HUGE LAMONT VICTORY TONIGHT! LIEBERMAN SHOULD RETIRE AND SAVE HIS $5 MILLION AND WHAT'S LEFT OF HIS DIGNITY

Today was the Connecticut Democratic Party Convention. Lamont needed to get 15% of the delegates to qualify for the ballot. Virtually no one believed he could pull it off. I mean, Lieberman owns the Democratic Party machinery in that state. Lamont's campaign had decided to go the petition route to get on the ballot.

But today, hundreds of party delegates turned on George Bush's favorite Democrat and kicked Lieberman to the ground. The final vote count from the 1,509 delegates:

Ned Lamont- 505 (33.4%)
Lieberman- 1004 (66.5%)

Connecticut bloggers say it was an unexpected swing of small towns-- the ones where the big city party machines have no power-- that gave Lamont more than twice the votes anyone expected. I wonder if the last minute letter of support to all the delegates from corporate-whore Hillary Clinton actually hurt Lieberman's chances today.

Lamont's campaign always felt that theeir biggest hurdle would be to get past the party apparatus because the progressive Democrats who decide Connecticut primaries would be very receptive to Lamont's message and to the kind of man Ned Lamont is. Well, that hurdle was cleared-- spectacularly. The next hurdle is to face the $5 million war chest of the most vicious mud-slinging political hack in the history of Connecticut politics, the dirtiest fighter in the entire Democratic Party. You want to help? This would be a good time to let Joe Lieberman know that progressives are sick and tired of his treachery, of his fake Democratic credentials, of his support for Bush, and of his neocon agenda in support of war and corporate greed. Ned Lamont and his campaign achieved some great stuff in the last couple of months. Let them know you're with them by making a direct contribution through ACT BLUE.


7AM UPDATE: MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS QUIET AS A MOUSE BUT JOY SPREADS IN DC

A political friend of mine just sent me an e-mail about Lieberman's humiliation: "This is incredible... heard the great news over NPR. As a former intern of Joe Lieberman... I couldn't be more happier to see what is happening in Connecticut." Sunday's COURANT makes it very clear that Lieberman's in trouble, deep, deep trouble. The Connecticut Democrats who have been paying attention are sick and tired of this treacherous and reactionary hypocrite sullying the good name of their state, plotting with the Bush Regime while masquerading as a Democrat.


SUNDAY UPDATE: NED THANKS THE BLOGOSPHERE

John at Crooks & Liars, who revolutionized the Internet with this kind of thing, taught me how to embed videos yesterday. Tim Tagaris just sent this one over. Take a look: