When you campaigned for Senator Joe Leiberman during the Connecticut primary, I was appalled. Here was a man who had been a firm supporter of the war even after it became clear that the war was a disaster, who had been part of the group that refused to filibuster Samuel Alito, thus clearing the way for his ascendancy to the Supreme Court, and who had been willing to badmouth his own party.
It bothered me that you chose to place personal loyalty to a colleague above the best interests of your party -- indeed, of your country. However, I understand that you have worked with Senator Leiberman for a great many years. I decided to view your campaigning for him as a favor done for a friend, as troublesome as that might be.
However, I call on you to respect the primary process. If Senator Leiberman launches an independent bid for the Senate seat from Connecticut, I call on you to support the Democratic Party candidate, Ned Lamont, or failing that, remain neutral. If you choose to campaign or support Senator Leiberman in an independent campaign, I will view you as placing personal considerations above your party and, even more significantly, as disrespecting the primary process and Democratic voters.
Should you choose to do so, not only will I not vote for you in 2010, I will actively work for any reasonable opponent* you may meet in the Democratic primary.
Sincerely,
A disgruntled constituent.
* One should never make promises one can't keep: it is not true that I would support just any Democrat against Boxer. Hence, the reasonable qualification -- I would not, for example, support a, um, Joe Leiberman-like politician.
I sent this to both of them.
ReplyDeleteSenator,
In light of Sen. Lieberman's decision to abandon the party; after losing in the democratic process of the primary it becomes crucial that the Party stand behind Ned Lamont. A divided party in the general election can only serve to help the Republicans, by making it harder for the Democratic candidate to be elected.
Mr. Lamont said, throughout his campaign, that he would accept the decision of the voters, that he would stand behind Sen. Leiberman if he won, and work for him in the general election.
The least the rest of us can do now is support Mr. Lamont in the battle ahead.
Sincerely,
I sent a different letter to Reid, asking him to support Lamont, and kick Lieberman off of his committee seats.
I guess I should write my own letter to Barbara.
ReplyDelete