The controversy over Moveon.org’s smear of General David Petraeus continues. Most of the country was startled by the crudeness of the recent New York Times ad that used a too-cute-by-half play on words (“betray us”) in place of the General’s name, Petraeus, to attack a serving U.S. commander in the field and by inference the troops that serve under him. But Connecticut voters weren’t that surprised because they know only too well the Moveon gang and their smear tactics.
It was Moveon that, according to its own boasts, funded the early attacks on Sen. Joseph Lieberman in the Democratic Primary last year. Moveon raised millions of dollars nationally for campaigns around the country and was the driving force behind the funding of the Lamont candidacy, leading the way in the smearing of Joe Lieberman.
Moveon also focused other groups in Connecticut to attack the Senator. Lamont’s campaign was funded by his own wallet and these outside groups with the George Soros-funded Moveon leading the charge. So far, though distasteful, this is all within the bounds of our political systemóuntil one looks at the type of campaign Moveon funded.
Last year, Connecticut voters were submerged in a continuous stream of venom from Moveon and its fellow travelers HuffingtonPost and the Daily Kos. From Huffington’s “Jew Lieberman” to the personal attacks posted on Kos every day, the only civility in the campaign came from the Senator himself and his erstwhile Republican challenger Alan Schlessinger. Ned Lamont’s silent acceptance of the gutter campaign around him abetted it and sent the message that he tacitly approved. Notwithstanding their funding and tactics, they lost here in Connecticut.
Moveon and friends though, did have an important effect on the elections elsewhere and that has carried their influence forward to today’s presidential race. Their strident, over-the-top rhetoric has given them undue influence in the Democratic Party, enough so that even in the face of that revolting ad smearing General Petraeus last week, no Democratic presidential hopeful would stand up and say so. Democrats are loath to be critical of Moveon for fear of becoming their next target as Sen. Lieberman was last year. But even with all that success and newfound influence, Connecticut still bothers them.
Now, a Huffington Post poll says that our Senator’s name would be Lamont not Lieberman if the election were held today. Maybe, though we doubt it. Note to Moveon: Our constitution calls for senatorial elections every six years and it is the Constitution that informs our democracy not Moveon’s opinion or the polls of the moment.
What drives Moveon nuts is that Sen. Lieberman’s term runs until 2012. It also kills them that the Senator they insulted, smeared, besmirched and held in contempt, has arguably the most important vote in the U.S. Senate. Not beholden to a political party and recipient of a majority of Connecticut’s Republican, Independent and Democratic votes, Sen. Lieberman has a unique and powerful voice in the Senate.
Unlike the political parties, Moveon is not about governance, but only about the transfer of power. Sooner or later though, their incredibly negative behavior will bring out the best in voters elsewhere as it did in Connecticut last year.
–nrg

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