It’s interesting how an Independent can shake up a political race. Unfortunately Joe Lieberman is not an Independent Conservative , but his efforts to run as an Independent are causing the parties fits. Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean was on Meet the Press this weekend, claiming that Joe should just quit. Why should Joe quit, when he’s the favorite in the polls? Unlike Howard Dean was after his pathetic YELLING defeat.

I think all the Liberals in the Connecticut Senatorial race need to quit, but then nobody would be running .

Joseph Lieberman is doing something that I honestly feel most politicians known in their voting districts should do, leave the party! For someone like Lieberman, his party stopped working on his behalf long ago and it was about time he left them. Many people trying to get into politics get with a party to win. If they felt they could win without the party they would and that’s why in very small local races, many candidates often never say a word about a political party. Because in smaller races people know they can win without big party backing (money). But for a full state wide election it does require lots of money and it’s harder to do when shunning the parties. Which is why people trying to run for higher offices cling to a party like glue. It’s sad that they do, but that’s the way it is. So why after a politician is known and respected in their district and wants to run again, why do they continue to cling to their “party”? Old habits die hard. But what Joseph Lieberman is showing is that a politician can express his core beliefs and he does not need a party to win. Even if Lieberman loses, Independents have won before. And I’d rather politicians run on what they believe, instead of what a party tells them to run on. That is why as a voter I’m an Independent, I vote for what I believe, not for a party.

The Lieberman situation has become a bit of a quandary for Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman. He knows he does not want to endorse someone outside of his party, but he’d love to see Democrats lose, especially if he can court Lieberman into his party. After all parties love winning and they’ll pick up a winner regardless of that individual’s values. Because party platforms are not actual party-rules for admission, they are simply suggested guidelines and he who follows them best might get more pork and campaign support. A political party would court a fly on the wall if they felt they could put that fly’s name on a ballot and get the majority of votes.

So given this quandary, Mehlman is totally ignoring his own party’s nominee, Alan Schlesinger. Mehlman says his party bosses in Connecticut have told him to stay out of that race. And if he does not want to visit Connecticut at their request I guess that’s understandable, but when asked a point blank question on national TV of whether he endorses his own party’s nominee, it seems he would answer “yes”. Instead, given that Lieberman situation, Mehlman won’t endorse the Republican and he won’t endorse Lieberman either.

I just love watching a party player have to dance on an issue like this . It’s what happens when you focus on things other than values.

Now that I’ve given Schlesinger a quick review I must say he’s as soft on illegal immigration as Mehlman. And remember it was Mehlman who started the efforts to abondon the views of Americans in favor of the desires of select special interest groups. Also Schlesinger is not opposed to people killing their babies in the womb (abortion). And unlike Lieberman, Schlesinger felt pulling the tube on Terry Schiavo was OK. (Didn’t want the feds involved after a state judge ruled to kill her.) Not to mention Joe has proven he has no problem with killing the enemy! It’s nice when someone can at least come close to understanding that you kill the killers trying to kill you, but do what you can to protect innocent life. It seems to me Lieberman has the higher probability of ever going Pro-Life. So heck, Lieberman is the most Conservative of the pack. In the field he actually is the Independent Conservative . Although I feel he really is a Liberal. So I guess if I lived in Connecticut, I’d have to grit my teeth and vote for Lieberman.

Hear Ken Mehlman’s dance around endorsing Lieberman or Schlesinger on Meet the Press this past Sunday, using the audio link below.
Ken Mehlman avoids making an endorsement in Connecticut’s US Senatorial race (Meet the Press) – WMA Audio
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