to Leukemia many years ago, who at the time was roughly the same age as Jordan. I remember the feelings of anger that I felt at the time; at God, at the world, at the entire universe for taking someone I loved and looked up to; a person who was kind, intelligent, and showed so much promise for the future.

But, eventually I came to realize that what happened was something that was more or less explainable. A terrible disease which had very little treatment success at the time stole a young man's life. No act of man was responsible for his death; it was senseless, but at least it was one of those random acts of God that happen to innocent people, like getting struck by lightning.

Jordan's death however...that really bothers me. He died because he did the honorable thing; he put off his education at college to join the military and fight for his country. If I was Jordan's age immediately after 9/11, I doubt that I'd have wanted to do anything different myself. We were attacked, and we wanted to punish those responsible.

But as the reasons for the war in Iraq become more and more well known, it seems that our leaders had lied to many young people like Jordan; they misused and wasted the enormous potential and lives of thousands of promising young men and women, and for what?

If our top leaders had the courage and honesty that people like Rep. Jack Murtha possess; and they recognized and admitted that invading Iraq was not only wrong, but was made worse by our staying there, many young people in the prime of their lives like Jordan might have been spared.

I can't help but worry for Jordan's little brother. It's bad enough to lose a brother to a disease you can't do anything about...it might be infinitely worse to realize that you lost him because our nation's leaders betrayed us.

This is Brilliant

The 9-11 report as a comic book? How horrible! How insensitive! I say "How brilliant."

40-44 million adults - 21-23 percent of the adult population - function at the lowest level of literacy skill. That means they may be able to sound out words, but can't read well enough to understand concepts or to act on what they are reading (such as keeping an appointment, reading a label on a medicine or a loan document). These are people from all walks of life -- company presidents, moms, dads, and others you would never suspect because they've hidden their inablility to read their whole lives. I learned about this a long time ago, from a man who worked with my father. To assume that people can read a leaflet is making a very false assumption.

That's why this approach is so brilliant. The story of 9-11 is now so much more accessible to so many more Americans who can use the illustrations to enhance their understanding of the words. And, think of the kids who soon will not have their own memory of 9-11-2001.

I say BRAVO! When important information needs to be communicated to all citizens, this approach makes it much more accessible.

We've been Farked!

Just got home from vacation, and while sorting through the piles of emails, blog posts and messages waiting for me, I came across something that made my day.

We've been FARKED!

Fark.com is a website about nothing in particular, yet I've spent countless hours reading and commenting there. What they do is put up a link to a (usually stupid) story/blogpost/etc, and then let people comment upon it.

400 million hits a year worth. Drew Curtis must be doing something right.

And it all started with this squirrel and his nuts:



Anyway, somebody submitted my blog post from last May about Joe Lieberman and his repugnant stance on Plan B emergency contraception. It was accepted, and late last week we had a spike of hits from Fark. It was old news, but it still garnared the usual level of asinine comments peppered with occasional insights.

...and ever since I started reading Fark.com, I've always wanted to be "Some Guy"!

Click on this link to read the comments on the Fark post:

"Connecticut Bob" has been Farked!

(Heh heh...I've been back only a few hours now, and already the quality of this blog has taken a nose-dive back into the comfortable mediocrity that you're all so familiar with! Didja miss me?)

We Are Patriots

Another rainy day here in Connecticut, which is great for my late summer flowers, and a good day for contemplating what's ahead for us.

We know the story about how Ds are disorganized, don't speak with one voice, yadda, yadda, yadda. I believe it's the "brain cell thing." Our intelligence and our ethical core takes us only so far because we lack that egomanical gene to win at all costs (see: Lieberman, party of one).

We believe in empowering people. We do not lie and pretend it is truth because we realize that life is a continual flow of shades of gray that rarely approach black or white. We believe what we believe to our roots, not because it is expedient at the moment, which makes us lousy politicians in today's cut-throat environment (I voted for the war before I voted against it really did make sense if you listened to the whole explanation.)

We believe that people are essentially good and that we don't give them one fish to keep them under our thumbs waiting, begging for the next morsel to make us feel like the instruments to the great King. We teach them how to fish and help them with resources so they can catch more fish, and to fish in different places so everybody has a chance, rather than giving all the fish to the nasty guy who bullies the fisherman. We believe in helping those who want to set up a little fish restaurant on Main Street and those who want to send their fish to another town where people don't have any fish.

