Why defeating Lieberman was so important

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The Diary I Never Wanted To Write
by anna
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What a fucking entitled asshole! I can't express my disgust for Barton without cursing like my sailor father. I just really feel so depressed after that meeting. Barton is a rubberstamp for the Bush administration, and he sits on the committee that oversees about 60% of ALL LEGISLATION in the US House. And for some godforsaken reason, the national bloggers decided to dump a shitload of resources into a SAFE DEMOCRATIC SENATE SEAT instead of taking on Barton. Nevermind that Barton helped shove the medicare D "reform" plan, the Cheney energy plan, the FAIR credit act, estate tax repeal, and many other horrible peices of legislation through his committee and onto the House floor. Nevermind that everything he touches in that committee effects the air we breathe and the water we drink, the amount we pay at the pump, and our fiscal "health". Oh no, instead, people dumped assloads of money at Joe Fucking Lieberman.

No, I am not a Lieberman fan. Not in the least. I think he's a Bush enabler of the highest order and he is a pox on our party. But he votes with us 95% of the time and I will bet money he is going to get re-elected. That race is just sucking wind and resources out of hundreds of races nationwide that could be used to take back the House and Senate and put a check on those dangerous warmongering assholes in the White House. Joe Barton votes with us ZERO PERCENT OF THE TIME. And while Dave is getting some great support down in the rural parts of the district and amongst the urban grassroots, it seems that the national folks (both party institutions and bloggers) have given up on this race. They've abandoned the residents of the 6th congressional district and decided it's not worth fighting for.

Well fuck yall. The 50 state strategy isn't going to work unless you're willing to put your money and resources into truly fighting that fight on every level. It won't work unless you're willing to take on even the most powerful Republicans. Guys like John Laesch and David Harris are doing the work of God and they can't even get a bone thrown their way.

I'm just fucking disgusted by this situation and feeling very helpless right now. Once again I'm feeling abandoned by my party, abandoned by my so-called allies, and generally depressed as hell. Something has gotta give, and after last night I am even more hopeless. I live in a district full of racist, close-minded, war mongering assholes.

On days like this I just want to give up and move the fuck out of here and into a blue state where sane people live.

I know Joe Barton is an asshole, but the easiest way to strip him of power is to change who runs the House. Now that may suck when you see a campaign up close, but the only people who hate Barton are the people who run against him and the people in his district.

But Lieberman is what we call a force multiplier. He is on TV every week, undermining the Democratic party. Lieberman is the roadblock to party unity. Because he loves to attack fellow democrats to look better. He provides cover for Bush in a way no House member could and helps define the national party as weak and feckless.

You aren't going to take back the Congress without getting our house in order, and Joe Lieberman is that house. As long as he's claiming to be a Dem, he is a bright, shining example of how the Dems don't stand for anything or anyone. He is the front man for the DLC, the Beltway crowd, the whole rotten lot of them. There is no point in taking the Senate and having Lieberman snipe at the leadership.

The issue wasn't the seat, but the man who held it, and how he was more important than the party or even elections. Lieberman was the pet Dem for the GOP and the damage he did doing that was amazing.

But even in Texas, who do you help? Nick Lampson? His race is going to suck up light and money as well. But there's a chance to make real change in TX-22. So it's about choices, hard choices.

We could have let Lieberman slide, be happy with most of his votes, but that would have been a mistake. While the Lamont campaign got attention, it didn't really suck up all that much money, and the techniques learned there will pay immediate dividends. It's all a matter of resource allocation on trying to win in places where that can happen. You take away his committee chairmanship and see how long he stays in the House?

I know it's frustrating, but you can't do everything and be everywhere. You pick your shots, hope for the best and elect a House where Barton has much less power, if you can't beat him outright