Saturday, August 19, 2006

Being Dan Gerstein




It would be fun to have a little door that you could crawl into and edit Dan Gerstein to make him less of a (Connecticut for Lieberman) partisan hack.

Here is what I would do with it (from the Greenwhich Time article on the DTC asking President Clinton to pressure Joe Lieberman to drop his Connecticut for Lieberman run):

"He's doing it a for a reason and believes it's an important reason," Gerstein said, touting Lieberman as an experienced lawmaker who is willing to put aside politics to get things accomplished in do absolutely anything, including playing politics with national security, to return to Washington, D.C.


And this:

"Primary night was the first time that many Connecticut voters saw Lamont on TV, and he's surrounding himself with two of the more divisive and problematic figures in the Democratic Party,We tried and failed to get the Rev. Al Sharpton's endorsement, so we will now attack him publicly. At least we don't have to turn around on Farrakahn! Yet." said Dan Gerstein, a veteran Lieberman aide who was appointed communications director for the campaign last week.


And this:

But then Gerstein posed "a question" for Lamont.

How could he expect to convince "moderate Democrats, Republicans, and most importantly, unaffiliated voters" that he "would be anything other than a rigid partisan rubber stamp in the Senate," the Lieberman spokesman asked, "when the only proof of his independence he can show is that he is slightly to the right of socialist Bernie Sanders on fiscal policy?" Maybe he could use our primary campaign talking points? You remember, the ones that said that he voted with Republicans 80% of the time? Forget all that by the way... The Republican is now a Pinko - My guy is the one that can work with Republicans!
...
Gerstein said today that he never intended to red-bait Lamont,but subtly, saying, "We never raised anything like what the Republican American did."

"I was just being light," he said, adding that Sanders is "not a communist, but a socialist. See? They are nothing like each other. Its like comparing apples and apples with a slightly different taste! I have complete deniability (its just a coincidence that the editorial and my email came out on the same day). [Drops to one knee in a Mary Katherine Gallagher pose, complete with jazz hands] HACKTACULAR!!!"


Dan Gerstein may not have any credibility now, but if we had that door, we could make him credible!

UPDATE: From Newsday:

Dan Gerstein, Lieberman's campaign manager, fresh from calling Ned Lamont a communist, accused Lamont of distorting the senator's statements.


From The Amherst Times (western NY):

“Part of the problem here is that everyone outside of Connecticut wants to glom onto this race, wants to put their own spin on it and wants to use it for their own advantages,” said Dan Gerstein, a Lieberman adviser. “We are not interested in being anyone’s political football. Except for the national Republicans. We need them to win and we need them badly!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's amusing to see you guys wasting time complaining about Joe running as an indy...like watching the Red Sox bullpen!!!

Anonymous said...

Gabe--

Thanks. I'm sure the Republicans will whine, but certainly it's clear that nowadays Joe Lieberman is ethically challenged. I guess that's what happens when you surround yourself with ready liars, --like Sean Smith, Marion Steinfels, and now Dan Gerstein.

Unfortunately for Joe, CT voters are smart enough to see through the bullshit. (and our local press hasn't bought into the charades.)

Joe's downfall won't just be0 the Iraq war, it will also be his decision to take the low road.

Anonymous said...

CTKnows--

There is nothing scummy about Swan, and you and I both know it.

For over a decade Tom has run the CCAG, (Connecticut Citizens Action Group). If running a grassroots political action organization is doing something wrong in your eyes, well it shows who is scum.

Please tell me you aren't from Waterbury and related to Giordano!

Anonymous said...

Strikethrough and jazz hands in one post! A man after my own heart. :-)

Gabe said...

Thanks, Maura - I threw the jazz hands in just for you!

Anonymous said...

Gerstein is in it for the money

Anonymous said...

Wow, I typed in Connecticut Local Politics and got myleftnutmeg.

I'm not crazy about the Lieberman indy run either, but I expect better from this website.