We believe in America and never question another person's patriotism because, in our bones, we know we are true patriots. We believe America can be an incredible force for good in the world, and we know that you don't take over countries and shove your preconceived notion of "freedom" (doing what The Man tells you to do, or else) down their throats and then be surprised when they don't respond the way they were told to. Instead, we want to set the example so that people will fight for their own freedom and drink its nectar.

We are incredibly complex people who probably overthink things, but that is because we care about how people less fortunate that we will be affected by policy decisions. We are here to serve, not to use community/public service as a key to the lottery bank.

And sadly, that is our Achilles heel. We have a collective conscience and ethical grounding. We have a good handle on basic right and wrong. Sometimes, a little too tight a grip, but it's what we have. That's why we have trouble in the political marketplace of today. We don't stomp on the little people to climb higher. We can't boil our positions down to 4-word bumper stickers. Our commitment to our fellow American won't let us. Our patriotism won't let us.

Meanwhile, Back at the Blog...

It was a cool, rainy day here in Connecticut today. Usually, I love these rainy, contemplative days, especially with a cup of tea and nap on the afternoon meeting schedule. Ah, today, it just added to the weight of the awful news that is everywhere -- here's the wrap.

The Housing Market has Tanked
Thought a home could be a great investment? Think again.
Security Scares Grounds Six Planes (two had CT ties -- one coming in, and one that left here this AM)
More Problems in Israel-Lebanon
Seems Israel dropped US cluster bombs on civilian areas in Lebanon -- Geneva conventions issues, and kids getting killed -- 25,000 unexploded bomblets all over the country. Israel says that's where Hezbolla hid.
Connecticut Schools Still Failing
Bad schools continue to fail -- nobody is making "adequate yearly progress," but a big huzzah to Clara T. O'Connell School in Bristol -- the only school in CT to get off the failing school list.
Lieberman Bails on CT D Congressional Candidates
ConnecticutBLOG's Take
Joe's declared himself a "non-combatant" (how can he parody the language of war???) in the fall elections -- will not support our D candidates.

That's enough of the depressing news....have a wallow, and then read some promising developments....

Incumbent Fever
Interesting commentary on the incumbent racket from Jeff Greenfield
Great Blog Wrap from Tim
Beginning of the End for Joe?
Colin McEnroe nailed this one today -- foreshadowing more to come. Hillary is loaning Ned Howard Wolfson, a huge D strategist inside player kind of guy with his hand in a very big financial cookie jar that it looks like Hillary is releasing to Ned. Whether that's here nor there is not as key as the fact that Lieberman's guy was Carter Eskew, also of the SAME FIRM. Same firm can't work for both candidates. Could this be the first crack in the wall of Washington Ds finally seeing Lieberman for what he is? Refusing to help the Congressional candidates who give us a real shot at getting the House back should be the last straw. Watch carefully after Labor Day when everyone is back in DC. This could get interesting. (Hey, I have to have some hope....)

And remember Colin and his mom in your thoughts and prayers -- she is back in the hospital. For more, look at his blog. I used to work with her, and wouldn't wish what Colin is going through on anyone -- the nasty, fishwrap part of the health care system is no where to be with a parent.

On the other hand, maybe people who think the health care system is just fine should have just what's happening to Colin happen to them.

"The View from A Block"

Greetings from the Block Island Free Library, where I was fortunate to find a computer with high-speed access to use for a few minutes.

Boy, there's nothing like taking a vacation during a slow-news week, huh? Jeez, between the latest poll numbers, Ned and Hillary having a sit-down, and Pluto going Independent, this has been far from boring; even considering the lack of news sources I currently have access to (CBS radio and day-old copies of the Providence Journal!)

Kirby has been doing a fantastic job with the blog (thanks!), and we're having an awesome time on vacation. But I do kind of look forward to getting home and back "on the grid".

See you all soon...you'll probably recognize me by my tan!

We Haven't Forgotten About Jim!

Just so we didn't ignore CTBob's favorite state representative this week, here's clip from the CT Post:

As of July 1, film and digital media companies working in Connecticut can earn a 30 percent tax credit on qualified production costs, a move credited with bringing "In Bloom," to the state. The movie, starring Uma Thurman, is filming in New Haven.(...)
Speaker of the House James A. Amann, who along with Gov. M. Jodi Rell backed the legislation, said businesses in Naugatuck made $3.2 million during the three days "War of the Worlds" shot there. Amann called the avalanche of interest the credit started "very exciting."

