Lieberman and Lamont are dead even in the polls

UPDATE: Law Dork, who doesn't always agree with me, agrees with me.

Wow.

It really is time to hammer Lieberman every day and non-stop on his having filed to run as an independent if he loses. He claims he's going to remain a Democrat, even if he runs as an independent, but if he runs as an independent it will be because the Democratic voters don't want him as their senator. So how does that make him still the Democratic senator? Lamont should hammer Lieberman non-stop about this point - remind everyone in the state that it is all about Joe, all about Joe's ego, all about Joe's need to win at all costs, to hell with the people of Connecticut.

If Lamont wins the primary, and Lieberman runs as an independent, it's going to tear the Democratic party and the grassroots apart. The blogs will, understandably, spend full time helping Lamont, bashing Lieberman, and flailing the party for not doing enough to help Lamont (or worse, for helping Lieberman). The last thing we need is a major war erupting among Democrats leading into the November elections. I'd like to spend my time, I'd like to see all the progressive blogs devoting their time, to helping defeat Republicans, rather than worrying about some guy who lost his primary and now can't take his toys and go home like a good loser. But that isn't going to happen unless the Democratic party, unless Democratic leaders in the Senate, step up to the plate here.

The party needs to tell Joe Lieberman, under no uncertain terms, that if he loses his primary he needs to bow out of the race. Otherwise, there will be open war between the blogs, the netroots and the Democratic party for the next four months. Rather than channeling those resources into defeating Republicans, we will be channeling those resources into fighting amongst ourselves. But the Democratic party can avoid this scenario, if it chooses. The Dems need to make it clear to Lieberman that if he loses the primary, he's out of here.

I'm not saying that I want to see open warfare in the party, I'm saying I see open warfare coming with 100% certainty. It's up to the party to head it off at the pass.