Anonymous said...

In the end, it won't be Lieberman's political positions that doom him with Connecticut's independent voters, but rather the fact that he's barely set foot in the State since 2000.

Unknown said...

Lieberman's become a tired shell of the man he used to be. It's almost sad. What happened? When did he decide that the only way to save the Democratic party was to run a campaign based on Republican money and filthy lies. This is not the man I knew in 2000.

Anonymous said...

as campaigns lose support they gain rancor. Seems Joementum is all smiles right now

Anonymous said...

the red sox fans are angry , too

Anonymous said...

i find it amusing that people who have been screaming for some time for joe to get out of the Democratic Party are mad he is running as an indy. these are the same folks who, before ned got in the race, were trying to draft wiecker to run as an indy as ned's treasurer is one of the main backers of the draft weicker website which started before ned declared. also, the these same folks were openly speaking about diane urban being the back up plan on the ballot if ned lost. listen, everyone knew that joe running as an indy could be a possibilty if this primary happened and joe didnt win. the democratic system allows it, just like it allows people to primary. lets start to be real, on both sides.

Anonymous said...

Ned will get visbility all right, as the free spending clueless WASP hobbyist that he truly is .

"If Biff owns a Gulftream, and Skip owns a Monet, well, I'll buy a senate seat"

Thecitizen said...

Fat Guy you don't understand people who are Democrats like myself voted for Lamont Lier lost decided not to honor the outcome.

We are not only angry is running as an Independent we are angry he is not honoring the Democratic Party and stepping down from this Senate race .

Thats what the angry is about so get in straight.

Thecitizen said...

Anonymous said...
Ned will get visbility all right, as the free spending clueless WASP hobbyist that he truly is .

I love that fact that these Republican idiots post this garbage the trolls for Lierman .

Anonymous the pro Lierman poster
why don't you look at lier the loser and his party of one.

Lamont is a real Democrat who cares about people regardingless of income and he won't spend 18 years in the Beltway and only come home when is Senate Seat is might be lost.
Now Lierman will say anything to try and win in November.Lierman is nothing but and old over the hill Washington insider who lost touch with the Democratic voters in this state.

I have seen no Lierman campaign signs for his party of one on peoples laws bumper stickers pins etc.

The Party of One is going to lose in November so all the Conservative Repukes and Conservative Dems who vote for him will lose big time.

I cannot wait to see Liermans expression when he loses a second time Novemember 7th.

Anonymous said...

well, spelling the senator's name right might lead me to believe Lamont actually did some volunteer teaching in Bridgeport instead of finding some rent-a-kids for a TV ad.

I still don;t know what "real Democrat" would give Chris Shays 5 bills, maybe "a real opportunist", perhaps

Anonymous said...

Action:

Open Secrets.org

LAMONT, EDWARD
GREENWICH,CT 06831
CONSULTANT
4/21/1998
$500
Shays, Christopher

Reaction:

2000 On the votes that the Service Employees International Union considered to be the most important in 2000, Representative Shays voted their preferred position 14 percent of the time

2000 Representative Shays supported the interests of the American Federation of Government Employees 18 percent in 2000.

2000 Representative Shays supported the interests of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees 14 percent in 2000.

2000 On the votes that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker considered to be the most important in 2000, Representative Shays voted their preferred position 0 percent of the time.

That Neddie, looking out for organized labor with his wallet!!!

Anonymous said...

So what? He also gave $500 to Lieberman in that cycle.

LAMONT, EDWARD
GREENWICH,CT 06831
LAMONT TV
8/13/1999
$500
Lieberman, Joe

Authentic Connecticut Republican said...

How does this work?

There is nothing scummy about Swan, and you and I both know it.

Followed by:

For over a decade Tom has run the CCAG, (Connecticut Citizens Action Group).

Which is the slimiest bunch this side of Kim Harrison.


So which is it?