Hmmmmm - do you think Rell got together with Amann for his "excitement" before or after she and Rob Simmons had Joe Lieberman join them on the campaign trail today??? (anyone got pictures?)

Rules? We Don't Need no Stinkin Rules

For those wondering, here is the money paragraph from a story in the Courant.

State election law allows Lieberman to obtain his own ballot line by creating a party, if only in name. Connecticut for Lieberman has no rules or members. Lieberman remains a registered Democrat and intends to be a member of the Democratic caucus if re-elected.

Because state law required the signatures to be filed on Aug. 9, Lieberman had to circulate the petitions while he still was running for the Democratic nomination. Connecticut is one of the few states that allows a candidate to hedge his bets with a dual campaign.

Pluto! How Could You?

Illustration credit -- Renee in Ohio

Major spew warning -- you'll love this!

Lieberman Party

It's official. Now the signatures are confirmed. And we must get this meme out --

No more Lieberman D-CT. The CT for Lieberman party should be noted as Lieberman LIE-CT

Oh, and last weekend, Lamont had dinner with Shimon Peres. Tomorrow, he is lunching at the Clintons' home in Chappaqua. Who is Joe meeting with? He's campaigning today with Jodi Rell (governor) and Rob Simmons (R 2nd CD) -- both running against true Democrats!

And H/T to cgg in the comments who pointed out that Joe's most recent media splashes have been with national -- not local -- media.

Today's Roundup

Joe Lieberman is certainly getting out there, eh?

New York Times interview
Situation Room transcript (interview is about 2/3 down)
With Imus this morning
Analysis and commentary always welcome.

And, here's the official word from the CT Dem Chair, Nancy DiNardo

Hartford - “On Wednesday, August 9, the day after the Democratic primary, the party's statewide and congressional candidates held a press conference at which I formally announced my full support for the entire statewide ticket, including Ned Lamont as the Democratic Party's nominee for U.S. Senate. As the chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, I want to assure the members of my party that I not only have endorsed Lamont's candidacy but I am committed to working to ensure his election in November.

As some may be aware, I have known Joe Lieberman for more than 30 years and I have always had the utmost respect and admiration for him. I also appreciate all that he has done for Connecticut and for the state Democratic Party. I was especially proud when he represented Connecticut on the 2000 national ticket as the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

However, in the Aug. 8 primary, state Democrats spoke loudly and clearly. More than 40 percent of them turned out to vote and they decisively chose Ned Lamont over Sen. Lieberman. It is my strong belief that Sen. Lieberman should abide by the wishes of state party members and by the democratic process.

As such, I have asked Sen. Lieberman to drop his plans to pursue his independent candidacy. He respectfully declined my request and said he intends to go ahead with it.”

What Got You Started?

How did you end up being a progressive? For me, it was Harry Chapin.

I was a member of the class of '76 -- the bicentennial class at Ward Melville HS in Setauket, NY. Our class advisors were working with teachers in California, and we thought we would do a cross-country exchange to celebrate the bicentennial of our nation. But we needed money.

I loved Harry's music, and he lived just up the road a piece on Long Island, and his home phone number was in the book. Even then, I thought, "What the Hell?" and called him. He came right to the phone and I made my pitch to invite him to do a benefit concert to help us raise money. After he finished laughing out loud, he said, "You come from one of the wealthiest school districts on all of Long Island! [we lived in the middle class part -- not the rich part] How selfish of you to ask ME to come and help YOU raise money! You've got my number. Call me back if you can think of somebody beside yourselves for a change."

I was stunned and then I got angry. Who was he to suggest I was selfish? I had to prove him wrong. So, I searched and searched and discovered that the local seeing eye dog foundation would have to close the end of the following month unless they raised $10K and that would get them matching funds.

So, I called Harry back and said we needed to save the dogs. LSS, he came to our HS. Spent the day in the music department (where I lived back then), did workshops with budding songwriters, and played some tunes he was working on (most notably, Bummer)

He did an afternoon concert for students and another that night for the community. We raised a lot of money, but did not meet the $10K goal. I drove over to the dog foundation and apologized for not raising it all. The director told me they were all set. There, in her drawer, was a check for the difference --- written by Harry Chapin.

