Crossposted at
Blogging in the Blue.
Ok, I have to start out by saying that I'm for Lamont. I've given Lamont money and I would vote for him if I were in Connecticut. However, I'm also for fair campaigning. If people can provide verifiable evidence that I'm wrong on this, I'll be more than happy to see it.
All the big liberal blogs today are going haywire over a blog post over at firedoglake which is making the following statement:
Because nobody could have predicted it -- Joe Lieberman will be campaigning with GOP candidates Jodi Rell and Rob Simmons today at the Groton sub base (the one that Holy Joe claims to have singlehandedly saved).
The cite for this grand turn of events? Er....no one. FDL just posted it without any link or information as to where it was getting this information from. I've tried to follow links from several liberal blogs to try to find a source, and all eventually lead back to the FDL post.
Finally, I found an article written by the AP on the Stamford Advocate's website.
Here is what this article says:
A year after sparing Submarine Base New London from closure, supporters were meeting Thursday to devise ways to keep Connecticut's largest military installation off future cost-savings plans at the Pentagon.
The strategy session at the Millstone Power Station comes a year after local officials successfully campaigned the Base Closure and Realignment Commission to keep the base open, reversing the Pentagon's recommendation and saving thousands of jobs.
...
Officials who campaigned to keep the base open, including Gov. M. Jodi Rell, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn., were planning to attend the meeting.
So, a apparently private meeting over how to keep a sub base open has suddenly turned into a campaign rally where Lieberman is promoting the election of republican candidates?
Since when has a policy meeting where (for the love of god!) people from the opposing political party attended been considered a campaign rally for that opposing party?
Unless I see some real evidence that this is anything other than a private meeting over how to keep a military base open, the "Joe campaigns for Republicans" storyline stinks.
Hat tip to bincbom below with a link to an article in the Hartford Courant:
Lieberman will appear with two prominent Republicans, Gov. M. Jodi Rell and U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd, to celebrate last year's reversal of a Pentagon decision to close the Groton submarine base.
That's still rather vauge (appear could mean anything), but it looks like there may be a public aspect to it, but it still doesn't sound like "campaigning" (to me) since it's about saving the base.
Update [2006-8-24 15:25:12 by FleetAdmiralJ]:: The Norwich Bulletin describes the appearance as thus:
Thursday's "Lessons Learned" conference at the Millstone Nuclear Power plant in Waterford is by invitation only because of limited space.
The goal of the daylong conference is to identify steps that can be taken now to avoid future base closing prospects.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell and retired Air Force Gen. Lloyd "Fig" Newton, a Base Closing and Realignment Commission member, will deliver the luncheon keynote address. U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., will also attend during lunch. U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd District, and Electric Boat President John Casey will make remarks in the morning. It is not clear whether U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd will attend.
One note I would make, and it is of course debatable, but people seem to be making a claim that "any appearance with a politician this close to an election is an endorsement" or words to that effect. I would note that this is the 1 year anniversary of saving the base, thus the timing of the event is based on that anniversary, not the election.
Update [2006-8-24 17:41:4 by FleetAdmiralJ]: Sorry for being gone for a couple hours, I had some things to do. The (i think) Norwich Bulletin article refers to the trio calling themselves "Team Connecticut" which has some people riled up since it sounds like an election slogan. However, it appears to be a coalition of all the relevent federal elected officials (Dodd, Lieberman, Rell, and Simmons) to try to save the military base which has been around for a while.
Also from the Norwich Bulletin (thanks inclusiveheart):
At the conclusion of today's conference, a report will be prepared identifying specific recommendations on steps to be taken to avoid having the base targeted again in future base closing rounds.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell and former BRAC Commission Lloyd "Fig" Newton are scheduled to give the luncheon keynote addresses. U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman is also expected to attend the event over the lunch hour. U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, who was unable to attend, issued a statement praising the efforts of those involved a year ago.
Update [2006-8-24 17:59:56 by FleetAdmiralJ]: Senator Dodd's statement on the One-Year Anniversary - doesn't really talk about the conference, but it is about the base.