Remember the guy who heckled Lamont at a diner? His name is Richard Goodstein and he's a DC lobbyisst. It turns out he has played these
dirty tricks before and as a result, Mondale paid over $379,000 in fine.
It turns out, this recent flap isn't the first time Goodstein's been in hot water. Way back in 1983, Goodstein -- then a lawyer for the doomed Mondale for President campaign -- "surreptitiously took" a notebook from a Philadelphia office in order to hide the nature of the campaign's scheme to use rather flimsy outside organizations to evade fundraising laws. The action was disclosed in a 1985 book and reported in the Washington Post. (The notebook was returned soon after Goodstein took it, the paper reported; the FEC discovered the ruse, and Mondale -- after losing 49 states to Ronald Reagan -- paid over $379,000 in fines.)
Of course, waste-related lobbying hasn't distracted him from another major role: being a constant commentator on FOX. Nexis shows at least three dozen appearances on the network by Goodstein between 1998 and 2002. There and in other media, he has alternately been described as a Democratic "strategist," "adviser" and "lawyer."
Despite the short client list, Goodstein doesn't seem to hurt for cash: last year he pulled in at least $360,000 in fees from those three clients. In other words, he could certainly afford that hamburger.
More on this Liberthug
When I asked him if I could confirm that he'd said what the paper said he had, Goodstein asked me why I wanted to do that and whether I worked for the paper. I said I didn't and noted that I wanted to get confirmation of his quotes straight from him.
After a hurried back-and-forth, Goodstein said: "Do me a favor: Email me the last good story you wrote about Joe Lieberman." When I asked why that was relevant, Goodstein said: "Bye. Bye." End of conversation.
I'm glad you guys like it. But this is NOT my original research work. Kudos to www.talkingpointsmemo.com, see link above.
UPDATE: [Lieberman calls the resignation of Rumsfeld http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Joe_Liberman_says_Rumsfeld_should_go_0804.html]
Nine minutes into the interview, Schultz turned the interview to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, asking "Do you think Don Rumsfeld should resign or stay on the job?"
Lieberman responded, "I understand you are asking that after Hilary Clinton's statement yesterday..."
Cutting in, Schultz told Lieberman that "there's also been seven Generals that [believe] he should leave, too."
Lieberman continued, "I understand their calls...Two and one half years ago... I was asked and I will give you the same answer I gave then.
"Rumsfeld serves at the pleasure of the President. But, I can tell you this, if I were President, I would say "Thank you, but we need some new leadership at the Pentagon."
Schultz then asked, "So you think Rumsfeld should go?" After an extended response by Lieberman, Schultz said that he was assuming Lieberman's answer to the question was "yes," "I have to take that as a "yes" I think our audience would take it as a "yes"."
Lieberman replied, "Yeah. Yeah Yeah. -- No,. No, it is a "yes"."
Is Lieberman undercutting the president in wartime at the nation's peril?