That experience changed my life forever. As a nurse, I have spent my life helping to make other people's lives (or sometimes, deaths) better for my being there. I had a near-death experience 3 years later, and since I was sent back, I figure I have work to do -- to carry on Harry's legacy -- after he tragically died in a fiery crash on the Long Island Expressway at age 39. I had tickets to see him here in CT the next night. That's why I'm here -- a proud, progressive democrat.

What path brought you here?

P.S. If you are not familiar with Harry's work beyond music, here is his obit from Rolling Stone. I'm sure he would be singing for Ned today.

Flash! E-mail from Gerstein

For your viewing and listening, uh, pleasure?

***NATIONAL MEDIA APPEARANCE ADVISORY***

Senator Lieberman will appear on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, today, Tuesday, August 22nd, at 5:30 pm.

Senator Lieberman will also be on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, tomorrow, Wednesday, August 23rd, at 7:30 am.

Reviews, anyone?

Head on Over

Before I offer other great thoughts of the day here, go over and read Christy's morning post about accountability at FDL. Not only is it spot-on, but this girl knows how to write!

Waah! Waah!

UPDATE: Go check on CTBlog's project on this appearance! You rock!

Oh, spare me Joe. He was on Face the Nation yesterday -- and the transcript simply does not do this performance justice. You can see video clips from the Face Web site (transcript link) or watch the whole thing at Politics TV Particularly notice the sweat accumulating on his upper lip as the interview goes on.

Ten people went to the New Haven Democratic registrar of voters petitioning for Lieberman to be removed from the Democrat roles since he is running as an independent and there is no such thing as an "independent democrat." The registrar is said to be taking it under advisement. [I still can't get a straight answer about his registration if running as a third party candidate -- anyone have the law?] If the registrar was even there -- the big excitement in New Haven this week is that Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan are in town to film a movie.

Bush today said, "I'm staying out of Connecticut -- at the request of the party.....the Republican party" The pregnant pause says it all.

Air America Highlights

I'm one of those people who likes to go to sleep with the radio on -- not music, because I will listen to that and stay awake, but talk. I had a hard time sleeping the other night, and AAR was playing best of Al Franken. That included an interview with the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. They absolutely stay non-partisan, but I love their mission statement:

The mission of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is to ensure the enactment of policies that properly provide for our Troops & Veterans, keep our military strong, and guarantee our national security for the purpose of a stronger America. We uniquely empower Iraq & Afghanistan combat veterans to use their credibility and experiences to speak truth to power, shape public opinion, and place a priority on these issues.

Sounds like a great mission statement for we bloggers!

Today, Al had Rahm Emanuel on as a guest pushing his new book, which I won't promote here. He suggested we all take a look at the "Contract With America" and see how it looks in the rear view mirror...

On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:
FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

So, I'm throwing this hanging curve at you -- how're we doin on these eight promises? If you can provide links to back up your point of view, I'm happy to update and provide a group analysis.

And maybe tomorrow, Blogger will let me post pictures!

Thoughts for a Monday Morning

Good morning, all! Sorry I missed you yesterday, but I tried all day and couldn't get in to Blogger. Now, I can't load pictures :-( Will work on this later.

We {{{heart}}} Bob Geiger! Not only did he generously provide us with icy cold adult beverages in the Blogger room on primary night, but he took on the burden of calling all D Senate offices to nail down where the Senators stand on Lieberman or Lamont. And, during recess, that is no easy task. Click through and scroll down to see who are the winners and who are the losers -- who need to know they are on shaky ground unless they change their tune by Labor Day. And, on the way down his front page, stop for a moment to enjoy his fabulous editorial cartoon round-up.

If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to read Joe Conason's latest in Salon -- Whatever's Best for Holy Joe. In writing about Joe's stoking of the bigotry fire by suggesting that it was wrong for Ned to "be surrounded by" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on the podium, he writes:

Lieberman can hope to get away with his racially inflammatory strategy only if everyone else forgets not only his habit of sucking up to Jackson and Sharpton but his history of stroking the most bigoted black leader in the world. Evidently he and Gerstein (who was also his spokesman during the 2000 presidential campaign) expect that nobody will mention the embarrassing episode when Lieberman's ambition (and opportunism) led him to praise Farrakhan. Given the laziness and amnesia that afflict the national press corps, they may be right.

