Joe Lieberman is using 'No Labels' to get his revenge on the Democrats: columnist
The motives of former Democrat Joe Lieberman's decision to become a founding chair of the "No Labels' political organization are being called into question after he was unable to articulate a reason why he wouldn't back his former Senate colleague Joe Biden -- long known for working across the aisle -- in the 2024 presidential election.
In a column for Salon, longtime political observer Heather Digby Parton wrote that there is little evidence that No Labels is legitimately interested in getting a viable candidate elected as much as a desire to create political chaos in the 2024 presidential election and possibly assist twice-indicted Donald Trump's re-election bid.
In a statement explaining his decision to glom onto No Labels, Lieberman -- who bailed on the Democratic Party and ran as an "Democratic independent" after losing to businessman Ned Lamont in the 2006 Connecticut primary -- explained, "The parties are failing the American people because they're rarely willing to do anything but attack for political reasons. That's what No Labels is trying to break up.”
Writing for Salon, Parton isn't buying it.
Noting that Lieberman in an interview with Russell Berman in The Atlantic "couldn't really come up with any concrete reason why now is the time to throw a monkey wrench into the electoral system with all that's at stake," the columnist suggested the former lawmaker is bent on revenge against his old party.
"So what's motivating this effort and Lieberman in particular?" she wrote before suggesting, " I think it's what's been motivating him ever since 2006 when progressives, tired of his endless centrist posturing, beat him in the primary at which point he became an Independent and never looked back. He caucused with the Democrats for the rest of his career but made it his mission to stab the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in the back whenever possible, most famously when he single-handedly killed the Public Option in the Affordable Care Act after supporting it for years."
She added, "... this isn't about policy. What these 'centrists' really want is for Joe Biden to 'own the libs' because in their minds that is the only way you can truly demonstrate your commitment to bringing people together and achieving unity. Biden, to his credit, rejected that stale, failed tactic and the party is more unified than it has been in decades. Let's hope they stay that way. If they do, Joe Lieberman and his buddies don't stand a chance."
You can read her whole piece here.