Posted by David Lightman at 7:25 am CDT
ON THE ROAD WITH JOE LIEBERMAN IN CONNECTICUT--Sen. Joe Lieberman met a lot of old friends Thursday as he travelled around West Hartford in search of August 8 primary supporters--but he apparently didn't find enough of them.
With a new poll showing him down by 13 percentage points, Lieberman played down the small crowds, saying he was trying to offer a "message of the day" and stress issues. Thursday's message was that science and math need more government funding and support, a point he made at the West Hartford Children's Museum, as a gaggle of children listened.
If the Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University poll was getting him down, Lieberman did not show it. The closest anyone came to showing emotion was wife Hadassah.
"Look, it hurts," she said, and her husband feels the sting. But, she added, "He doesn't say that. He says, 'Let's keep moving.'''
Lieberman said he had heard rumors a day earlier that the poll news would hurt, so he was ready. And everywhere he went, his effort to send a message was overcome by the gaggle of reporters who were at each stop.
They would ask if he would drop out of the race if he lost Tuesday. No, he said uneqivocally and emphatically, he would run as an independent.
They would ask about challenger Ned Lamont, and while Lieberman would say Lamont was spreading "untruths" about him, he would rarely go further. "This campaign is about the future," Lieberman would say.
Adding to his woes: Thursday was the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, and Lieberman was fasting, not even drinking water as he walked up and down Farmington Avenue shaking hands. But he got lots of comfort from people who have known him for years, people who vowed they would turn out for him Tuesday.
Today, he heads for East Hartford and Danbury. The message of the day will involve his energy record.
David Lightman reports for the Hartford Courant, a Tribune Co. newspaper.
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Comments
"Let's keep moving... to the November elections. ...Because even if I lose the Democratic nomination, I'm still running as an Independent. I don't want to give up the limelight. And if I don't win as an Independent, let's keep moving... maybe the president will let me join his cabinent. I could be Secretary of Guys Who Can't Give Up the Limelight."
Posted by: Jorge from Bloomington | August 4, 2006 4:36 PM
For five plus we have been hearing democrats to end the partisianship. There isn't a more centrist democrat than Joe Liberman. I guess it was again just a bunch of cheap talk.
Posted by: Terry | August 4, 2006 7:49 PM
Partisanship means working together and compromise, it does not mean one side rubber-stamping what the other side wants.
Terry, how about being a partisan this November and vote a straight Democratic ticket? And to balance things, we'll let you cast an honorary vote for a republican: Joe LIEberman.
Posted by: Bruce Y | August 5, 2006 7:04 AM
Bruce Y,
If you saw the democrats I have on my ticket, you wouldn't even vote stright democratic. However, voting a straight democratic ticket this year wouldn't make me a "partisan" (should you got the right word), it would only make me an idiot.
Posted by: Terry | August 5, 2006 4:20 PM
JOE MUST GO!!!
Posted by: FOX LIES!! | August 6, 2006 12:55 PM