Conason provides a scathing reminder of Joe's "situational ethics" that started the day Gore named him VP nominee. Joe gives us a must-read, and the links he provides are invaluable.

Closer to home, don't miss Colin McEnroe's blog to read about first-person reports on people being denied the right to vote in the primary because of their registration, or lack of same. I don't think it's necessarily sinister -- it looks more like people have no clue what it means to be registered as a D or unaffiliated.

Memo to cable news: Have you ever heard of DNA??? This weirdo from Thailand claiming to have killed JonBenet -- either his DNA matches or it doesn't. Period. They have semen DNA from the scene. None of this other crap has any relevance whatsoever if the DNA doesn't match. So, get off this story and talk about something important, like a judge finding the US President's actions in the NSA wiretapping to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL many times over.

And a nice diversion for a beautiful morning here in CT -- I am an XM Radio junkie. It just has so much to offer. One of the best things I discovered is a public radio program called On Point, hosted by Tom Ashbrook. You can listed live in CT on CT Public Radio now that they have abandoned classical music -- from 10a to noon, or on XM from 9p to 11p, just before the Newshour at 11p on XM 133. You can listen or download podcasts, too -- just browse the archives. Friday night's discussion of "your brain on music" was just terrific. Nice change of pace.

What Responsibility!

Kirby here -- I am shaking in my boots knowing I have this awesome responsibility to keep Connecticut Bob interesting until the boss gets back. I will do my best. Blogger is incredibly slow this evening, so I'll leave you with this chart from the Hartford Courant and see you again later.

Chris Matthews Commentary

Yeah, yeah, I know Tweety is a pain in the ass, and I rarely watch Hardball anymore, but every once in a while he gets it right in the commentary he provides at the end of his syndicated Sunday show. Here's what he had to say on August 13 about our little adventure here on August 8.

Last week, sitting here, I said what a huge opportunity CT Democrats were getting -- that rare chance to cast a vote that counts on the most important issue of our time – Iraq.

This past week, that promise of individual importance was delivered with a power not seen since Jack Kennedy edged out Richard Nixon by beating him, nationwide, at the rate of a single vote per precinct. You bet CT counts. I was there covering it this week for Hardball. It was clear voters were looking to send a message. The turning out of an 18-year incumbent and national media favorite, Joe Lieberman, couldn’t have been clearer.

There are those who lament the defeat of a hawkish centrist -- a senator who celebrates the notion of bipartisanship. But the Democrats in CT were faced with a choice many of us will vote on this November -– do you believe the Bush policy in Iraq is leading to less terrorist hatred or more? Are we on the right course or do we need a change? There’s no way to split the difference here. State your position Sir. As Adlai Stevenson once said, “It’s the duty of leaders to lead.” So, lead us.

You know how easy it is to give incumbents a pat on the back and say, “Go back to Congress and do the best you can to work things out in a calm, bipartisan manner.” Instead, you and a few voters like you can give the whole bunch of them the boot – and give the job to a new kid on the block, just like you did in CT. You may not like the burden – but you’ve got it.

A much deserved vacation...for my wife

I've been having so much fun with all this blogging lately that I haven't really given much thought to taking a final summer vacation. But my wife has allowed me a tremendous amount of latitude to help the Lamont campaign and be on the computer for endless hours blogging, so she deserves a week of rest and sailing on our boat.

So, later today, we're taking Full Tilt in a general eastward direction, with the idea that we'll end up in Block Island in a couple of days.

I'll be back online a week from Sunday. In the meantime, the amazing Kirby will be posting and commenting on the blog.

Enjoy your break from my amateurish writing, and you'll be treated to something that'll be interesting and informative...for a change! LOL!

See ya later, kids! Play nice.

"Where's Joe Lieberman?"

This is an ad that I've wanted to see put together for the Lamont campaign for quite a while, and they've finally listened to me.

Or...they've never heard of me, and simply used their creative talent and inspiration to put together the ad!

Whichever, I'm just happy to see it. Check it out:



It's a good ad, but the ad that I was hoping they'd make would be a little more like the "Where's George Allen?" ad.

