This just in: Lowell Weicker thinks Joementum needs a new job in private industry, because he thinks Lieberman’s government service as a Democratic Senator has gone sadly off track:
December 5, 2005, 6:35 PM EST
HARTFORD, Conn. — Former Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. said Monday that Sen. Joe Lieberman deserves a stiff challenge in next year’s re-election campaign, though he said he would not take up a grudge match against the Democrat who ousted him from the U.S. Senate in 1988.
Speaking at a luncheon of the Rotary Club of Hartford, Weicker took numerous swings at Lieberman and President Bush over the Iraq war.
The bad news is that Weicker isn’t announcing his candidacy as a Democrat. The good news is that he’s clearly invested in supporting a primary challenge to the leading Democrat-in-Name-Only in the US Senate: Joseph “Bush Kisser” Lieberman. I’m not one generally for bashing Democratic office holders, but Lieberman, with his support for Bush’s insane misadventure in Iraq, and for his continual back-stabbing of the progressive agenda in this country, is a special case.
So for your reading pleasure, more Joementum bashing by Weicker after the break.
“I have seen this country propagandized into war,” Weicker said. “It’s now a second wave of propagandizing, with the president taking the stump, joined by persons like Senator Joe Lieberman.”
. . . Weicker said U.S. troops should be removed from Iraq in six months to a year.
“I support the troops. I do not support the commander in chief,” he said.
Of Lieberman, he said: “I disagree 100 percent with the position he has taken on this war. The nation does not need a Democrat to second the president’s policy.”
Weicker, who acquired a reputation as a maverick even before leaving the GOP two years after his stunning loss to Lieberman to form A Connecticut Party and win the governor’s office, said more candidates who are unaffiliated with either major party should seek public office.
Weicker, 74, said he will not challenge Lieberman, though he did not slam the door entirely on the possibility he will seek back the job he held for 18 years.
“You’re not going to tell somebody in politics for 32 years you have no interest at all,” he said. “I would hope, however, that the Democratic party exercises some choices.”
Others in the Democratic Party who are considering a race have called him seeking his support, he said after his 15-minute talk. Weicker did not identify them.
The war in Iraq will be the primary issue, he said. “It’s the war. Make no mistake about it.”
He derided Democrats as “a bunch of wimps” who are as bad as Bush.
“It’s a one-party deal. That’s what we’ve come to,” Weicker said.
Hear! Hear! My question? Why does it take a former maverick Republican to be speaking out against this war in Connecticut? Aren’t there Connecticut Dems willing to step up and oppose Joe? I sure hope someone does, and soon.
What’s all this chatter about Lieberman becoming Secretary of Defense? (After Rummy’s fired.)
You mean after he “decides he needs to spend more time with his family?” LOL
Hard to imagine Rummy with children, isn’t it.
But! it’d be a great way to get rid of Joe, and to smear him forever more with the Iraq war and the Bush administration!
Oh, I hope he accepts.
(Let’s see though … who’s the governor of Connecticut? Who might he name as Senator?)
Gov is a Repub.
She’s a Republican, but she seems very old school republican. She’s also very popular regardless of party. I’m not saying she’ll replace Lieberman with a Dem, but she won’t be stupid enough to pick a winger either.
Just a little background taken from “My Left Nutmeg”
Don’t count on this scenario…
…is what a tremendous thorn in the side of the Reagan Administration he was.
This is a great move … he calls out Joe, and also puts pressure on the Dems to mount a robust primary contest, holding the threat to run as an independent over their heads. LOVE IT!!
I solemnly swear I will max out for any progressive Democrat who runs against Lieberman.
Just Musical.
Maybe he’ll get a special bush promote to Sec. DoD.
Thanks so much for posting this. i have always thought it one of the supreme ironies that a wonderful “Republican” progressive like Lowell Weicker was defeated by a neanderthal pretend-Democrat like Joe Lieberman. For those who aren’t old enough to remember, Weicker was one of the first Senators to call for the impeachment of Richard Nixon. He is now a progressive independent who supported Howard Dean’s presidential bid last year.
Personally, I wish Weicker would run. With Lieberman sucking up to “worse-than-Watergate” Bush, Weicker has solid credentials for supporting integrity in government.
Whomever runs, I hope they will prominently display those photos of Bush planting a big wet kiss on Lieberman’s cheek in their advertising.
personally, I’d like to see Weicker join w/ Bernie Saunders and Howard Dean to start a new party.
Drop him like a bad habit.
I hope Weicker runs as an indpendent no matter who else is running. We need an independent movement in this country. Sticking blindly with a party that includes the likes of Lieberman and Hillary does not promote “progressive” interests. If Weicker keeps pushing his intention, he’ll put well-deserved pressure on the Dems to think twice about their partisan kneejerk support for the party’s turncoat. I think all-out support for Weicker should become a top priority for progressives in the upcoming election.
Wasn’t MoveOn considering a campaign against Lieberman? Maybe they’d do better now working all-out for Weicker.