I (heart) John Aravosis. Although he has a tendency to go off on a tangent here and there (and who doesn't?), for the most part he is right on the money. This is one of those times.
If Lamont wins the primary, and Lieberman runs as an independent, it's going to tear the Democratic party and the grassroots apart. The blogs will, understandably, spend full time helping Lamont, bashing Lieberman, and flailing the party for not doing enough to help Lamont (or worse, for helping Lieberman). The last thing we need is a major war erupting among Democrats leading into the November elections. I'd like to spend my time, I'd like to see all the progressive blogs devoting their time, to helping defeat Republicans, rather than worrying about some guy who lost his primary and now can't take his toys and go home like a good loser. But that isn't going to happen unless the Democratic party, unless Democratic leaders in the Senate, step up to the plate here.
The party needs to tell Joe Lieberman, under no uncertain terms, that if he loses his primary he needs to bow out of the race. Otherwise, there will be open war between the blogs, the netroots and the Democratic party for the next four months. Rather than channeling those resources into defeating Republicans, we will be channeling those resources into fighting amongst ourselves. But the Democratic party can avoid this scenario, if it chooses. The Dems need to make it clear to Lieberman that if he loses the primary, he's out of here.
I'm not saying that I want to see open warfare in the party, I'm saying I see open warfare coming with 100% certainty. It's up to the party to head it off at the pass.
I have been very discouraged and disheartened over all the attention paid to this race- and it is starting to spill over onto other politicians and distract from other important races.
When you have "progressive" people dissin' Barbara Boxer, you know you have a problem. I hope for the sake of the party Joe can put his ego aside if he does lose- it could cost us a lot more than one Senate seat if we turn our guns on each other.
It's all going to blow up over Hillary anyway. Let's wait until 2007 to have this fight; we need to stop the Republicans now.