You know, George "Macaca" Allen (R-VA), who's been featured so prominantly in the news the last few days for his off-handed, racially insensative remarks? This is the ad the Lamont campaign SHOULD have made (sadly, you have to click on the link and the video autostarts; these guys didn't bother putting this great ad up on Youtube):

http://www.wheresgeorgeallen.com/video.html

James Amann proves he still doesn't get it

Oh, boy.

I was willing to give State Rep. and House Speaker James Amann the benefit of a doubt about his mealy-mouthed support of Joe Lieberman, but my patience has run out. I've had it with this guy. I can no longer avoid the obvious:

James Amann is a pig-headed and stubborn throwback to the days of political favoritism!

Not only is he lazy about trying to learn about Ned Lamont's stance on the important issues, but he endlessly crows about it publicly as if that's a GOOD THING! From today's Norwich Bulletin:

"I don't know Ned Lamont. I don't know anything about Ned Lamont. He has zero experience," Amann said.

Yes! Fine! We all understand that you're too goddamned lazy and condescending to bother finding out a single thing about the voter-selected Democratic Nomineee for US Senate! Congratulations, you moron. We're all deeply impressed by your stunning display of ignorance!

"I know Joe. He's helped me in the past, he's been a friend and he's experienced."

Ah, I see it all so clearly now. What matters most to you is personal favoritism and political peearage, rather than the FUCKING ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE VOTERS!

Is this an example of the type of leadership that you stand for?

James, if you'd even once brought up a position that Ned Lamont stands for on an issue, and then explained why you disagree with it, that would be fine. I would respect that, even if I disagreed with you. That's what a political leader SHOULD do.

But you insist like a total dumbass that what matters to you MOST are the favors Joe has done for you.

This CAN'T be what you're all about, is it?

Listen up, stupid: the political landscape is changing, and you're rapidly becoming a liability rather than an asset. Either adapt and get with the program, or one day sooner than you think, you'll find yourself sitting on the sideline, wondering how you screwed up so badly!

Because it's obvious you're not the man we thought you were.

(If anyone wants to let James Amann know how they feel, please go to jamesamann.com for contact information)

Spazeboy asks John Edwards about Katrina

Sadly, tonight I had to miss tonight's John Edwards/Ned Lamont rally in New Haven to support my wife Joyce's sailboat race.

I know this sounds a little self-indulgent; especially when you consider we have a NATION we're all working to RESCUE from the clutches of evil men!

But keep in mind that I used to be a Republican; old habits like yacht racing and eating beluga cavier while underpaying my illegal immigrant servants tend to die hard!

(OK, to be completely honest, I've never had servants; I hate cavier; and I own a 26 year-old sailboat; and I drive a shitbox Dodge Aires K-car that was built while Reagan was President...so don't talk to me about indulgences!)

Anyway, the visit of former Vice-Presidental candidate (and possible 2008 Presidental candidate) John Edwards was substantially covered by Spazeboy and CT Blogger, so I'd imagine I wasn't missed.

Here's Spazeboy's account:

I was super excited to meet John Edwards today in New Haven. He’s the first big-name Democrat to come to Connecticut in support of Ned Lamont. I’ll have much more on the rally, and much more video as well (keep your eyes open for CTBlogger’s pictures…the few I saw were amazing!). I just wanted to post this clip of John Edwards answering two questions–one from me about (post-Katrina-) poverty, and one from a reporter about his 2008 intentions.

Latest Q-poll is promising

My analysis of the latest Q-Poll on the Senate race:

Ned Lamont has made a significant gain in a three-way race if the election was held today, but still trails Joe Lieberman by 11 points. This is a big improvement over previous polls, and with about 11 weeks to go before the election, there's plenty of time for Ned to overcome that gap.

The deeper numbers in the poll are what interests me.

For instance, the favorability ratings look most promising.

Lieberman rates 43% favorable, 28% unfavorable, with 4% "haven't heard enough". People have a strong opinion on Joe.

Ned Lamont gets roughly the same unfavorable rating (27%), and a HUGE "haven't heard enough" percentage, 32%.

This can translate into a significant favorable rating if Ned's message gets more play. Fully a third of likely voters haven't heard enough about Ned to form an opinion yet! The campaign still need to get the word out with a large percentage of likely voters.

