Political Director of the Committee for a Unified Party (CUIP) Jackie Salit, hit Joe Lieberman and his fake independent status on the blogs on Friday:
Possible Problem in Lieberman Application?
Connecticut Local Politics
This letter was sent to SOTS Susan Bysiewicz by an organization representing independent voters and candidates. It could be a problem for Lieberman, althought I doubt it.
"Dear Ms. Bysiewicz, I am writing in my capacity as Political Director of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, Inc. We are a national organization which advocates for and represents the interests of independent voters, including many in Connecticut who are concerned about the independent candidate status your office is about to confer on Senator Joseph Lieberman....."
Friday, September 08, 2006
Lamont Blog
Independents to Joe: You're Not One Of Us
Jacqueline Salit, Director of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party whose Independence Party (NY) supported Mayor Bloomberg in 2005, today called on the Sec. of State to withold certification of Sen. Lieberman's ballot application on technical grounds, and criticized Sen. Lieberman's continuing self-identification as an Independent:
"There is mounting concern among independent voters in Connecticut that Mr. Lieberman's so called 'independent candidacy' is a fraud on the voting public," states Salit. "He is not an independent, but is rather a Democrat who availed himself of an escape hatch in state Election Law allowing to reinvent himself as an 'independent-in-name-only' candidate after he lost his own party's primary."...
Friday, September 08, 2006
Connecticut Blog
Joe Lieberman: from DINO to IINO?
Oh oh, I feel a Drudge light moment...Man, Joe can't find any love. I guess he better stick to campaigning in Waterbury.
It seems like the de facto Republican who claims to now be an independent just pissed off the Committee for a Unified Independent Party (CUIP) and who are pissed off and want him to stop using the term "Independent."Personally, I rahter use the word Ignore when I see the letter "I" next to his name.From the CUIP press release:
"An organization representing independent voters today registered an objection to the certification of Joseph Lieberman as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate. In a letter to the Secretary of State, Jacqueline Salit, the Political Director of CUIP, asserted that Senator Lieberman's application was deficient on its face and failed to comply with election law standards required this year of other groups. ..."
3 comments:
Seems incredibly hpyocritical for her to attack "who" is and independent and who is not. (I rean into some CUIP supporters last year who had their own little lithmus stest for who was an independent).
In 2004 her group (CUIP) had to deal with the Democrats pulling out every excuse in the book to try and keep nader off the ballot.
For her to attempt to deny some a place on the ballot is disgusting. (Especially when her Party/affiliates/etc have had to struggle and are still struggling to get ont he ballot in MANY places).
This entire later smacks of what CUIP critcizes about ballot access, but when they don't like the candidates agenda CUIP is just like the rest.
(Same ananymous (note the bad spelling :-))
Another thought is that by making people not just click "Straigh Democrat" Liberman may will get people out of their mindset of always voting Democratic (or republican).
I was wondering has Salit come out again Carole Strayhorn in Texas.
1. According to the Democrats (and many Republican), she is still a Republican.
2. According to the Republicans (and many Democrats), she is just running as an Independent b/c she can't win in the primary.
Both of the above are the exact same reasons which Salit is using to disqualify Liberman. (Note: This is why she is SAYING he is not an Independent, this is different from the complaint she is filling).
Anonymous - thanks for your comments on the letter from CUIP's Jacqueline Salit. As an activist, here's my take on the issues you raise about a CUIP "litmus test" for independents:
The "litmus test" is not an abstraction. If a candidate wants the support of affiliated or un-affiliated independents, they have to reach out to us. This was the basis of our support for Ralph Nader in 2004. This was the basis of support for Mayor Bloomberg in New York by the New York City Independence Party in 2001 and 2005. And this is the basis of the support of Carole Strayhorn's campaign in Texas by Independent Texans.
Those candidates WANTED the support of independents and asked us for that support.
There is a base of independent voters in the country who, although not as organized as we need to be, are the real people who make decisions about how to vote in any given election.
Had Joe Lieberman reached out to independents in his state of Connecticut and enlisted their support, those independents would have decided whether he was a good candidate for independents to support. That is not at all what happened. For Joe Lieberman or anyone else to attempt to go over the heads of the voters is just plain "bad politics"! Joe thought he could opportunize off of the increasingly important status of independent voters and jump on the bandwagon for his own benefit. Independents all over Connecticut and all over the country are crying "Foul!"
Seems to me, the voters have spoken. Joe needs to listen up.
As for ballot access, believe me independents have to work overtime to gain access to the ballot. It doesn't come easily. Joe's not exampt. If Joe is so concerned about ballot access for independents, he should jump on the bandwagon to make those laws more fair. Then he might get some support. Don't hold your breath!
-NH
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