RUN JOE, RUN :

Lieberman Positions Himself Out Front : Presidential Ambitions Not Hidden (Jim VandeHei, June 18, 2002, Washington Post)

So far, Lieberman, the most overtly ambitious of the bunch, doesn't appear to be causing fellow Democrats any heartburn -- at least the ones not eyeing the presidency. Much of his work is before the microphones and cameras, either delivering speeches with a campaign flare or announcing new legislative ideas, few of which will be considered anytime soon. There's a common theme to virtually all of his legislative proposals: They contrast sharply with Bush's.

Often he plays to the party's base of union members, environmentalists and trial lawyers, three groups any Democratic presidential candidate must woo to be nominated. This was true with his speech in May calling for a repeal of some of Bush's most expensive tax cuts, in which he accused the president of a "leadership deficit."

He's playing to independents, too.

What's most revealing, and it points out the reason that a Lieberman candidacy would be a godsend for the GOP, is that he's not playing to black voters, who at this point are the core of the Democratic Party. The relationship between blacks and Jews has become so strained--as a Lieberman candidacy (especially if combined with an Al Sharpton candidacy) would demonstrate, that it may be the case that he can't risk appearing in front of major organizations because he would be booed. A candidate who by virtue of his very being turns off his party's base and who in so doing might drive another core constituency (Jews) into the eager arms of the opposing party is a disaster waiting to happen. So, please let it happen... Posted by Orrin Judd at June 18, 2002 6:45 AM