A young man approached Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, outside Wrigley Field in 1919 after he and others were accused of “throwing” the 1919 World Series against Cinncinatti. In disbelief that his hero could do such a thing he asked Shoeless the now famous question “Say it Ain’t So, Joe”. Of course, this is now what is being asked more frequently of Joe Lieberman – one the greatest and most respected Democratic Senators of our time.
The party that has supported his political career and re-elected him for many decades has now chosen to support another candidate for the U.S. Senate from Connecticutt. The people have spoken. The right thing for Joe Lieberman to do is accept his partys’ decision and graciously step aside. And the main reason is for the young “kids” who may well be asking him to “say it ain’t so” – that he isn’t really going to be a spoil sport and put himself up against the party that put him where he is today – the same party that very nearly put him into the White House.
If you ever attend any political speechifying gathering you will always hear the politicians address the young people in the audience. They always seek the active participation of young people – who perhaps have the most at stake in any election. Young people’s involvement and committment to our democratic process is vital to the future of our still experimental democracy and most politicians know it. Joe Lieberman knows it even better that most politicians – it was his gallant runs for state office in Connecticutt that help inspire a once young kid named Bill Clinton, who went on to become President of the United States.
That’s what hurts the most, Joe. Its bad enough that you have turned into a Gollum, that mangled and tortured soul in the Lord of The Rings who once tasted the power of the Ring and sacrificed his soul and spirit and dignity in a crazed pursuit of lost power. Its bad enough that you are actually turning your back on the people and the party that made you. Its bad enough that you now put your own now bloated ego ahead of your democratic friends and party members – and ask us to suffer in your delusion that you are “essential” to the Nation or Senate or that only you can properly serve the people of Connecticutt in the U.S. Senate.
No – all of that is bad enough but what is worst of all is what your doing to the young people of our party. Joe, your telling young people that selfish ego comes before party and policy. Your telling young people to follow the rules of society and the conventions of everyday morality – but if you don’t get what you want then just quit and grab for yourself. Your telling young people that politics isn’t about working with others for the Common Good – its really about personal ego and personal power – get it on Wall Street, get it in the Movies, get it in Politics – just get all you can.
Joe, your playing with our kids, your playing with our future and their future, its not too late – I’m not saying ” tell me it ain’t so…” -I’m too old for that – I’m saying ” Don’t do it, Joe, just don’t do it “.
Maybe he thinks that he’s right, and would therefore better serve the state and country. Maybe he thinks being right, and acting in the best interests of the country are not necessarily the same as doing the best thing for a political party, or following orders issued by the Daily Kos. Maybe he views the impulse to put party first to be a problem vexing American politics.
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And, based on recent polls, which were reported in todays Glob, those poor kids with the big, sad eyes are planning to pull the “I” lever in November.
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The guy obviously thinks he is a good Senator, and appeals to all but those motivated to vote in a summertime election. This is neither selfish nor dishonest. It is his right.
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If this makes the hitherto-inspired kids cry, then they can vote for whom they choose.
I thought the choice was Dem or CFL? I guess the one nice thing about this contest is that the Republican is a total joke.
Thanks for the Connecticut for Liebrman correction. Does that make him a third party candidate?
I saw an amusing post on Daily Kos a little while ago on a thread where people were discussing the vanity of Joe creating a party just for himself…the post said since it is the “Lieberman party” that Joe’s party affiliation should be denoted CT-Lie (instead of CT-Dem).