Informed Speculation

There’s a reason that angst over Joe Lieberman has given way on the Nutroots® front to an ABC docudrama, perhaps – never a group that handles loss well (look at the pathological inability to let go of PlameGate for a quick example), the Nuts® are facing the prospect of losing their greatest victory to date, with Ned Lamont increasingly looking like yesterday’s news:

The latest poll data from the Connecticut race show Joe Lieberman with a whopping big 51 percent to 35 percent lead over opponent Ned Lamont. But, there’s a catch. The numbers come from an internal Lieberman campaign poll. Internal polls are not entirely spin (the pollsters who conduct them have a reputation to maintain, so they can’t just make up numbers), but they are selectively released by campaigns (you rarely see an internal poll released that shows the candidate losing).

Lamont, who is – let’s not mince words – a featherweight, not a lightweight, is increasingly looking disconnected from any issues of relevancy, having recently reduced himself to criticizing Lieberman for being publicly disappointed in Clinton’s adultery with a college-age intern, no doubt cornering the philanderer voter.

In other Senate news, George Allen is holding strong with a 10-point edge, and looks like he has weathered the recent “macaca” tempest (and hit pieces like Max Blumenthal’s recent slimejob in The Nation). When playing the racist card (an ugly card, to be sure), one might want to make sure one’s own hands are clean, as James Webb is finding out.

Webb’s staffers apparently think it’s quite comical that there might be some Republicans who aren’t, well, white. Here’s what Webb staffer Lowell Feld had to say about the prospect of a Republican Ethnic Rally:

Here are a few ethnicities it might include:

*White
*Caucasian
*Anglo
*Saxon
*Celtic
*French (including French Tunisian pieds noirs?)
*English
*German
*Irish
*Scots-Irish

Did I miss any? Ha.

See, that’s not racist, because it’s only aimed at Republicans. That makes it a-ok!

The Fairfax County GOP doesn’t share the amusement, as this open letter clearly shows:

Dear Mr. Webb:

As you may know, this Saturday, September 9th, the Fairfax County GOP is holding an Ethnic Rally at Edison High School in Alexandria . We are greatly looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate our diverse cultures at this family event.

Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that paid members of your campaign are openly mocking our rally and advocating its disruption on the Raising Kaine website, run by two of your staffers, Lowell Feld and Josh Chernila. One of the posts this morning on Raising Kaine reads, “I expect to see people there who belong to one ethnic group, all dressed in ethnic clothing, speaking the same ethnic language with the same ethnic hairdo.” To date, this offensive post has only received positive feedback on the website.

In addition, Lowell Feld of your campaign suggests on Raising Kaine that those in attendance at the event Saturday will be White, Caucasian, Anglo, Saxon, Celtic, French, English, German, Irish, Scots-Irish. We resent this statement and its implication that only Caucasians would attend a Republican rally. While all these groups will be present and welcome Saturday, our rally will also include Afghan Americans, African Americans, Bolivian Americans, Chinese Americans, Colombian Americans, Cuban Americans, Filipino Americans, Indian Americans, Iranian Americans, Korean Americans, Pakistani Americans, Peruvian Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Salvadoran Americans, Taiwanese Americans, Vietnamese Americans and more.

We are hardworking Americans, devoting part of our weekend to celebrate our diversity and shared principles and support our candidate for the U.S. Senate, George Allen. For paid members of your staff to denigrate our gathering and attempt to disrupt and demean our rally is wrong. We ask that you condemn the mean-spirited actions of your campaign staff and ensure that they do not continue this inappropriate behavior. This is no way to conduct a Senate campaign.

Sincerely,

Puneet Ahluwaliah

Indian American community
8230 Boone Blvd., 2nd Floor
Vienna, VA 22182

Harold Pyon
Korean American community

Dr. Rene Alvir
Filipino American community
8711 Pappas Way
Annandale, VA 22003

Raul Danny Vargas
Hispanic American community

Glass houses, etc., etc….