This may be what Sean Smith (fired Lieberman Campaign director) was referring to when he talked about "low-information voters".

"The less they know, the better for Joe."

www.jamesamann.com

There's a new website that explores State House Speaker James Amman's (D?-CT) reluctance to endorse the rightful winner of the State Democratic Senate Primary, Ned Lamont. Smarten up, James!

Visit http://www.jamesamann.com/

From Tom Tomorrow's "This Modern World"

I think this is funny, but I can't be sure...I was awake much too early this morning; and while skimming around the Intertoobz, I came across this entry from Tom Tomorrow: The view from here (August 7, 2006):

Lieberman had a brief event at a neighborhood grocery store. At least one nearby resident was not impressed with the behavior of Joe’s supporters:

Spazeboy's Primary night video

This is a fun one. I know it's been over a week, and we've all moved on...but it's worth the eight minutes to watch this; especially if you weren't in the blogger's war room or the main ballroom for the big announcement.

Network TV will NEVER capture the excitement of that night; and especially the annoying antics of yours truly as well as Spazeboy's video presentation does.

I really like the ending, where Spazeboy is talking into the camera I'm holding for a good 30 seconds, which is about 25 seconds longer than I thought was needed! You can't see me doing it, but I'm giving him the "speed it up" signal, and finally he yells at me for it. Good times!

Oh, and somewhere in the middle, I think I say a naughty word. (I'm such a potty mouth!)

Enjoy!

How Scary are We?

I think I am going to end up seeing my chiropractor a lot between now and November with the head shaking I am doing already. Here's a great piece from Editor and Publisher about an editorial in the Waterbury Republican-American -- making up more stuff and suggesting Ned's family are communists.

This on top of the 527s heading this way. We must be more powerful and frightening than we ever imagined, we "insurgents" here in CT who didn't subscribe to the "protect the incumbent" meme.

Update Thanks to Gary in the comments, here's Ned's op-ed in today's WSJ

Our Service to the Traveling Public

Since the TSA’s new rules (Bill Maher, are you listening?) are a bit complex, we thought that as a service to the traveling public we would provide you with the inside scoop. In this case, it means translating an interview CNN’s Miles O’Brien (a pilot himself) did with Kip Hawley, Assistant TSA Secretary. And remember, Joe Lieberman is taking full credit for creating the Department of Homeland Security.

M. O'BRIEN: This whole notion of liquids…goes back to 1995 to blow up airliners, originating out of Asia, coming into the United States…This is not new. This is -- this is pre-2001, pre-9/11 stuff. And yet, suddenly, a knee jerk response to a foiled plot in Great Britain. We're saying now we should take liquids off. Why?
HAWLEY: No, the threat is very real of any kind of explosives. And there are many kinds, and certainly we know about liquid explosives. [CTB: we found the memo after the Brits moved in last week] We have, in fact, the technology to detect it. The issue for the bottle scanners, so to speak, is that it's not efficient in that you have to scan one bottle at a time. [CTB: and keeping the airlines from bankruptcy and blowing threats off for convenience’s sake to keep people flying is our main goal] So, it will not be the immediate fix to get a piece of technology.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, why -- why have -- why weren't the liquids banned after 1995 until such time as technology became evident that would protect people?
HAWLEY: It was a risk-based approach. [CTB: we couldn’t figure out a really good political hook for this until Lieberman lost in the primary] And the liquids in this form is a novel approach. [CTB: somebody must have read it in a spy thriller] It is different from before. And we do have, in fact, training for detecting liquid explosives [CTB: on Friday afternoon during screener training, for a half-hour], and it is part of the package that we have had in place for a long time. [CTB: we just don’t do it] The -- there is a novel application of this that we wanted to assure the traveling public of their safety. So, in focusing just on the safety piece, we decided, let's not take any chances and for right now ban liquids. [CTB: so that we can raise the level of hysteria and own the news cycle for a while when cable news could be talking about Lamont’s victory and the anti-war sentiment in America]

