Weekend leftover...
Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye campaigned in Connecticut Sunday, for both Demoocratic congressional candidate Joe Courtney in the 2nd District, and U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman - facing as we all know a difficult primary challenge from anti-war candidate Ned Lamont.
What makes Inouye's appearance in Connecticut on behalf of Lieberman a bit more interesting is that the senior senator from Hawaii - a Medal of Honor winner - is one of only 22 seanators who initially voted against going to war with Iraq. One might think that Ned Lamont's position on the war might be more in tune with Inouye's position. But when I talked with the senator Sunday in Groton, I asked him about his desire to assist Lieberman in his re-election bid. This is how Inouye explained it:
"I served in war, so if I vote to go to war I need to be convinced that it is the right thing to do. I was one of 22 who voted against it. I was called unpatriotic. But apparently things have changed. Seventy-eight senators voted in favor of the war and they are good Americans, and patriots. Some now feel that things are not going right, and some believe that we need to continue. What I like are independent thinking people - like Joe Lieberman.
"My vote against the war doesn't mean I'm a renegade. His support doesn't mean he is. When I see what's happening here in Connecticut, I can't help but think that this isn't right. You don't condemn someone who has spent his entire life serving people because of one issue."
What makes Inouye's appearance in Connecticut on behalf of Lieberman a bit more interesting is that the senior senator from Hawaii - a Medal of Honor winner - is one of only 22 seanators who initially voted against going to war with Iraq. One might think that Ned Lamont's position on the war might be more in tune with Inouye's position. But when I talked with the senator Sunday in Groton, I asked him about his desire to assist Lieberman in his re-election bid. This is how Inouye explained it:
"I served in war, so if I vote to go to war I need to be convinced that it is the right thing to do. I was one of 22 who voted against it. I was called unpatriotic. But apparently things have changed. Seventy-eight senators voted in favor of the war and they are good Americans, and patriots. Some now feel that things are not going right, and some believe that we need to continue. What I like are independent thinking people - like Joe Lieberman.
"My vote against the war doesn't mean I'm a renegade. His support doesn't mean he is. When I see what's happening here in Connecticut, I can't help but think that this isn't right. You don't condemn someone who has spent his entire life serving people because of one issue."
posted by Ray Hackett at 9:08 AM
6 Comments:
With regard to the last sentence in Senator Inoye's quote:
"You don't condemn someone who has spent his entire life serving people because of one issue."
In politics, it happens ALL the time Senator, those are the "rules of engagement" so to speak.
Bill, you are right as almost always :)
Sad...but true.
What I found interesting is that Inouye - one of 22 who voted against the war - is not only supporting Lieberman's re-election in the primary, but has also pledged to support him if he is forced to run an indepedent candidacy. And that was his explanation for making the choice that he made.
If Lieberman does get elected as a so-called independent I wonder what it will mean insofar as chairmanships/ ranking member & senate privileges goes.
What is he Ranking Member of now? I have no idea. He is likly to lose it if he isn't elected as a Democrat. I would think the other senators in line to get his post would balk at the idea that an independent would get a plum assignment which they would feel their in line to get.
Jeffords the Republican turncoat I don't think will quite be a template because he switched parties in all but name and handed the Dems the majority for a short time. Not quite the same thing.
Will Joe be on the outside looking in or will the nation's oldest gentleman's club welcome him back?
Lieberman has stated - several times - that if forced to run an indepedent candidacy, and if he wins, he will remain a registered Democrat, continue to caucus with the Democrats and has conveyed those feelings to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. What that means for him in terms of committee assignments and chairmanships, etc...that's out of his control. Reid and the Democratic majority/minority leadership will make those calls - and he'll have to live with it.
Senator Inouye gave a great explanation for making his choice but I sense a bit of a whining tone when he expressed disatisfaction with voters who condemn Lieberman (or any other elected official) for ONE issue.
Again, that's what voters do and it happens all the time. It may not seem fair but that's their right to do that and candidates must learn to accept the rules of the game. If they don't like the game and it's rules, then don't play.
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