THE Single Most Important Race for Anti-Vichy Forces

Sure, we Resistance Fighters can blow up a supply train here, spy on a German airbase there, even assassinate (politically) an over-collaborationist mayor if we have to. But then there are the big battles, the ones that not only have tactical impact but also send a powerful message that strikes fear into the hearts of our enemies, and those we must win.

It's primary season, and there are lots of races out there we'd like to win (or wish we had won) -- Ciro Rodriguez' brave effort against Henry Cuellar in TX, Chuck Pennacchio's uphill battle against Bob Casey in PA, Christine Cegelis' narrow loss to Tammy Duckworth in IL, Marcy Winograd's challenge of apparent DINO Jane Harman in CA.

But one race stands out above all others. One race will signal whether we Resistance Fighters can make a difference now, or whether we must content ourselves with the hope of victories merely over the long haul. One race will send a powerful message to all Vichy candidates and, more importantly, to the poll-watching fencesitters -- that message being either that their corporate-funded multi-million-dollar campaign war chests make them invulnerable to us mere citizens, or that we, the People have the ability to bring them down and must be listened to. One race is the belwether for the sould of the Democratic Party. Over the top? Maybe. But I believe it's true.

That race? Ned Lamont vs. Joe Lieberman, in Connecticut, to decide who the Democratic nominee will be against a Republican challenger who, in all likelihood, won't stand a chance against either of them in the general election. The Senate seat will be decided in the primary.

Lieberman is the perfect Vichy: supports the Iraq War, supports the NSA surveillance program even without warrants, was the first Democrat to come out against censuring the President, supports the President's profligate budgets, supported Sam Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, supports laws that limit the right to abortion. The list is endless. Bush reportedly is even considering him to replace Don Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense.

Ned Lamont, his opponent, is an entrepreneur and a true Democrat. He's not a party patsy, nor an idealistic do-gooder -- most self-made millionaires aren't naive! -- but his views are consistently both common-sensical and progressive. He's by far the best candidate both for the Democratic Party and for the citizens of Connecticut.

Lamont has only two disabilities: (1) he doesn't have Connecticut's immensely wealthy insurance and banking corporations backing him financially, as Lieberman does (they love their man!), and (2) he doesn't have the firm backing of the Democratic establishment, which has a knee-jerk and unreasoning preference for almost all incumbents in primaries instead of allowing primaries to be open and stepping in only for the general elections.

But Lamont can win. He polls well, Connecticut Democrats are increasingly dissatisfied with Lieberman, and he's gathering national support. And if he wins, all Democrats will smell the wind of change a-coming, and will have to pay more attention to their progressive base if they don't want to face Lieberman's fate. It's the most important race of this primary season -- maybe even of this year, including the general election -- and Lamont needs to win.

There's a good story about Ned Lamont here (h/t to Randwolfe). And you can donate to Lamont, and VichyDems' other preferred candidates, here.
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