LAMONT WINS-- A VIEW FROM MAGS

Ned Lamont wins the primary and Joe Lieberman loses not only the primary, but the party. At least that is how it should be. Any Democrat in DC who supports Lieberman from here on out is part of the problem and not part of the solution. This is a message from those who ARE the government, the people. Stop rubberstamping George Bush!!!!

The Ned Lamont victory brings with it a rush of emotions that is welcome to Democrats and liberals throughout the country. Here is one thing we were able to do after a string of failures. No longer will those in our own party ignore the opinions of the majority of their constituents. When we come knocking on doors in DC, it is time that someone opened them and paid attention.

Ned Lamont did not only win the old guard, by winning Lieberman’s precinct, but he won the new one, by winning the votes of CT’s youngest voting generation. In this state at least, they cared enough to turn out in droves.

Ok, so this is not the end all to end all, but you gotta admit this will energize the base and bring in funds and energy that we need to be heard, not only in CT, but across the nation. This is a testament to what we can do when we put our minds to it. As Markos Moulitas pointed out to Keith Olbermann, this is a long term struggle. This will take continued effort. We need to continue to build networks that work. We need to continue to multiply these efforts.

Write more songs. Make more films. Write more essays. Continue observing and commenting. Keep meeting up. Keep chatting. Keep discussing and cussing. Keep wearing T-shirts. Keep supporting web sites. Keep supporting those who support what you believe in.

Let us broaden our efforts and bring focus on multi-fronts of this struggle to right the ship of state.

Tonight I raise my glass to Howie and his fellow bloggers and to Ned Lamont. It was a valiant effort. And, as a plus, it was successful. This is just my little celebration for y’all.


AFTERTHOUGHT: HILLARY GETS THE MESSAGE

John over at Crooks and Liars just hit us with an exclusive: Hillary was the first to donate a check, albeit only a $5,000 one, to Lamont after Lieberman's sore-loser speech. As I mentioned earlier, Bayh has also announced he is supporting Lamont.

Meanwhile our pals over at PoliticsTV have the whole historic day available in video form. Everything you've been reading about today can be watched on your computer.


UPDATE: THE MORNING AFTER-- WE HEAR FROM DAVID SIROTA, LOUISE SLAUGHTER AND BARACK OBAMA. WATCH FOX "NEWS" IF YOU WANT TO HEAR THE LOBBYISTS' PERSPECTIVE

Like Mags', David Sirota's instant analysis is clear and concise-- and right to the point: "Ned Lamont's crushing defeat of Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut Senate primary shows that voters are hungry for change-- but Lieberman still fights for politics as usual. At the end of every gut-wrenching horror movie, when the hero seems finally to have vanquished the enemy, there is always that last moment where the enemy, lying lifeless on the floor, finds a last gasp to fire off one final round, usually dealing a fatal blow to one of the good guys."

[Damn! If Adam had consumed 3 bottles of champagne when he found out Lieberman had been defeated-- and wasn't passed out in a heap somewhere in West Palm-- I'd ask him for a graphic depiction. You'll have to use your imagination.]

Sirota goes on to talk about Lamont's truly grassroots campaign, "epresenting the hopes and dreams of ordinary citizens" as opposed to the hopes and dreams of the greedy corporations who have backed and financed Lieberman, providing him with "a massive war-chest of corporate cash and universal support from Washington, D.C.'s cabal of lobbyists, pundits and insiders."

Sirota warns that the entire Lieberman constituency of
"Enron lobbyists, corporate lawyers, Establishment pundits and other assorted characters in the Washington brothel" will be out in force, screaming their heads off in the corporate mass media about how Lieberman was beaten by anti-Semites and commies and hippies and radicals and America-haters and hackers and pro-terrorists, etc, etc. Lieberman represents the status quo and the fat times for Special Interests and they will say anything to keep him and other rubber stampers like him in power.

Meanwhile, Democrats who either supported Lieberman in the primary or kep quiet, have been flocking to Lamont's banner in droves. It's worth reading Congresswoman Louise Slaughter's diary on Daily Kos this morning. Her reaction to Lieberman's defeat was loud and clear:

The American people spoke loud and clear yesterday, and they want their voices heard.

They are tired of an Administration that is contemptuous of Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch. They are tired of an Administration that accuses those who would question it of giving aid and comfort to terrorists. And they are tired of a White House that disregards the checks and balances our nation was built on.

It is time for Congress to stand up to an Administration that does little more than tell us to 'stay the course.' It is time for a Congress that will take this country in a new direction and provide America with real safety and real security.

The American people want a Congress that will stop acting like a rubber stamp, and start doing its job, a Congress that will start exercising its constitutional authority to check an Administration intent on drastically expanding its powers at the expense of the House and the Senate - and ultimately the American people.

And, like Hillary Clinton did last night, Lieberman-ally Barack Obama pledged to support Lamont today and sent him $5,000 from his Hopeful PAC. The Democratic leadership in the Senate made it clear this morning that they weren't backing Soreloserman's independent run:

Democratic Leader Harry Reid and DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer issued the following joint statement today on the Connecticut Senate race:

"The Democratic voters of Connecticut have spoken and chosen Ned Lamont as their nominee. Both we and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) fully support Mr. Lamont's candidacy. Congratulations to Ned on his victory and on a race well run.

"Joe Lieberman has been an effective Democratic Senator for Connecticut and for America. But the perception was that he was too close to George Bush and this election was, in many respects, a referendum on the President more than anything else. The results bode well for Democratic victories in November and our efforts to take the country in a new direction."