by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright December 21, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

etting that sinking feeling, otherwise genial Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) flashed his nasty side, lashing out at Democratic front-runner former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. Losing sight of the commander-in-chief, Lieberman trained both barrels on Dean hoping to bolster his flagging campaign. Instead of blasting his former running mate Al Gore, whose recent endorsement of Dean dashes any of Lieberman's lingering hopes, he chooses to blast his Party's likely nominee. Just recently, Lieberman pounced on Dean for daring to separate himself from Party “icon” former President Bill Clinton. Dean has said from the get-go he wants to resurrect idealism of the New Deal, not Clinton's “New Democrat” image. Promising the election would “represent the era of fairer government,” Dean took issue with Clinton's 1996 election slogan of ending “big government.”

      Like opposing the war in Iraq, Dean was on the right track disowning the man best remembered for bringing Monica Lewinsky into the Oval Office. While there's still nostalgia for the economic boom, there's lingering disgrace for Clinton's indiscretions in the White House. As long as the Clintons control the Democratic National Committee, Dean will have a difficult time convincing cross over Republicans and independents to vote Democratic. Lieberman doesn't quite recall that “Clinton fatigue,” together with his listless debate performance against Dick Cheney, helped sink the Gore-Lieberman ticket. Sure, shenanigans in Florida didn't help matters. But had Gore-Lieberman roused the base, they wouldn't have lost Gore's home state and wound up in a dead heat. Breaking out the vitriol, Lieberman doesn't hesitate calling the proverbial pot black, finding any excuse to unload on Dean.

      Heading into Iowa and New Hampshire, it's essential that Democrats don't lose sight of the mission of defeating “Dubya” in November. Attacking Dean won't buy Lieberman or Kerry more votes. Only Democratic solidarity can stem the rising tide of self-destructiveness that seems all too familiar in Democratic circles. “I don't want to replace one divisive leader with another divisive leader,” said Lieberman, blasting Dean for distancing himself from Clinton. In case Lieberman hasn't noticed, Gore endorsed Dean precisely because it improves Party solidarity, recognizing how Clinton's snafus affected other Democratic candidates. Lieberman remains stuck in a time warp, still believing that the path to success lies with the Democratic Leadership Conference, a nonprofit think tank responsible for reshaping the Democratic Party. That worked in 1992, but won't work today.

      Lieberman has tried to paint Dean as far too liberal to win a national election. Though blaming Dean for being “divisive,” it's Lieberman who's counterproductive, attacking the front-runner without any chance of winning or gaining ground. Lieberman should have already dropped out, throwing his support to the candidate of his choice. “We're trying to take back the party of F.D.R., Harry Truman,” and “Bill Clinton,” said Dean, throwing an olive branch to Clinton loyalists reluctant, at this point, to join the Dean bandwagon. Since Saddam's capture, both Lieberman and Kerry relentlessly attacked Dean for opposing the war, insisting that Dean lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. Lieberman knows Dean's position on the war stemmed not for his love of Saddam Hussein but Bush's failure to prove his case about weapons of mass destruction.

      Nothing is more divisive than playing politics purely for selfish reasons, namely, Lieberman's attempt to score points in a failed campaign. Lieberman can't have it both ways: Calling Dean “divisive” when he's simultaneously attacking his Party's likely nominee. “He's got nothing to lose. He's going nowhere in the polls,” said Hamilton College government professor Phil Klinkner, citing reasons for Lieberman's unbridled attacks. Yet both Lieberman and his Party stand to lose if he continues his attacks on the Democratic front-runner. Lieberman holds no license to drag down the Party simply because his campaign got stuck in neutral. “Ignore their spin,” said the Dean campaign, discounting charges that the former Vermont governor is at odds with Clinton. Clinton and the DNC must recognize that Dean best mirrors the frustrations of Democrats locked out of the White House over the past three years.

      Lieberman must have his wings clipped before he takes down the Party in the upcoming primaries. It's time for him to step aside and stop attacking Democrat's best hope for capturing the White House in 2004. No other candidate has inspired voters to reclaim the heart of the Democratic Party. No other candidate—other that Rev. Al Sharpton—has brought audiences to their feet cheering for a new beginning. Calling his plan a “new social contract for working families,” Dean takes his message to all voters seeking quality health care, affordable college tuition, available child care and better pension protection. “In no way were we trying to pick any sort of fight with Bill Clinton or the Clinton record,” said Dean's policy director Jeremy Ben-Ami, a former domestic policy advisor in the Clinton administration. Before Lieberman does more damage, he needs to show some restraint.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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