12/10/08 Greenwich Democrats Prevented From Punishing Joe For Actively Campaign For John McCain And Sarah Palin

Trader Joe Lieberman

Lieberman facing little trouble in state

Connecticut Post

By Brian Lockhart/Staff writer

All is not forgiven.

But it is likely that, when state Democrats meet next Wednesday to debate punishing U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman for backing the Republican presidential ticket, they may go easy on him.

Democrats will consider a watered-down version of the resolution proposed in September, particularly the line asking Lieberman, a self-described "independent Democrat," to leave the party.

Only a strongly worded criticism of his backing Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., over now President-elect Barack Obama would remain.

"I do think there¹s going to be a modification," party Chairman Nancy DiNardo said.

The original draft "censured" Lieberman, a Stamford resident, for showing "extraordinary disloyalty" to the party when he spoke at the Republican National Convention and asked him to resign as a member of the state party.

After Obama defeated McCain, he asked Democrats in the U.S. Senate not to punish Lieberman and they complied.

State Democrats are "reworking the resolution to bring it more up to date in light of what President-elect Obama has said," said Audrey Blondin, of Litchfield, a member of the state central committee which proposed the initial resolution.

State Democrats also want to acknowledge the decision of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to include Lieberman in the party caucus, Blondin said. One of the modifications under consideration is dropping the request that Lieberman leave the party.....

....Lieberman¹s relationship with his party has been strained since 2006, when he lost the primary to Ned Lamont, of Greenwich, but won the general election as a third-party candidate.....

....."He really slammed Obama," said Melvin Silverstein, a member of the Norwalk Democratic Town Committee. "It¹s OK to say I¹m in favor of McCain or whoever, but to carry it further and be so negative about your candidate" ....

.....Greenwich Democrats backed Blondin¹s resolution, but party committees in Norwalk and Stamford are not expected to take it up in the coming days.....

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