{news} (hartford cournat)"A Lieberman Politcal Party That Opposes Lieberman"

[Tim McKee]

I generated this story after i found these guys on the Sec of state's web
site.

What do people think about this?

i think we should also say that it kinda of misleading to the public to
run under banner while opposing the same man. Will some vote for these
guys NOT knowing they are against Lieberman?

Should we issue a press release calling for them to change their name?

Leave them alone and hope it goes away?

courant.com/news/politics/hc-joeparty0916.artsep16,0,5483457.story



Courant.com
===========


A Lieberman Political Party That Opposes Lieberman
--------------------------------------------------

By MARK PAZNIOKAS | Courant Staff Writer

September 16, 2008

Even casual observers know that Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut
has invested significant time and political capital in electing John
McCain president.

So, it only follows that the Connecticut for Lieberman Party would be
squarely for McCain, right?

Wrong.

It's not even for Lieberman.

Not any more.

Confused?

Welcome to the world of third-party politics.

Led by John Mertens, a Trinity College engineering professor with a
passion for independent politics and a disdain for Joe Lieberman, a few
dozen voters have resurrected the senator's old ballot line.

After losing the Democratic primary in 2006, Lieberman ran for
re-election as a petitioning candidate. To get his own ballot line,
Lieberman took the initial steps to create a new party, Connecticut for
Lieberman.

But he abandoned the name and the embryonic party as soon as he won.

John Orman, a Fairfield University political science professor and
Lieberman critic, tweaked Lieberman by holding party functions under the
Connecticut for Lieberman banner.

"I followed John Orman's antics. I thought it was quite amusing," Mertens
said. "Then it hit me — Connecticut for Lieberman has ballot access."

Ballot access is everything in third-party politics.

Mertens tried to run for U.S. Senate in 2006 as a candidate of the
Independent Party, but elections officials refused to give him ballot
access, saying that the existence of two local Independent parties
rendered the name unusable for statewide office.

(State officials say there now is only one Independent Party, and it can
have statewide access.)

Mertens contacted Orman and proposed using Connecticut for Lieberman as a
real political party. Orman agreed, on the condition that Mertens become
chairman and take over the effort.

As the marketers would say, Mertens has "re-purposed" the old brand into
an anti-Lieberman vehicle that is running a half-dozen candidates for
state legislature this year and has endorsed Barack Obama for president.

Five of the six candidates have Trinity connections. The sixth, Robert
Adkins of Waterbury, is an Independent Party member cross-endorsed by
Connecticut for Lieberman, Mertens said.

Bryce Snarski-Pierce is a Trinity senior running in the 4th House
District, which includes the Trinity campus. Mertens is running in the
20th House District in the Elmwood section of West Hartford. Two others
are alumni and another is a former faculty member.

On its website, the party describes itself: "The CFL is an independent,
anti-war, anti-corruption, pro-fiscal responsibility, pro-democracy
party, that stands for individual liberties and real problem-solving in
government."

Mertens said that the party looks forward to endorsing a candidate for
U.S. Senate in 2010, when Christopher Dodd is up for re-election.

If Lieberman were to run again in 2012, the senator could look forward to
being opposed by a nominee of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party. A
spokesman said that Lieberman has no comment on the new direction of his
old brand.

Tim McKee, an activist with the Green Party, which also ran a candidate
against Lieberman in 2006, said that an anti-Lieberman party whose name
indicates support of Lieberman strikes him as a joke.

"We've been trying to build up respect for third parties. If this is just
a prank, please cut it out," McKee said. "Only the political junkies like
us are the ones who get the joke."

Mertens said he was surprised by McKee's reaction.

"This is not a prank," Mertens said. "It is a takeover. This party has
real value."

Even if it was for Joe Lieberman before it was against him.

Contact Mark Pazniokas at mpazniokas at courant.com.

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant



******************************************
Tim McKee, Manchester CT, main number cell-860-778-1304, 860-643-2282
 National Commitee member of the Green Party of the United States and is a spokesperson for the Green Party of CT.
BLOG-http://thebiggreenpicture.blogspot.com

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