Taking over leadership AND party apparatus is expensive and time consuming.  The grass and net roots  need to cut a new path

important calculation...

He has no clue how easy it would be for the constituents of his party to get rid of him in a Democratic state like New York.

This isn't Ben Nelson in Nebraska or something where people in that state have very conservative political views - the Democrats in New York LIKE the Democratic Party and they, like their friends in Connecticut, expect to have actual Democrats representing them.

Schumer clearly doesn't have a clue what this fight with Lieberman is about.  It is about being a Democrat and representing your constituency as such.

New York is more liberal than Connecticut - you think the New York Dems are going to support a Senator like Schumer who is willing to go off the ranch at any given moment supporting candidates who can't pass party muster in their own state?  I really don't and man is he stupid if he thinks they will.

If we don't wake up and see some sort of serious back peddling from this position on Schumer's part by morning, take my word for it - Schumer will be toast in his next primary too - that is not a call to action - it is just a fact of politics.

FREAKIN' AMAZING!  

Amazing...  What a fool he is to think that this kind of thing would fly.

the attitude you develop when you think you have a mandate?

The guy got 71 percent last time.

But the thousands of NY Kossacks could do what I did today -- let Chuck know that supporting a non-Democrat with DSCC money is beyond the pale:

Dear Sen. Schumer,

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment at what I read at the Hotline blog today.

Sen. Lieberman is a colleague from a neighboring state, so I can understand your personal support of him in the primary.

But your implicit support of him if he loses the primary and runs as an independent is shocking.

You head the DEMOCRATIC Senate Campaign Committee, which should ALWAYS support Democrats in Senate general elections.

Do you really plan to give DSCC money -- so needed in states like Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Montana, Missouri, Arizona, Tennessee, Nevada, etc. -- to someone who will not be on the ballot as a Democrat?

And, I do not believe that any of the DSCC's limited resources should EVER be spent on primary campaigns, if that's what "fully supports" means.

You're on your way to having a good year, with several great candidates fielding strong challenges to Bushites.

Please don't ruin it by supporting an independent candidate (if it comes to that) who kissed Bush on national TV and is Sean Hannity's favorite Democrat.

I filed this under "Judiciary issues" because there was no other subject that fit exactly.

But, as you know, the Bushite plan to pack the federal courts with far-right conservatives is a real danger to our Constitutional freedoms and to the Congress' role in setting national policies.

And, when it counted lately, Lieberman voted for cloture on the Alito nomination.

As you also know, his subsequent vote against Alito was meaningless.

Lieberman is no Jeffords or Sanders, or Ben Nelson, for that matter; he is a lot more like Zell Miller, who was also once your colleague.

This is not just about the war; it is essentially about a Democratic senator who is the go-to guy for hate-radio hosts, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal editorial page when they want some Democrat who will diss the Democratic Party.

As a Democrat, I find that to be unforgiveable.

Please reply and let me know that you will only support Democrats in Senate general elections.

The entrenched believe this is just about retaking power for the Democratic leadership that we and millions of Americans crave. While that is true on some level, this is mostly about supporting candidates for office who speak the language of the people who elect them to office -- candidates not beholden to power and money and systems that oppress, but who understand the issues that impact real Americans, not corporations, polluters, scavengers and opportunists who feed off the blood, sweat and tears of the lower-than-upper classes.

Too often we have had to go with the lesser of two evils and hope that they give us the time of day. Schumer and others entrenched should pay heed to the power of the grass roots. Network's "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" comes to mind.

It's time politicians feel the heat: they work for us, we don't work for them. When they stop working for us, it is our duty to replace them.

They are entranched. Of course it will be a hard work and won't be gone in one shot. But it'll be like nipping at Bush poll number. It's 1% at a time and telling one voter at a time if need be.

The Old Guard is scared, and that tells you all you need to know right there.

Old guard? I know it's rather generic but when you consider what these corporate stooges have done to the Democratic Party perhaps they should be called "The Old Fox Guarding the Henhouse Guard".

Not a fucking dime to the the DSCC or the DCCC, infested by corporatists as they are. Give individually, stiff the old boy corporate toadies.

...or at least that's my take.  

Is absolutely crossing the line.  Way over.

That's almost the old Rocky Horror line.

The correct one is "Fuck you Chuck!"

I wonder if he qalso has a W on his forehead?

As Schumer's tenure has proceeded, the more I think that the Republicans lost one Tom Delay and we've built one of our own -- just one who doesn't know how to win.

If they could win with this bullshit, it might, just might be somewhat acceptable.

But they've ben losing with this bullshit for a decade now.

Stick a fork in 'em.

He shoudl be removed from the Party completely. I am of a mind that those who so cavalielry call themselves "Democrats" while ignoring the people and undermining Democratic polices should be KICKED STRAIGHT THE FUCK OUT OF THE PARTY.

This is how you enforce discipline and uncover and remove vichy-ite traitors.

This should have started with Zell Miller.