M. O'BRIEN: All right. But as a member of the public, as someone who flies, I look at the way -- and it's not just the U.S. -- the way we collectively respond to these threats, and it seems like a knee jerk reaction after the fact. [CTB: I’m trying to do my best here not to laugh]
HAWLEY: Well, in this case it was an immediate aggressive reaction to ensure the safety of the public. [CTB: and jack up the hysteria factor] And that was the only consideration. [CTB: and if you buy that, I have some swampland to sell you] And while there is a good likelihood that we could pick up someone who is on that kind of a mission, this is not a matter where we want to deal with likelihood. We want to be absolutely sure of the safety of the traveling public, and that's why we took this strong action. [CTB: But we will still let you carry on a 4-inch blade in a pair of scissors, but deadly mascara is off limits]

(…)

M. O'BRIEN: All right. A final thought here. The amount of money spent per passenger on airline safety is tremendous compared to other modes of transportation … Can you say right now, do you feel confident the distribution of money, time and effort is appropriate, or is our mass transit system really vulnerable right now?
HAWLEY: Our mass transit system is a very high priority for us. The disproportion in the budget relates to the fact that we -- we provide the salaries for all of the screeners around the country. And if we were to do that in the transit system from the federal government, it would be something like 688,000 people [CTB: let’s see, at a $40K/year package for each employee….that would be $27 billion a year… or less than three months of spending to support the mess in Iraq]
O'BRIEN: Wow.

Yeah, Wow.

Full transcript

Will Lieberman hurt Democrats House chances?

Joe won't give it up, no matter WHO he hurts. He seems to be suffering a pathological need to hang on to his Senate seat, regardless of the consequences.

In addition to the hotly contested Senate race, where Ned Lamont beat Joe Lieberman so soundly that Joe scurried away from the Democratic party like a wounded opossum, there are three Republican House seats that are up for grabs this November.

Joe Courtney is running for the second time against Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons in the 2nd District; in the 4th District, Democrat Diane Farrell is waging a rematch of her close 2004 battle against U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, a Republican. In the 5th District, Democrat Chris Murphy is challenging 12-term Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson. These races are critical in the Democrat's efforts to win back the House of Representatives.

And we all know that Joe Lieberman's selfish grasping at the vestiges of his Senate career will hurt the chances of these Democrats.

Joe was quoted in the Hartford Courant when asked who might dissuade him [from running], Lieberman smiled and said, "There is no earthly messenger."

To him, this isn't about politics anymore.

I'm starting to wonder if Lieberman is showing signs of an undiagnosed mental illness. He certainly seems to have lost any sense of proportion regarding this race. Now it's a matter for the Gods to decide, apparently.

Why should that worry anyone?

Bill Clinton slams Joe Lieberman

From RAW STORY, Published: Tuesday August 15, 2006

Former President Bill Clinton spoke publicly for the first time on Senator Joe Lieberman's (D-CT) loss to Ned Lamont in last week's primary, ABC News has reported.

Clinton said that, contrary to Lieberman's claims, the lawmaker's position on the Iraq war was one not shared by many of his fellow Democrats. The former president described Lieberman's stand on the war as, "I want to attack Iraq whether or not they have weapons of mass destruction."

"His position is the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld position," Clinton continued, "which was, 'Does it matter if they have weapons? None of this matters. ... This is a big, important priority, and 9/11 gives us the way of attacking and deposing Saddam.'"

"Well," he told reporters, "if I were Joe and I was running as an independent, that's what I'd say, too... But that's not quite right. That is, there were almost no Democrats who agreed with his position."

Clinton indicated that most Democrats who voted to give President Bush authority to use force did so to persuade Saddam to comply with U.N. weapons inspectors, and were not advocating an invasion.

Clinton also maintained that, despite statements by Lieberman and Vice President Dick Cheney to the contrary, a vote for Ned Lamont was not made at the sacrifice of national security.

Ned visits Naugatuck

Tonight was a perfect night for a concert on a small town green. A band playing oldies performed in front of a mellow crowd sitting in lawn chairs, and Ned Lamont took some time to meet the voters in the small town of Naugatuck.

Even though the voters in this valley town were mostly Lieberman supporters in the Primary, many people were receptive of Lamont, and quite a few sought him out to shake his hand and express their support for his message. The reception indicated that a lot of them were Democrats first, and Lieberman supporters second. They will be there for the Party when it counts.

Ned talks with some local voters.

A longtime Democrat discusses his support for Ned in the Primary.

Abby is nine stickers tall already!

Here's Ned's big secret revealed once and for all! He wears running shoes when he's out among the voters! Stop the presses!

Ned doing what he does best - LISTENING to the voters.