Democratic House candidates Joe Courtney (CT-02), Diane Farrell (CT-04), and Chris Murphy (CT-05) are all counting on a significant anti-Republican wave to help carry them to victory. They need a polarized and partisan electorate to come to the polls in November: an electorate that is more interested in sending a message to President Bush and the Republican Congress than one that is interested in simply judging the individual candidates on their own merits. Yet, Senator Joe Lieberman's decision to run as an independent, after losing the Democratic primary to businessman Ned Lamont 48 percent to 52 percent, muddles that message. Lieberman is running the completely opposite campaign - a campaign that stresses bi-partisanship and collegiality over partisan attacks. On Tuesday night, Lieberman said: "I expect my opponent will continue to do in the general election what he has done in the primary. Polarizing instead of talking about how he can solve people's problems. Insults instead of ideas." This is exactly the kind of message that Republican Reps. Chris Shays, Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson would be happy to endorse. In
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