It sounds like Ned is a good closer.  I hope more CT'ers take the throw the bums out mentality.  I just wonder how Joe's ballot placement will hurt him.  I hope every single factor dooms Joe.  Joe must go!!!  Let the DLC frauds go hang out with the Repubs

Yeah women's groups gave Clinton's behavior a pass they would not have given conservative politicians. (Pesonally, the Monica incident didn't bother me, but let's face it, some of the feminist orgainzations were two faced by ignoring it). This is not the first time these groups have shown lack of principle.

I have seen enough double talk from democrats over the years that has led me to disillusionment. However, I am reenergised despite a potential CT disaster about the new democrats. This is why I am so active on liberal blogs. I hope to be less negative about the party as the months go along and we replace the old guard. For that, we must show power and the will to walk away instead of catering to their "where else can you go" attitude.

If you live in CT, please make sure everyone you know leaning towards Lamont shows up at the polls. Even if you think Lamont can not win, we can still make Lieberman look bad by closing the gap. So every vote does count regardless of the outcome.

I think Lamont can eke this one out.  

I'm hoping Schlessinger gets 15 or more and pulls those from LIEberdouchebag.

All of the Washington insiders that have been more interested in being insiders than in taking the county back need to know that they will be paying a price. Reid, Pelosi, Schumer, Emanuel, the Clintons - they all could have worked for the Democrat. Instead they enabled Lieberman, Bush's enabler.

We will remember.

http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/feedback .html

Let them feel your wrath!

National and local NARAL can  be at odds. Weirdly, I got emails from NARAL and Planned Parenthood (National) suggesting I sent a thank you note to Senator Maria Cantwell for her vote against Alito. Trouble was, the vote was one day too late. She didn't join the senators willing to fillibuster the day before.  So I called NARAL and others who wanted to celebrate our side's courage and gave them an earful. Also called Cantwell's office and told the staff I would never volunteer for Cantwell again. Well, whadda ya gonna do? I'm making phone calls for Maria. Still, she broke my heart.

on our side that endorses a Republican anywhere must be defunded.  

NARAL
Sierra Club
NOW

There is a myriad of mindless single issue groups that lack big picture political understanding.  NARAL is more criminal than most, but the day of the single issue are over.  

As an observant orthodox Jew, isn't Joe anti-abortion? As anti-abortion as any Redneck Minister?

I've marked NARAL's e-mails as SPAM in Thunderbird.

Hi Matt, I'd rather the taste of Lamont's Kool-aid over Joe's sour grapes any day!  It was great meeting and talking to you today at the Danbury final rally for Ned!  I've been volunteering for Ned since April getting the petition signatures required just so he could get on the primary ballot.  That was when I had to tell people, "It doesn't matter that you never heard of this guy, just sign the damn petition so others can have a choice!" And guess what, he got 33% of the delegates when he only needed 15% to get on the ballot.  Then he won the primary by a record breaking turnout -- so each time he beat the odds and now I know he'll do it again for the General Election!  BTW, I discontinued my membership with NARAL the day they endorsed Joe and I told them I would never give a dime to them until they endorsed the REAL candidate who support women's reproductive feedoms - Ned Lamont!  Joe who thinks it okay for a hospital to turn away a rape victim needing access to emergency contraception because protecting his hospital funding lobbyist was more important!  His answer is to have the rape victim ride around in a cap until she finds a hospital that can help her!  I guess that's okay with NARAL!  I agree with the lack of support that Lamont has received from the Democratic leadership.  It just proves that Ned is putting his money on the best source for democracy:  "the people"

I'd be interested in knowing more about what influence the national groups (HRC, NARAL, Sierra, etc.) really had in CT.  My impression, partly from a CT friend, is that the dynamics in CT were shaped by a combination of the utter collapse of Schlesinger and a desire among Dems to "send Joe a message" but they came home to him based on personality and familiarty.  Did the national groups sort of "give permission" to Dems to support Lieberman?  Did they really provide Lieberman with effective organizational support?  Did the media play it up?

There is a lot of talk in progressive circles about primary challanges.  I wonder if it might be more effective to challange one of these national groups -- to build a group to tackle abortion rights or gay issues but from the ground up, not via the NARAL or HRC (just 2 examples) structure.  It would sure raise some eyebrows in DC!

AARGH!  I would love to understand the logic of endorsing someone, whose public statements are antithetical to your mission.  A lot of good that endorsement will do them when Lamont (knock on wood) wins!

I would have less of a problem with NARAL if they didn't feel themselves limited to a single candidate in a particular race. As others have mentioned, all three major candidates in the CT Senate race support freedom of choice, so why does NARAL feel that it must limit its endorsement, and its support, to only the one candidate? The organization would be much more credible, IMO, if it wasn't so parochial in its thinking.

NARAL's latest is nothing new to us next door in RI.  They've been on Chafee's bandwagon all along, and never even considered that Whitehouse is the superior choice in terms of his commitment to women's rights and the party to which he belongs.

Whatever the outcome tomorrow, congratulations are due to Ned and the legion of volunteers who have worked on his behalf. His has been a model campaign that has overcome an enormous tidal wave of enmity from the principals of both parties, inertia and laziness in the press, and cash-driven sleaze tactics.  He's done a huge service to the party and the nation as a whole in making it plain that screaming bloody murder about Bush's Vanity War is neither unpatriotic nor political suicide.

I only hope we see more of him, in some capacity, in the years to come.

I've stated many times that, if these organizations expect to be of any use, they have to be WILLING to be nonpartisan.  That is, if all they do is endorse the Democrat, then what are they accomplishing?  Does it then come down to either endorsing or witholding endorsement?  And if so, how is that different in practice?

That said, most of these endorsements are absurd.  Supporting someone who will contribute to an agenda which is in opposition to the work of a given group is like a group saying they don't like any vegetables, but if there are any peas around, that wouldn't be so bad.

Wow.  Matt, for once I agree with you.  NARAL's national board members strong armed Kate Michelman out of the organization and its been downhill ever since.  Not to mention some of the lifer staffers that work there care more about their 401k than being an aggressive and respected political organization protecting women's reproductive rights.  

Here's what should happen to NARAL: squish.

And on another note, I want to take a minute to praise Planned Parenthood, who puts their money where their mouth is as one of the best educators and providers in the world.  While I may not agree with all of their political descisions, unlike NARAL they do not exist for the sole purpose of politics.  

Happy Election Day.

Jesus Loves You.