First it was The Politico and ABC News who, in the wake of this week's threats by the Lieberman Party, refused to report on Lieberman's broken campaign pledge that he would "absolutely" and unequivocally caucus with the Democrats, and that he would "die a Democrat" (promises which have been ably documented by Greg Sargent.) Then it was the AP's Stephanie Reitz and CNN's Mary Snow who did the same.
Now local Connecticut newspapers are letting Lieberman's lies stand unchallenged in their own pages.
Peter Urban of the Connecticut Post writes an article today about Lieberman threatening to switch parties. Like almost every other article about this week's Lieberman Party threats, it completely ignores the Senator's promise to constitutents during the campaign that he would unequivocally caucus with the Democrats in the Senate:
"I'm giving the same answer to the question that I've given since the election last year," Lieberman said in Hartford. "I have no desire or intention to leave the Democratic Party.
Urban leaves this bogus claim unchallenged. On November 7th, the day before the election, Lieberman said "I'd said I've been a member of the Democratic Caucus; I'd stay that way." (edit: And throughout the campaign, there was never a mention from him about any "remote possibility" that he might caucus with the GOP, and certainly no threats of the type we're seeing now).
This is the same reporter who, in a Connecticut Post article titled "Senate race: Shrill, nasty, expensive" on November 5th, 2006, correctly reported that:
Lieberman has pledged to caucus with the Democrats. And if the party can gain six seats Tuesday, he says he would be in line to become chairman of the Senate Homeland Security panel, a powerful committee dealing with the issue of terrorism.
As Brent Budowsky comments today at the Huffington Post:
Had Lieberman told the voters of Connecticut in October 2006 that he promised to blackmail the Senate to support an escalation of the Iraq War, Senator Lamont would be giving true voice to his constituents.
The only thing lower than Joe Lieberman's self-respect for Joe Lieberman's word of honor, is Joe Lieberman's lack of respect for the voters of Connecticut.
They should have asked for a lie detector test before voting last November.
Urban can be contacted at purban@ctpost.com. Or you can send a letter to the editor at edit@ctpost.com, or contact the Connecticut Post here. You might ask why this reporter in particular has chosen not to report on Lieberman's broken promise, when he reported on the promise itself last fall, helping convince Connecticut voters of its veracity in the process.
See the Media Matters item on this for more.
(Partially cross-posted at My Left Nutmeg.)