Lieberman refuses to rule out run as independent

[NewJeffCT]

If he loses primary to Ned Lamont...

Senator Meets With Tough Crowd
Lieberman Defends Iraq War Support, Party Loyalty
April 10, 2006
By LORETTA WALDMAN, Courant Staff Writer

WINDSOR -- Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman met with members of the Windsor Democratic Town Committee in the first of two stops Sunday in the state aimed at garnering support for his nomination at next month's state convention.

In addition to a primary challenge by Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, Lieberman faces mounting criticism from within the party for his support of the Iraq war and President George W. Bush - including a 34-2 no-confidence vote against him in February by town committee members in Windsor.
....

Lieberman has not ruled out running as an independent should he not receive the nomination. Edward Anderson, a leasing manager from New Haven sporting a Howard Dean campaign button, was more concerned about that prospect than Iraq.

"It would destroy and cost us seats in the state House and Senate," he said.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctwdslieberman0410...

[Larkspur]

1. Windsor DTC is one of the 2 CT DTC's that passed a resolution censuring

Lieberman for his stance on Iraq and the war.

I hope that Windsor delegates don't cave into Lieberman's amateur extortion.

[CTLawGuy]

2. they won't

party loyalists don't take kindly to petulant bullying.

How are things in the Killingly DTC?

[DODI]

3. Sounds like he has lost New Britain too:

". . .Included in that group is New Britain’s Democratic town chairman, John McNamara, who said his personal opinion and sense is that "a significant portion of New Britain’s 31 delegates will support Lamont as I will do."

http://www.middletownpress.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16453353&BRD=1645&PAG=461&dept_id=10856&rfi=6

Where does his "war chest" go when he loses?

[connecticut yankee]

4. I think

he can take it with him.

That's why Nancy DiNardo and the rest of the State Committee are backing him.

[monarch]

5. I'm in Boston now and Channel 5 is running a crawl

under a Lieberman story saying that Lieberman won't rule out an independent bid. I think that it's possible that this kind of news could push Joe out before the primary. You have to bear in mind the fact that, other than the "lunatic fringe" lefties (which probably includes most of us on DU), the other key demographic that votes in primaries is the "loyal dem." Loyal dems can't be happy about seeing that "won't rule out" information in the corporate media--and on a crawl no less.

Disclaimer: I have supported Joe throughout his career. He has been a completely steadfast liberal throughout his career. I do think that he is sincerely religious and scrupulously honest; I just think that he went off the track on Iraq and has stayed off the track.

[connecticut yankee]

6. How "liberal" can he be

when he did nothing to prevent the Alito confirmation?

when he's supported everything Bush has done or wanted to do?