Democracy 1, Fear Mongering 0 (2nd half)

There was much buzz about the Connecticut US Senate primary which saw Democrat Ned Lamont upset incumbent Joe Lieberman. The Iraq aggression was the main issue in the race. Lieberman has backed it enthusiastically. Lamont opposes it strongly. Since most Democrats are anti-war (that's rank-and-file Dems, not necessarily elected ones), it's hardly shocking that they voted for an anti-war candidate (except to the extent that Senate incumbents almost never lose primaries).

But the right saw it as a blow to a man who was more sycophantic toward the president on the Iraq debacle than most Republicans. Since the loss, the president and vice-president have heaped praise on Democrat Lieberman, despite the presence of a Republican in the race.

Hysterical right wing commentators fell over themselves referring to the defeat as a purge. Even Vice-President Dick Cheney got into the act. Columnist Michael Reagan referred to the Democrats' hate-America Stalinist policies. 'Purge' is a phrase more appropriate in referrence to the North Korean or Zimbabwean dictatorships than to an electorate who freely voted for a candidate that best reflected their position on a critical issue.

Adopting the same tactic as used following anti-war left's victory in the 2004 Spanish legislative elections, Vice-President Cheney played the contemptable smear card by insinuating that a Lamont victory in the general election would give aid and comfort ot the terrorists. He frothed that the al Qaeda types … are betting on the proposition that ultimately they can break the will of the American people."

After the destruction of Southern Lebanon (with a democratically-elected government) and the international embargo against the Palestinian Territories (with another democratically-elected legislature, over a quarter of which has been kidnapped by Israel in recent months), this is yet another example of this administration's utter contempt for the democratic process. If Cheney and others are serving as a model for Iraqis on how to react when your guy loses a free election, then that country's future is bleak.

The vice-president and his allies fail to accept the fact that when your candidate loses a free election, it's democracy, not a Stalinist purge. If the vice-president wants Connecticuters as a whole to vote for Lieberman, then he should CONVINCE them that Joe is the best candidate, rather than blackmail them with stark warnings of against voting for 'the terrorist appeaser.' Persuasion is for democracies. Coercion is for autocracies. Cheney is vice-president, not vice-emperor.

The administration claims it wants the American people to be united against 'the terror threat.' But how can it be united when honest, fair-minded minded Americans who differ with the administration's policies are tarred as enemies of the state?

Connecticut voters should stand up to the shameless fear-mongering and vote for the best candidate.