Stuart Rothenberg:
Everyone has his or her opinion about the worthiness of each of these challenges, and there is no right answer about when a Member of Congress has proved to be so "independent" that he or she deserves to be defeated in a primary. But there certainly ought to be a place in our political system for someone like Lieberman. His defeat, unlikely as it may be, would be a sad, sad chapter in American politics.
Funny how the establishment in DC, of which Rothenberg is one of its biggest defenders, hates democracy. God fucking forbid that an incumbent have to justify his existence to the voters of his state! What a fucking travesty! I mean, once elected, an incumbent shouldn't have to answer to the voters, should he?
Really, Rothenberg is one of the worst. Like the rest of the establishment apologists for Lieberman, Stu really is angry that their homeboy has to work to keep his job. Those extremist DC insiders don't believe in democracy and quaint notions such as the "will of the people". All that matters is that their country club and cocktail party buddies get a free pass election after election.
Here's a message to Stu -- if Lieberman wants to be an independent voice, then great. He can justify his votes and his values to the people of Connecticut. If they agree with him, then Joementum has nothing to worry about, right?
One more point:
He's running against Lieberman -- and drawing attention from local Democrats, the "netroots" and members of the national media -- primarily because of the Senator's relatively hawkish position on Iraq.
I would quibble with "primarily". It's "an issue", but one of many. Other hawkish Democrats aren't getting the kind of challenge Lieberman is.
But aside from that, why do DC insiders think that voting on the war is bad? I mean, it's only costing us $250 million per day, with 2,500 American servicemembers dead and countless Iraqis. Gee, why would those extremist voters have a problem with that little, itsy bitsy, teensy weensy, irrelevant issue?
I swear, DC, with its media and political elite is a cesspool. Time to wipe it clean and start from scratch.