Whether or not this is what we intended (and I know, for my part, it kind of was), the Connecticut Senate primary has now turned into an all-out war between the establishment and the progressive movement. Within the Democratic Party, the stakes could hardly be higher, as this campaign has become a symbol of what the progressive movement can (or can't) accomplish. This is why the establishment has now thrown everything it has behind the Lieberman campaign, whether it is the political establishment (almost every major Democrat both in and out of office has endorsed Lamont, plus every major progressive advocacy organization), the media establishment (the Lamont endorsement from the New York Times was a breakthrough, but the national punditry has lined up behind Lieberman, even in the pages of the New York Times) or
the corporate establishment. Now, in the closing days of the campaign,
Joe Lieberman's establishment backers are in a frenzy:
Every day a fax machine in a Senate office spits out lists of the latest big donors to the Democratic primary campaigns of Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont.
The Lieberman list is long, running to several handwritten pages containing a roster of familiar names: members of Congress, Fortune 500 executives and well-connected Washington big shots, all ponying up at least $1,000 to back the incumbent.
Lamont's is usually a page with a handful of names, often people who wouldn't be recognized outside their own towns.
The contrast between the two opponents in the Aug. 8 Senate primary is starkly obvious in their donor lists - as well as the amounts they're raising.
Lamont relies largely on his own funds and on small givers, people whose checks are nowhere near large enough to put them on the big-donor lists required of the candidates in the closing days of the campaign. Lieberman is relying on old friends and their friends to push him over the finish line.
In the latest full campaign finance report, covering activity through July 19, Lieberman reported $3.49 million on hand, while Lamont had $355,053.
Since then, Lieberman has rolled up about $434,000 in contributions of $1,000 or more, while Lamont has collected $29,500, though he gave his campaign $500,000 of his own money July 21.
In all, Lieberman has raised about $9.2 million, while Lamont has taken in $4.6 million, including $3 million of his own money.
And Lieberman's edge could grow even larger: Because Lamont has given himself so much money, Lieberman's office says he can take advantage of the "millionaire's amendment" designed to create parity between wealthy candidates who help fund their own campaigns and candidates who cannot or will not.
Currently, individuals are limited to donating $2,100 each, but under a complex formula, the senator can bump that to $6,300 immediately. Lieberman's office has concluded the campaign qualifies for the change, and campaign manager Sean Smith said the senator is "asking for as much as people are allowed to give."
Lieberman's campaign is now raising over $100K every day from the same people who funded Democratic campaigns from the late-1980's all the way until the netroots small donor revolution: "members of Congress, Fortune 500 executives and well-connected Washington big shots." These are the same people ineffective people who kept losing and losing to Republicans and thus from whom the progressive movement was thus started to take over the party. And now they are raising up to $6,300 from each of those people. After the primary, they can raise that much again.
This campaign has changed drastically since Liz and I visited in early May. Back then, we were the only press in town covering the race. Now, the national media has sent a wave of reporters, as the entire establishment lines up to stop Ned Lamont from becoming the next Democratic nominee for US Senate from the state of Connecticut. Think about that for a second. At least right now, they are not trying to stop Ned Lamont from becoming the next Senator from Connecticut--they want to stop him from becoming the Democratic nominee. This is nothing less than a massive, nationwide movement on the part of the political, media and corporate establishment to keep the progressive movement from taking an ownership position over the Democratic Party, and leaving the media, political and corporate establishment in charge. On a daily basis, Lieberman's campaign is starting to line up the same number of big donors that grassroots campaigns typically line up in small donors. They are busting $100K bats every day. This is a national, establishment campaign that wants to do everything it can to prevent the progressive movement from having a full seat at the national political table.
We could not be more outgunned in this race. The only thing we have on our side is the progressive movement, Ned Lamont's millions, and the Democratic voters of Connecticut. Every other resource in the Democratic, media, advocacy group, and business infrastructure of this country is faced off against us. And the funny thing this, despite this seemingly imbalance, the establishment is actually scared, and the movement is actually gaining. How long have we suffered through the establishment claiming that the progressive movement is irrelevant, ineffective, and crazy, but now with every tool in their box in use, they are still the ones scared of us, and they are the ones who have seen a 46-point lead in late April turn into a four-point deficit in mid-July. They lost fifty points to us in less than three months, despite using every weapon in their arsenal. If they can't even beat us, no wonder they lose to Republicans on a regular basis.
Now, whether Ned Lamont wins or loses this election, in the days immediately following August 8th, there will be a flood of negative press about the netroots and the progressive movement. If Lamont wins, we will be crucified for sending the Democratic Party to its doom, and defeating one of the greatest Democratic politicians in history: Joe Lieberman. If Ned Lamont loses, we will once again be called ineffective, irrelevant, and crazy by the establishment, even though we clearly scared the crap out the establishment and even though this campaign was supposed to be a blowout win for Lieberman. Before any of that happens, the important thing to remember now is just how ineffective we have shown the Democratic and media establishment to be, and how Ned Lamont's quick rise has shown that a huge percentage of the Democratic electorate is on the side of the movement and not the establishment. There is no such thing as a consolation prize or a moral victory in a campaign of this importance, but I hope that remembering those two things will continue to spur the progressive movement into action no matter what happens on August 8th. We both exist and are successful because the Democratic and progressive establishment is not successful anymore, and we will continue to thrive because a huge percentage of Democrats are on our side. At some point they will have to cope with our existence, even if right now all they are doing is throwing everything they have Joe Lieberman's way. At the lvery least, I hope the way they are acting now will teach them how exciting it is to be a part of a movement.
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