Haaretz says Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Prime Minster Ehud Olmert are at odds on expanding ground operations in Lebanon, with the former advocating a greater expansion. Peretz is head of the Labor Party and thus the head of the junior partner in Olmert’s coalition government.
The Pentagon announced eight months ago it was reviewing all defense contracts awarded to bribers of convicted ex-Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA). Yet today, little appears to have changed. That and other news of the day in today’s Daily Muck.
It now seems almost like a given that Joe Lieberman will lose his struggle for the Democratic nomination next Tuesday. But his fall is so precipitous and the possible margin of his defeat so large, that it now seems increasingly questionable whether he’ll even appear on the ballot in November, let alone win reelection to his seat. Yes, could have walked away with it as an independent had a hypothetical race been held a month ago. He may even lead in one today. But as Mark Schmitt’s been saying for a while the negative momentum created by a clear defeat in the primary will have a catalyzing effect. I really doubt that more than a smattering of Dems will rally to his independent bid. Suddenly he’ll be branded as a loser. And the pressure to get out will be fierce. If Joe goes down, I think the day he sealed his fate was when he decided to hedge his bets and not abide by the results of the Democratic primary.
Why did Jack Abramoff call Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) a “hero” for the Northern Mariana Islands and its sweatshop owners?
Jane’s Defense Weekly says that Iran has agreed to supply Hizbullah with advanced surface-to-air missiles to bolster its defenses against the Israeli Air Force. Is it true? Hard to say. Jane’s cites ‘unnamed Western diplomatic sources’. And at times like these we’ve got to have our antennae tuned for disinformation of all sorts. But if it is true it certainly won’t end well. And it is yet another moment when you wish there was something such as a United States government interested or even remotely capable of grabbing hold of this situation and pulling it back from the brink.
Today the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee officially released their report detailing the Bush Administration’s law-breaking tendencies.
Justin Rood talks with Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and asks about the “I” word.
So who’s Richard Goodstein? He’s the mystery heckler pictured on the front page of a local Connecticut paper today, which reported that Goodstein was among a number of Lieberman backers who badgered Ned Lamont during his visit to a local diner. Goodstein shouted at the candidate, “Are you a Bill Clinton Democrat, or an Al Sharpton Democrat”?
Now Election Central has reached Goodstein on his cellphone, and confirmed that he’s the same Richard Goodstein who is a registered lobbyist in D.C. Goodstein is, as the conversation showed, a very ardent Lieberman supporter.
Late Update: Heckler Goodstein has a dirty tricks past.
Time is running out for the GOP, says Charlie Cook. Unless something big happens to change the dynamic, it’s Speaker Pelosi in 2007.
We seem to be deep into the phase of the Lieberman-Lamont race in which both sides are angling to game expectations for Tuesday, with the Lamont folks trying to tamp down the expectations created by recent polls and the Lieberman camp, I assume, hoping that a spread of only a few points can be spun as some sort of comeback, though that’ll take some doing.
With that in mind, let’s consult some polls.
You probably know about the latest Quinnipiac poll out yesterday which had Lamont up 54% to 41%. But there’s a new poll out this evening which shows a very similar picture. A Research 2000 poll commissioned by the New London Day has it 53% Lamont to 43% for Lieberman. A bit tighter. But basically the same picture.
And remember, that comes after a two week old Rasmussen poll which had it 51% to 41% for Lamont.
I’m not privy to whatever internal polling the two campaigns might be doing. But these public polls show a remarkably consistent picture. Lamont barely, but consistently over 50% and Lieberman barely able to make it over 40%. Add to that the fact that undecideds tend to break strongly for the challenger and you’ve got a very sobering picture shaping up for Lieberman.
Daniel Levy: Getting Israel out of under the thumb of the neocons schemers.