Joe Lieberman is no longer officially a Democrat in Connecticut. Perhaps that’s why so many Republicans are rushing to his side.
Karl Rove is calling for support, Dick Cheney is coordinating attack lines and RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman is practically endorsing Joementum.
Major GOP fundraisers are kicking in cash to the “Connecticut for Lieberman” campaign. They include hawkish supporters of Israel and influential DC lobbyists. After the primary, one major GOP donor in California sent a fundraising email to 2,000 of his political allies.
And top operatives from the White House are behind a new group, Vets for Freedom, devoted to backing Lieberman’s stay-the-course policy on Iraq. VFF is already making headlines as the successor to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
Oddly enough, one of the advisors to VFF is former White House official Taylor Gross, who worked against Lieberman during the 2000 recount in Florida.
Lieberman has a long history of acting, in the words of the New Yorker, as “a punching bag and a cheerleader for the Bush White House.”
Now, as David Sirota writes, he’s Connecticut’s de facto GOP nominee–the Zell Miller of this election cycle. It’s only a matter of time before Lieberman starts ranting about spitballs and challenges Chris Matthews to a duel.
