CLINTON ENDORSES LIEBERMAN

Bubba may be a scumbag but he's a canny politician who isn't about to stand around doing nothing while the fruitcake fringe takes over the Democratic Party:

Before a roaring crowd in Waterbury's Palace Theater, Bill Clinton slung a companionable arm over Sen. Joe Lieberman's shoulder. He made a series of self-effacing jokes — "the obligatory hillbilly poormouth," he explained — which whipped up the audience even more. And then he covered Lieberman with the political equivalent of fairy dust.

In a 23-minute speech, the former president made the case that Democrats should not abandon their leaders over the war issue. Lieberman's unyielding support for the war in Iraq has turned Connecticut's Aug. 8 primary into a startlingly fierce contest, pitting a three- term U.S. senator and vice presidential nominee against a political neophyte, Ned Lamont, who advocates setting a deadline to withdraw troops.

The reason for Clinton's support is clear:

Lieberman has strong support from Republican and independent voters, and the Quinnipiac poll shows that he could win the general election if he ran as an independent, winning 51% to Lamont's 27%. The Republican challenger, Alan Schlesinger, would win only 9% of votes in that case, according to the poll.

Kos is already distancing himself from the coming Lamont debacle:

We're supporting the efforts of local activists. That's what we're doing. I have no influence whatsoever on who locals vote for.

He has no influence on anyone with any sense, he means.