In a speech last Friday at the Dolan School of Business, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman did what he’s been doing ever since losing the Democratic primary to anti-war challenger Ned Lamont: he tried to convince his audience that he is the only candidate in the race who truly knows national security.
The reaction he encountered was similar to what he’s heard throughout the campaign.
Donald Greenberg, chairman of the Fairfield politics department and a supporter of Lamont, said Lieberman’s speech did nothing but re-emphasize things political observers already knew.
“[Lieberman] didn’t say anything new, anything that he hasn’t said a million times before,” said Greenberg. “My understanding is that he wanted to go to a university in southern Connecticut but chose not to go to Yale because he thought he would get ‘heckled.'”
Greenberg, who campaigned for Lamont during the primary race and plans to continue his campaign work in the near future, added that Lieberman’s address “was just a campaign speech” to add legitimacy through addressing college students.
He was not the only audience member to criticize. Fairfield English professor Bob Epstein also challenged Lieberman’s party loyalty.
“His problem is not only that he supports the war but so much of the Bush administration policies, including what he said in his speech regarding the warrantless wiretapping,” said Epstein, who expressed displeasure with Lieberman during the question and answer session after the speech.
Sean Duffy, a politics professor at Quinnipiac University, agreed.
“The very issue-area that’s gotten him in trouble is the one that … presents him with the best hope of appeal: appeal to Republicans, Independents and some Democrats (the ones who are still highly reachable through national security issues),” said Duffy. “We have a sometimes Democrat running like a Republican but still claiming not to be one.”
Lieberman, a three-term incumbent running for re-election as a petitioning candidate, used the opportunity to tout recently passed legislation that would help Americans reach out to the Islamic world through education and cut down terrorism at its roots.
The senator also discussed legislation passed last week in the Senate that will add more than $4 billion to help secure America’s ports and mass transit systems.
Lieberman said an effort to work out disagreements between the two political parties for the ultimate purpose of homeland security will strengthen the nation rather than further weaken United States unity.
He cited a bill passed last week that he co-sponsored which will gradually increase port security, passed in the Senate 98-0.
Lieberman said separate legislation passed to enhance security measures in mass transportation would mean “safer fear-free lives for the 100,010 people who take those trains in and out of Connecticut.”
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