Parade video online!

Ned and Joe at the Newtown Labor Day parade. Fun times were had by all, except those Lamont supporters who got roughed up during the Lieberman interviews.

But CNN is all over that, and I don't want to have to get subpeonaed if this becomes a civil action. In fact, I'm erasing the tape as I type this. j/k

The video is just over 4 minutes long, but it's chock full of fun and hijinks. Enjoy!

Proud Americans!

Photo taken by David Stevenson at the Danbury DTC today, of the crowd raptly listening to Ned Lamont speak. This is a true Norman Rockwell moment.

(Yes, frickin' Youtube is taking forever to put my video online...grrrrrr!)

UPDATE: Youtube just put the icon image up for the video. Oh man, is it AWESOME! We're minutes away from this being live (I hope!)

Back from the Parade and Danbury DTC

I'm just finishing up copying my video to my PC, so I'm gonna make this short.

The parade was interesting, and I had a lot of great footage of Ned, his family, and hundreds of Lamont supporters marching.

The mounted police or some other horse troops led off the parade. I can tell they've been feeding the horses exceptionally well, because the parade route was decorated with impressive piles of bio-degradable "exhaust"; you really had to watch where you were going, which isn't easy when you are walking backwards to video the candidate and his supporters marching!

Joe Lieberman also marched, although oddly, he lagged WAY behind the rest of the parade. After Ned and the Newtown Democrats marched, by parade's end there was a gap of nearly 20 minutes before Joe and his few supporters came by.

For the record, I have absolutely nothing to do with this person. But it WAS funny the way Joe shook his offered hand, and then got a good look at him and recoiled like something that smelled really awful assaulted his nostrels.

The media was well-represented, and I even got my mic pushed away by the CNN camera guy when I was holding it up to Joe to hear what he had to say during their interview. I did get to ask Joe a respectful question, and I think Tammy Sun (Joe's new press secretary) was captured on tape squawking that the Senator had to get going NOW. He still answered my question, even though it was my usual on-the-run interview. Fun.

"*xyz" (from FDL, who came up from NYC to support Ned) and I got stuck in parade traffic, so I got to the Danbury DTC as Ned was finishing up his statements. But I got some good video of him speaking directly to everyone who wanted to talk to him.

All in all, it was a fun day. Video clips should be up in an hour or two.

First Newtown Report

It's great to be holding down the fort here while CTBob is with Ned today, shooting video to post later this afternoon. Bob reports that Ned's supporters turned out big, with an estimated 200 people in and around the parade for Ned. Lieberman marched separately, and there are about 50 people in Lieberman attire, but "very vocal" as if to create noise to hide the low turnout. Certainly fewer than the other time he marched, in 2000, needing a nice hometown backdrop for pictures -- despite being invited at least nine times to particiate in this annual event.

And the best sign of the day award so far goes to the man dressed in the GWB mask, holding a sign that reads, "Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and I love Lieberman"

We all got e-mails and press releases from the Lieberman campaign announcing the launch of his new Web site tomorrow, Tuesday. They will have a blog so the people of CT "can actively participate in the campaign debate and make your voice heard. So starting Tuesday, we invite you to log-in at www.Joe2006.com and sound off any time you want."

On behalf of CTBob blog, and many of the other CT Bloggers, we welcome the Lieberman campaign to the blog world. We think that there should be a free-flowing exchange of ideas so voters can judge for themselves.

But let's get one thing straight. Lieberman's site was never hacked. It fell under its own weight on primary day and was overwhelmed with traffic it couldn't handle. There was no hacking. There were no dirty tricks. There was no action from outside forces. Bob and I are way too busy to waste our time messing with somebody else's site as we keep up our own, and I would bet that the rest of the CT Bloggers would say the same. So, if they get comments they don't like, or the site crashes again, or there are any technical mishaps, don't go looking at us.

Joe vs. the Newtown Labor Day Parade

"Joe Lieberman is going to march in the parade, and that's final, dammit!"

This is what I imagine the senator barked at his staff after he found out the Newtown Democratic Town Committee "dis-invited" him to their yearly Labor Day parade. Joe couldn't have been very happy to see the local news media pick up on the story; had it not been publicized, he most likely would have quietly stayed home on Labor Day.

