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Lieberman Campaign Slams "Soviet-Style" Efforts to Strip Him of Party Affiliation

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman is facing a new challenge after a group of peace activists requested that the New Haven registrar strip him of his decades-long Democratic Party affiliation, citing a state statute that allows for party affiliation to be "stricken or excluded" for two years if a candidate runs for office in a different party. The Lieberman campaign has denounced the move as "Soviet-style tactics" and "dirty political tricks at its worst," with campaign spokesman Dan Gerstein calling it a "ridiculous, partisan game-playing."

Key Takeaways:

  • The group of peace activists, who claim to be working independently of anti-war candidate Ned Lamont, is seeking to remove Senator Lieberman's party affiliation due to his decision to run as an independent in the Senate election.
  • The Lieberman campaign has hired Republican pollster Neil Newhouse and Democratic strategist Josh Isay to help with the election, despite Isay's work with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is dedicated to defeating Lieberman.
  • Senator Lieberman has stated that he plans to remain part of the Democratic caucus in the Senate, despite his independent status.
  • The group of protesters, which includes Henry Lowendorf, claims that Lieberman cannot be both an independent and a Democrat, and that he should be "out" of the party.
  • The New Haven registrar is reviewing the complaint and a recent statewide poll shows Lieberman leading Lamont by 12 points.

Statistics:

  • 12 points: The margin by which Lieberman leads Lamont in a recent statewide poll.
  • 2 years: The amount of time for which a candidate's party affiliation can be "stricken or excluded" under the state statute cited by the group of protesters.
  • 2000: The year in which Katherine Harris and the Republicans were accused by the Lieberman campaign of using "outrageous tactics" in Florida to stop all the votes from being counted.

Sources:

  • The Washington Times, October [no date specified]
  • New Haven Independent, October [no date specified]
  • Lieberman campaign officials (as quoted in The Washington Times)
  • Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan (as quoted in The Washington Times)

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