NYT: Lamont Criticizes Lieberman’s 1998 Rebuke of Clinton Over Affair

[kskiska]

Ned Lamont, Connecticut’s Democratic Senate candidate, has sharply criticized Senator Joseph I. Lieberman’s public rebuke of former President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, suggesting this week that Mr. Lieberman turned his back on a decades-old friendship and helped make a tragic episode a “media spectacle.”

Mr. Lamont said on Wednesday night that he shared Mr. Lieberman’s “moral outrage” over Mr. Clinton’s sexual misbehavior, but Mr. Lamont was harsh in attacking a speech that was praised as principled by many leaders in both parties and helped propel the Connecticut senator to national prominence.

“You don’t go to the floor of the Senate and turn this into a media spectacle,” Mr. Lamont said of Mr. Lieberman’s remarks eight years ago this month.

“You go up there, you sit down with one of your oldest friends and say, ‘You’re embarrassing yourself, you’re embarrassing your presidency, you’re embarrassing your family, and it’s got to stop.’ ” he said.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/nyregion/08conn.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[JI7]

1. he should compare it to Lieberman's defense of Bush

and lack of outrage over the things Bush has done while making a huge deal out of Clinton's bj.

[Vinca]

5. Agreed - Clinton wasn't a mass murderer. nt

[calimary]

9. OR a war criminal, either.

Even as feminist as I am, I'd rather have a president who's screwing an intern than one who's screwing THE WHOLE FRICKIN' COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Can we skip the senate thing and just go right for president

with this guy?

[Demeter]

19. We Desperately Need Lamont In Senate First

so we can get these criminals in jail and out of public office. Then he's golden for Pres, as far as I'm concerned.

[jean]

3. Is Lamont pre-empting a Joementum commentary on ABC/Disney's

docudrama-abomination and regurgitation of his Monica rebuke? Seems like it - Bravo, Ned


edit - forgot to say ... since the ABC/Disney travesty coughs up the Lewinsky saga, it seems a perfect cue for Liebermann to crank up his old, very public rebuke.

And maybe ... there is a veiled threat of public rebuke of Liebermann on the floor of the Senate, between the lines.

[madinmaryland]

8. Joementum is going to have commentary in regards to the movie?

:wtf: :grr:

He's going to stand-up and say "Heckuva a job George!!!"

[jean]

14. I don't know. But the fact the movie does have Lewinsky references

AND Liebermann was the outspoken Dem at the time ... I wouldn't put it past him to step up to a mike and again smack Clinton. Especially since both Clintons are campaigning for Lamont.

[saltpoint]

4. Lamont's got it right. A private conversation and not a public rebuke

would have been the act of a friend.

But we've seen Joe grandstanding on "moral" ground before, so we weren't too surprised.

Most of that period of time Joe was giving Hollywood the what-for as well.

We need Ned in and Joe out.

[sidpleasant]

6. Joe's morality: Bill Clinton bad, assaulting WW2 heroes good

That's a strange notion of morality that Lieberman has. He ginned up a lot of fake outrage at Bill Clinton's behavior yet Joe had not one word to say when some of his LieberThug supporters assaulted a World War 2 veteran. The 90 year old man was trying to speak to Lamont at a primary campaign stop when he was knocked to the ground by a bunch of Lieberman's hired goons. Of course Joe's denunciation of Clinton had nothing to do with the president's adultery, it was all about publicity for Joe and reinforcing his "only decent Democrat" cred amongst Republicans.

[KingFlorez]

7. And he's digging up old issues why?

I think it's ridiculous to even bring this up after so long

[karynnj]

12. I agree - besides with censure and impeachment

votes on the agenda, most Senators did speak about this. They pretty much had to to defend their votes. (Look in Thomas - they are actually more interesting in seeing what was important to various Senators. )

[rocktivity]

10. Brilliant move, Ned

Reminding the independents of how badly Joe treated Bill should help push enough of them your way to win.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Riddler]

11. Too bad ol' GOP Joe couldn't find the same courage to

muster any outrage at lies, theft, and blanket corruption of the Bush administration. Looks like GOP Joe is the one wearing the blue dress for Bush this time around.

[onenote]

13. actually, I'm afraid it could have the opposite effect

Reminding Democrats that Lieberman was the first Democratic senator to publicly condemn Clinton may help pull more Democrats towards Lamont and away from Lieberman, but I'm not so sure how it plays with indies. Lieberman characterized Clinton's behavior as immoral. Well, I suspect a lot of indies agree with that. Its not the same as having supported impeachment. And as others have pointed out, a number of Democrats criticized Clinton's behavior in not dissimilar terms. Yes, Joe was the first, but I'm not sure that an indie that feels that Clinton's behavior was "unpresidential" (albeit not meriting impeachment) will find this a reason to support Lamont, since it just makes Lamont seem more partisan.

[Divine Discontent]

15. hmmm if it was me, the hardest slam

will always work the best, so like in their sunday morning talk show debate coming up, and Ned saying, "well Joe, your kiss from george bush is synonymous of your allegience to his failed policies that have plummeted our country into the iraq ills and katrina sadness we suffer as a county"

www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <-- top dem stickers

[stepnw1f]

16. Brilliant Indeed! Check (nt)

[Nevernose]

17. The guy lied about screwing around on his wife.

Big deal.

Rhetorical question here: why did any of us have to know about it? If he'd committed perjury that would be one thing (he didn't), if he'd been derelict in his duty it would be something (he wasn't), and if he'd been fucking Joe Lieberman's wife (he wasn't -- probably), then Joe might of had a reason to stand up and say something.

I hope the people in Connecticut remember that.

THere is a special place in Hell for Joe Lieberman.

[IndianaGreen]

18. and Bush lied this country into war in Iraq

Lieberman made a big production of criticizing Clinton for his one petty lie, while ignoring Bush's flood of lies.

Like you said, there is a special place in Hell for Joe Lieberman.