As a staunch Democrat who very much hopes that Ned Lamont knocks out Senator Joe Lieberman, I must say the time has come for me to voice my opinions on some of the dramas that are resulting from this primary.
Folks, face it. Incumbents support incumbents. Party establishment supports incumbents. When Ciro Rodriguez was an incumbent Congressman, he had the support of the DCCC. Two years later, with Cuellar as the incumbent, Cuellar had the support of the DCCC. It goes both ways, that's why the WH supported Specter in the primary rather than Toomey, so did Santorum. Incumbency matters.
So, for the duration of the primary, LAY OFF Barbara Boxer, Barack Obama and other Senators for pledging their support to Joe Lieberman in the primary. Criticize their refusal to say whether they'll back the party nominee all you want, but quit dragging them in the mud for supporting Lieberman as a primary candidate. Lieberman has been there a long time and Lamont is unchartered territory. That does not mean he'll make a lousy Senator, but it does mean that current Senators are more comfortable with one of their own.
When the primary is over and Lamont is the Democratic nominee, it is THEN that the Democratic Party establishment should purge any office holders who support the independent Lieberman from their ranks. If Boxer supports an independent Lieberman over a Democratic Lamont, she should suffer the same penalty as Lieberman himself should, an IMMEDIATE withdrawal of all committee assignments and a reduction in rank, in other words, stripped of all priveleges of seniority.
People going off on Boxer and others, calling them traitors, merely for supporting Lieberman in the primary, are both wrong and are doing a disservice to the debate and Democracy. Boxer has just as much right to voice an opinion on Lieberman as any of us. So she's not from CT, so what neither are most of us. Several Lamont staffers are probably not from CT either. As long as their is a primary, she can support whomever she wishes, and should not be labeled a traitor to the liberal cause. Boxer has been a fine Senator, indeed one of the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party's most vocal allies in the U.S. Senate. By calling her, Obama, Reid and others traitors for supporting Lieberman in the primary, you are only legitimizing the argument that the blogosphere is nothing more than out of control liberals with ridiculous litmus tests who can't be trusted with their support.
By all means, go after them on their refusal to state their support of the Democratic nominee in the general election if it is Lamont. I personally don't care about that right now. Once the primary is over, THEN the cards will be laid out. We already know that Salazar and Nelson of NE will fail that hand, they will back an independent Lieberman. Go after them if you must. They at least deserve it. But for now, spare Boxer, Obama and others who have only pledged their support for Lieberman in the primary. Calling them traitors for their primary support is not helpful to Lamont or the discussion within the party. It only legitimizes Joe's and Sean Hannity's talking points.