But now that the snub has become widely known, it's almost physically impossible for the egomaniacal politician to miss the parade. Lieberman would rather chop off a finger than let it seem that he was sent away like a petulant child for behaving in an annoying manner.

And the mass-mailing Joe sent out a few days ago seems to indicate he's ready for a "fight". I'm anxious to see how this will play out later this morning.

From the Newtown Bee (yes, I agree that a newspaper called the "Bee" sounds silly, but keep in mind that Newtown is still in many ways the small town it's always been):

Lieberman Controversy Attends Labor Day Parade Preparations
By John Voket

If US Senator Joseph Lieberman chooses to march in this year's Newtown Labor Day parade, he will likely do so as a true independent. Local members of the Democratic Town Committee, including First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and former staunch Lieberman supporter Jim Juliano, agree that the Senator has no reason to believe he is welcome to march beside other endorsed party candidates.

"By marching with members of the DTC and invited Democratic candidates and state leaders, it would give the impression that we support his candidacy," said Mr Rosenthal when asked about the issue late Wednesday.

"I told him through his office, that as a duly elected Democratic official, he's putting me in an uncomfortable, almost embarrassing position. We have a duly elected candidate, who was endorsed by a historic turnout of state Democrats in the recent primary. I don't have to march with [Sen Lieberman], the DTC doesn't have to march with him, so why would he want to make it look like he's in good graces with the Democratic Party?" Mr Rosenthal continued. "He is not in good graces with state Democrats."

It's rare in politics to see someone stand up like Mr. Rosenthal and give solid, indisputable reasons why he believes in something. I hope I get to interview him later today.

[...]

In fact, Mr Rosenthal pointed out that since he was elected first selectman, Mr Lieberman only opted to march in the town's Labor Day Parade once, prior to the 2000 election.

"He's only come to the parade once before. He's not coming here this year as the sitting US Senator, he's coming because he's a candidate in the fall election," Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr Rosenthal said he would take issue with any candidate who failed to be endorsed at the statewide convention, who opted to force a primary, and then upon losing, continued to mount a full-scale campaign by petition for the general election.

"He was privately and publicly asked not to run by many state Democrats, and decided to run anyway even after he lost the primary. Philosophically, I have a problem with that," Mr Rosenthal said. "And I'm not going to reward that behavior by marching beside him on Labor Day."

A spokesman for the Lieberman campaign said the Senator takes marching in the Newtown parade very seriously, and that he works very hard for the people of Newtown.

What the Senator means is that he takes marching in the parade ONCE EVERY NINE YEARS very seriously.

Those other eight years...eh, not so much.

[...]

Mr Gerstein said he spoke with the Senator's scheduling aide Thursday morning, and confirmed that Mr Rosenthal had called personally to say Mr Lieberman was not welcome to march with the DTC, and that the first selectman would not march beside the Senator.

"This infers that Senator Lieberman is not welcome at the parade," Mr Gerstein said.

Dan, you missed your true calling. I think you should have been a rocket scientist. Nice deduction there, Professor Obvious!

"But the Senator believes there is too much at stake to walk away [following the primary], and he wants to give all Connecticut voters a real choice in November."

Mr Juliano said that as the local DTC vice chair, he agrees that the Senator should march in a separate unit, if he opts to join the parade September 4, adding that he supported Mr Lieberman up to the primary but remains undecided about his endorsement going forward. As a former officer for the statewide Plumbers and Fitters Local 777, Mr Juliano admitted that the Senator may have single-handedly headed off a small scale depression in Connecticut and Rhode Island when he crossed party lines to oppose the closing of the Groton submarine base earlier this year.

"Mr Lieberman was able to save 600 ship-fitter's jobs at Electric Boat, and 3,200 other jobs at that facility. I understand that a lot of people are sore about [his support of] the war, but closing that sub base would have triggered an economic depression that would have affected all of Connecticut and Rhode Island," Mr Juliano said. "I don't support the war...never did, but as a member of the executive board of the state Building Trades Association, I can't ignore the fact that he saved a lot of jobs."

Keep in mind that Joe didn't do this single-handedly. It's his job to keep the military base open, along with Dodd and all our Representatives; also, EB announced a buttload of layoffs starting next year. So Joe, are you going to take credit for THAT, too?

Mr Juliano said he is supporting the DTC in refusing to march beside the Senator.

