Lieberman/Santorum Connection
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in ElectionsLooks like Joe has hired a Republican pollster who has ties to Santorum’s re-election campaign.
Hotline on Call has the story:
Joe Lieberman’s indie CT SEN campaign sent out a release to announce the hiring of two new consultants: media/direct mail consultant Josh Isay and pollster Neil Newhouse. Isay mostly works with Dems, with his most prominent former employer being Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the current DSCC chair. Isay ran Schumer’s ‘98 bid, though has not worked with Schumer this cycle. Isay also has done work for Republican NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Of course, Bloomberg mostly uses Dem consultants, not GOP consultants.The more curious hiring, of course, is Newhouse, a partner in one of the most prestigious Republican polling firms in the country, Public Opinion Strategies. On the merits, Newhouse is a great hire as he and his firm have one of the best reputations in the business, both with their clients and with the media, including us. But what makes the hiring curious is that Newhouse is a Republican and has a slew of clients who will likely raise the ire of Democrats, particularly activist Democrats.
This cycle, Newhouse’s most notable client is PA Sen. Rick Santorum. (Subscribers, click here of The Hotline’s consultant scorecard.) The Lieberman release, of course, makes no mention of Santorum, but does note Newhouse’s client relationship with the very popular GOP CT Gov. Jodi Rell. Newhouse is also the chief pollster for one of the Democrats’ top House targets, CT 02 GOP Rep. Rob Simmons.
Interesting. Sometimes a job can be just a job, but is politics? And what if you’re a pollster who simply runs numbers and gives percentages?
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August 20th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
I’ve heard that in CT noone likes the Republican candidate and Lieberman has fairly broad Republican and Independenet support. Hiring this Republican strategist may be a way for Lieberman to pull more Republicans and Independents in. Ned Lamont is going to get trashed in the general election, he only won by 4 points among die-hard registered Democrats. Lamont, like the other DKos backed candidates, is doomed to failure, although I’m sure the Kos Kidz will find a “moral victory” in winning a primary.
At the end of the day, sans his damning(inside the party) Iraq stance, Lieberman is still among the most liberal of Democrats. He’s going to win the general election and the Kos Kidz will finally be able to put up something higher than 0-ever increasing number. It will now by 0.5-ever increasing number.
Joe Liberman is essentially a John Kerry that is willing to engage in a productive analysis on Iraq rather than just put a fleeing option on the table. This makes him infinitely better for the country than Lamont, and the voters in CT will realize it and vote as such.
August 20th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
If he were running as a Democrat, this move would be foolhardy. As an independent, it makes perfect sense.
August 20th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
Joe Biden was on Imus the other morning and said Lieberman was the best qualified candidate. But he won’t supporting him because he has to support the democratic candidate. The whole conversation was bizarre and very telling. I know this will sound naive, but all they care about is winning, they don’t give a damn about doing what’s right.
August 20th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Big Roy:
I believe that can be referred to as “the culture of incumbency” mixed with “follow the leader”. On the one hand, Lieberman is the incumbent and thus everyone knows he can do the job, but Biden is obliged to be a mouthpiece for the party so he has to support the winner of the CT primary.
I am sick of the culture of incumbency though, our Congressmen and Senators seem to think they are the freaking millionaire’s club above all the rest of us. When that William Jefferson(D-LA) got caught with 90K in his office fridge, what I expected to hear from the house majority leader was: “So, who ‘polices their own’ and will deal with ‘the culture of corruption’”. Instead what I got was “I’m Dennis Hastert and I feel you have engaged in an affront to all Congressmen by searching a Congressman’s office (even though you had a signed warrant).” When I heard that my thought was: “O Really? How about we kick you out of office next election then, you pompous SOB.” I wish our Congressmen realized we send them their to represent us, not to be a bunch of overly pampered whiners.
What will be interesting is if Lieberman switches any of his voting patterns, now that he won’t have to answer to a senate minority leader breathing down his neck.