The
Hartford Courant wouldn't publish a positive, smiling picture of Ned Lamont
on its cover if God Himself commanded it.
By
Lori Price
www.legitgov.org
27
Dec 2007
WHEN
CONNECTICUT SENATOR Joe Lieberman (D, in August 2006) lost the Democratic
primary on 8 August 2006, the state's lead newspaper, The Hartford Courant,
couldn't bring itself to give Lieberman's victorious opponent, Greenwich
selectman Ned Lamont (D), "his day." Their headline actually
blared, "Ned Wins, Joe's In!."
The Hartford Courant is more insidious than Faux News on its worst day.
In a 26 December 2007 slate.com editorial, "Progressives, To Arms!," editorialist Paul Krugman comments on the hypocrisy of the Reichwing media. Krugman states,
Thus, in 1994, Time celebrated the Republican victory in the midterm elections by putting a herd of charging elephants on its cover. But its response to the Democratic victory of 2006--a victory in which House Democrats achieved a larger majority, both in seats and in the popular vote, than the Republicans ever did in their 12-year reign--was a pair of overlapping red and blue circles, with the headline 'The center is the place to be.'
Oh, and the guests on Meet the Press the Sunday after the Democratic sweep were, you guessed it, Joe Lieberman and John McCain.
Krugman's observation recalls an equally egregious Hartford Courant hypocrisy.
When Joe LieberBush lost the Democratic primary - despite the Hartford
Courant exerting every fiber of its being to ensure that Reichwinger Joe
would emerge victorious - their *actual headline* read: "Ned Wins,
Joe's In!"
Additionally, they displayed *equivalent sized* photos of BOTH candidates,
smiling. Prior to that day, the Courant wouldn't publish a positive, smiling
picture of Ned Lamont on its cover if God Himself commanded it.
It was as surprising as a snowstorm in globally-warmed Connecticut in
December.
The GOP owned & operated Hartford Courant toiled to ensure a LieberBush victory in the Democratic primary and then in the 2006 'election.'
Joe Lieberman allegedly violated Connecticut election laws with a huge cash infusion - $387,000 in 'petty cash' - spent days prior to the Democratic primary. In all likelihood, that's how Connecticut voters were able to get cute little Lieberman "basset hound" postcards on election day (insert eye-roll here), explaining to them where they could "find Joe" on the ballot (Lieberman, per Connecticut election law, was listed fifth.) These postcards were likely paid for by KKKarl Rove's cronies with the grand 'petty cash' infusion. It's interesting to note that the Hartford Courant didn't see fit to publish an article on the Lamont complaint to the Federal Election Commission as a cover or lead story.
In
the runup to the primary and election, the Hartford Courant reminded Connecticut
readers on a daily basis that Ned Lamont was 'the millionaire cable TV
businessman from Greenwich,' in order to alienate voters. The
Courant's obsession with wealthy politicians was another oddity, since
- in seven years - their editors never referred to 'the multimillionaire
Halliburton executive' occupying (and I do mean occupying,
since neither Cheney nor his boss was ever elected) the vice president's
mansion. Moreover,
the Hartford Courant never referred to the 'multimillionaire pharmaceutical
industry executive' when referring to former Defense Secretary, war criminal
Donald Rumsfeld. [See: Rumsfeld's
growing stake in Tamiflu --Defense Secretary, ex-chairman of flu treatment
rights holder, sees portfolio value growing. 31 Oct 2005 Rumsfeld served
as Gilead (Research)'s chairman from 1997 until he joined the Bush administration
in 2001, and he still holds a Gilead stake valued at between $5 million
and $25 million, according to federal financial disclosures filed by Rumsfeld.]
Oddly enough, the Hartford Courant endorsed Bush/Cheney - not Gore/Lieberman
- in 2000, but of course did a turnaround for the turncoat in 2006.
LieberBush assured Connecticut voters that he wanted to "elect a Democratic President in 2008," but LIEberman has changed course on that election promise, as well - throwing his support behind Republican Senator John McCain. Oh, and let's not forget his fundraisers for Maine's Republican Senator, Susan Collins.
As a Connecticut resident, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. But I do know that there's one news topic that will never see the light of day: The poll results of Connecticut voters on the job approval rating of Senator Joe Lieberman.
*****
Lieberman
Backs GOP's Collins In Maine --Connecticut Independent
GOPer Helps With Fundraising, Too 24 Dec 2007 As U.S. Sen. Susan Collins
(R-Maine) faces what many see as a tough re-election challenge from Democrat
Tom Allen, Sen. Joe Lieberman (R-Israel) is backing Collins and raising
money for her campaign... Some suggest that the endorsement could backfire
by generating more support for Allen from liberal Democrats who use the
Internet to organize and raise money, and who regard LieberBush as a pariah
because of his advocacy of the war in Iraq. [Source: courant.com]
Statement on Lieberman Endorsement of McCain 17 Dec 2007 2006 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Ned Lamont issued the following statement today on Sen. Lieberman’s endorsement of John McCain for President: During our debate last year, Senator Lieberman intoned that he wanted to "elect a Democratic President in 2008," and that my election would "frustrate and defeat our hope of doing that." With his endorsement of John McCain today, it is now clear that Joe Lieberman is the one working to defeat our hopes. [Source: nedlamont.com]
"The public has a right to know how nearly $400,000 in cash was spread around the streets of Connecticut." Lamont complains to FEC about Lieberman 'slush fund' 23 Oct 2006 Ned Lamont's campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, accusing Sen. Joe LieberBush of failing to account for $387,000 in petty cash his campaign spent days before the Democratic primary. [Source: yahoo.com]
Lieberman failed to account for $387,000 in petty cash disbursements 22 Oct 2006 Ned Lamont's campaign says Sen. Joe LieberBush has failed to account for $387,000 in petty cash disbursements his campaign made in the final days before the state's August Democratic primary. "Whenever this much cash is floating around it certainly raises suspicions of possible vote buying and other potentially illegal activities that the Lieberman Campaign must answer," said Liz Dupont-Diehl, a Lamont spokeswoman. [Source: norwalkadvocate.com]
LieberBush has collected millions of GOP dollars in campaign cash: Many GOP Donors Pitch In For Lieberman 21 Oct 2006 Among the post-primary contributors to Joe LieberBush ("D"-CT), running as an independent for a fourth term, was Joseph Allbaugh, one of the four members of Bush's tight inner circle during his 2000 presidential campaign, and two Republican Senate committee chairmen. Also giving was Melvin Sembler, former ambassador to Italy and longtime friend of the Bush family, former assistant Republican Senate Leader Don Nickles, and dozens of others from Texas, Missouri, Colorado and other states where Lieberman usually does not find contributors. The effort to get Bush loyalists into Lieberman's camp was triggered by White House political guru Karl Rove's Aug. 8 phone call to the senator, just before Lieberman learned he would lose to Ned Lamont in the Connecticut Democratic Senate primary. [Source: courant.com]
27
Dec 2007
Lori Price is the Editor of Citizens for Legitimate Government, www.legitgov.org.
*****
Email this page to a friend.
Permanent URL for this page: http://www.legitgov.org/essay_price_courant_hypocrisy_271207.html
CLG Index