"He's not the Democratic candidate, he didn't carry Newtown in the primary, and he didn't receive Newtown's endorsement in the state convention. He's an independent and he should march as an independent," Mr Juliano said.

Is Lieberman "push polling"?

Via a comment by Sue at ConnecticutBLOG

And I'm sure CT Blogger won't mind me stealing this, seeing as he's off watching tennis at the U.S. Open this weekend while the rest of us bloggers are slaving away, trying to you know, save democracy and stuff...yeah, you go and enjoy your tennis!

(...and this coming from a guy who will drop everything at a moment's notice to go sailing! LOL!)

Anyway, it appears that supporters of Joe Lieberman are engaging in a despicable and unethical practice known as "push polling". Read this Letter to the Editor at the Stamford Advocate and see what I mean:

Poll was attempt at sneak attack on Lamont candidacy
Published August 31 2006
To the editor:

On Tuesday night, I participated in a seemingly innocent political survey, answering questions about candidates Rell, DeStefano, Schlesinger, Lieberman and Lamont.

After about 15 minutes of what seemed to be legitimate questions about my voting intentions, the questioning veered into "if you knew this about Ned Lamont, would it make you more or less likely to vote for him," followed by various insidious accusations about his business practices.

Clearly, I was now on the receiving end of a push poll designed to create a negative image of Mr. Lamont. Throughout the previous questioning, I had expressed my firm intention to vote for Mr. Lamont. My eventual realization -- that I was the victim of a push poll -- caused me to angrily cut off the interviewer and finally hang up on him. (CTBob: "Bravo!")

I hope Sen. Lieberman is not involved in using this reprehensible tactic. I urge voters to do what I failed to do: Ask the caller to identify the name and address of the research firm he or she is working for before agreeing to participate in any phone survey.

Incidentally, my intention is even stronger now to vote for Ned Lamont.

Peter Weinberg
Stamford

Team Connecticut or Team Incumbent Protection?

The morphing of Lieberman to Republican becoming more evident with each passing day...from the NY Times

It’s a little awkward for me now,” Mr. Lieberman said on Friday, speaking to reporters in New Haven. “I’m a noncombatant — I am not going to be involved in other campaigns. I think it’s better if I just focus on my own race.”

[On Saturday, a Lieberman campaign aide called to offer a clarification for this article. The aide, Dan Gerstein, said that the senator had endorsed all the Democratic candidates for the House and still hoped they would win.

[Mr. Gerstein said, however, that in light of their endorsement of Mr. Lamont, the senator did not expect the Democrats to ask him to campaign with them this fall.]

Mr. Lieberman has shown that he is more than willing to speak to Republican and Democratic constituencies, and to retain advisers who can help him reach both. He recently hired, for instance, the same polling firm as Representative Simmons, the Republican whom Mr. Courtney is challenging in the Second Congressional District.

On Thursday, Mr. Simmons and Mr. Lieberman stood side by side at an event commemorating the anniversary of saving the Naval Submarine Base at Groton, which the Pentagon had recommended closing.

There, Mr. Simmons spoke of the importance of “Team Connecticut,” a term Mr. Lieberman often uses in suggesting that bipartisanship can bring more money to the state

Note how Gerstein tries to change what Lieberman said, as usual. And this from WABC television in NYC

"As I see it, in this campaign we just finished the first half and the Lamont team is ahead. But, in the second half, our team, Team Connecticut, is going to surge forward to victory in November," Lieberman said.

And look for Jodi Rell to be rolling out her membership in Team Connecticut in the coming weeks. What was a term used for all of CT's elected office holders to come together to save the Sub Base has now be co-opted for the cynical incumbent protection racket. Why am I not surprised?

Now Joe Gets His Own Ad...

This morning on the Sunday talk shows I've seen the Lieberman is great ad from the US Chamber of commerce 5 times. Yes, the same US Chamber of Commerce that is running ads for Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons. Read more here and here

And, for you political junkies, MSNBC is going wall-to-wall politics on Wed, Sept 6 for the day.

Joe's "Call To Fight"

A friend of mine is on the Joe2006 email list, and today they sent him this happy little missive. Read and enjoy:

Dear Lieberman Supporter (actually, they used his real first name, but I don't want to reveal it here...

...oh, alright; it's Sean Smith. LOL!),

This coming week Round Two of our campaign begins. We hope you have your gloves on, because our Team Connecticut has a tough fight ahead of us, and we need your help more than ever.

Holy shit, Joe's people are getting mighty belligerent. I hope the Lieberkids don't take those words too seriously; I have visions of gangs full of paid teenaged hooligans showing up at public campaign events with nun-chucks and ninja masks!

Here are a just a few ways you can make a difference right from the get-go.

On Monday, September 4th I will be marching in the state's biggest Labor Day parade in Newtown with a group of local supporters. If you are free that day, we invite you to stand with us and show everyone that this campaign is about people, not politics.

We will begin marching at 10:00am. If you are interested, please call (860) 983-9035 or email events@joe2006.com for more information about where we'll be assembling. I look forward to seeing you out there.

Joe Lieberman was invited every year for the last nine years, yet he's only bothered to go to the parade ONE TIME; and that was when he was involved in his doomed run for the White House.

Only after he is disinvited by the Newtown DTC, who think he's being disingenuous by not abiding by the will of the voters in the primary, suddenly it's the most important thing in the world for him to attend.

Oh yeah, this is all about "people, not politics." Right!

On Tuesday, September 5th we will be officially kicking off the fall campaign with the launch of 'Joe's Doors and Diners Tour' in Waterbury. We welcome you to join us for this exciting event at the Bank Street Grille (70 Bank Street) at 12 noon.

Wow, that SOUNDS real exciting. Remind me to take a day off from work for THAT.

[...]

To reach as many people as possible, we will be organizing an army of volunteers to knock on doors in your own neighborhoods. If you would like to join 'Joe's Door to Door Corps', please visit www.Joe2006.com on Tuesday, September 5th to sign up.

Listen to those words, "army of volunteers", "Corps"...the brave terminology of the true Chickenhawk.

Because along with our new tour, we will be launching our new and improved website (www.Joe2006.com) on Tuesday as well.

We appreciate your patience as we substantially upgraded the site's security and functionality. And we are confident you will find the un-hacked version worth the wait.

The cavalcade of lies and slander continues to pour out of the Lieberman Campaign! How long are they going to stick with that lame fiction? Maybe you people should own up to the fact that your campaign has always been egregiously incompetent when it comes to utilizing the Internet, and you were using a cheap webspace provider that was quickly swamped on Primary Day and cut you off for overuse.

Joe Lieberman: Stop the Lies!

One of the first things you will notice is that we have added our own blog. That's a place you can find out the latest scoop on the campaign, in real time. Joe's Blog will also be a place you can actively participate in the campaign debate and make your voice heard. So starting Tuesday, we invite you to log-in at www.Joe2006.com and sound off any time you want.

Golly, that sounds like fun! I can't wait to "actively participate in the campaign debate and make my voice heard."

We expect our opponents to pull more than a few dirty punches in the coming months.

More Lies! You're lying. You're a big fat Liar! Hey everybody, look at the LIAR! Stop Lying, you Lying Liars!!!

Nah nah-nah nah-nah nah! (...yes, I'm obviously a fan of intelligent debate)

Help us fight back by making any kind of contribution you can. In the meantime, thanks again for your continued support. We are off to a great start for Round Two and with your help, we are going to have a knockout November.

Again with the fighting references! I guess when you abandon the Democratic process and ignore the will of the voters, the next logical step is to threaten to beat up your opposition. The implication is very clear.

And I wouldn't doubt that some of your weaker-minded supporters will take those words to heart.

Sincerely,
Joe Lieberman
Lieberman for Senate 2006

Since Joe's name appears on the bottom of this campaign email, we have to assume these are his words.

Actually, there's no doubt in my mind that the guy who skated on Vietnam with 5 draft deferments yet voted to send America's youth to a wrongful war absolutely wrote these words.

David Sirota to join Lamont team

Political strategist and NY Times bestselling author David Sirota has been hired by the Ned Lamont for Senate campaign to assist with research, rapid response, and strategy.

David appeared in New Haven last June for a book signing at Atticus Books on Chapel Street. His book "Hostile Takeover", about corruption in the government and what you can do to stop it, is a New York Times bestseller.

I taped David's discussion of his book, in a segment that's just over 4 minutes long.



Ned Lamont was at the book talk, and they both spoke about the campaign and related topics. About 11 minutes long.