Lieberman: Make of This What You Will

[Annie]

plenty here for everyone:

Bull Moose Gets A New Job (UPDATED)
by Joe Gandelman

We recently noted that one of TMV's favorite blogs, Bull Moose, has gone on hiatus...or into "hibernation" as Bull Moose himself, one of the most popular (and at times controversial) centrist bloggers put it.

Now its creator and writer, Marshall Wittmann, has a new job: as Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman's communications director:

Two weeks after winning reelection as an independent due to losing Connecticut's Democratic primary, Joe Lieberman has hired a former spokesman for the Christian Coalition as his new communications director, RAW STORY has learned. The new hiree also formerly served as a senior fellow at the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), a legislative director for the conservative Heritage Foundation, and as communications director to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

Fifty-two year old political pundit and activist Marshall Wittmann is very popular with Washington journalists because he often "gives good quote," according to a Washington Post profile from earlier this year.

"He's been a Trotskyite, a union organizer, a lobbyist, a government bureaucrat, a think tank cogitator, an aide to Sen. John McCain and — despite the fact that he's Jewish — the official spokesman for the Christian Coalition," Peter Carlson wrote for the Post. "Which raises a perplexing question: Why the hell would anybody listen to the political thoughts of a guy knuckleheaded enough to get mixed up in movements formed by both Leon Trotsky and Pat Robertson?"

Wittmann is indeed a great quote. In his other incarnation TMV was a freelance foreign correspondent overseas, then a staff writer for two chain (Knight-Ridder and then Copley Press) newspapers. He loved — and still loves — a good, lively quote that has some meat (thought) in it.

Wittmann has been a favorite of the press because he gives good quotes that have a point. And that's also why Bull Moose was in a class by itself, although it was reviled by many of those who were campaigning against Joe Lieberman.

Now Wittmann will work for Lieberman. Wittmann's whole theme on Bull Moose has been on the need to strengthen the nation's center.

So Lieberman is now in good hands....or paws (whatever).

PS: One thing about the report linked above. Wittmann in recent years has been known more as a centrist blogger, centrist quote-machine and former staffer of John McCain than identified as a Christian Coalition member. So in hiring Wittmann, Lieberman reached out to a leading centrist voice, not necessarily to the Christian Coalition. Journalists who quoted him over the past few years usually quoted him due to his identification with the DLC and centrist politics.

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds: "HMM, does this mean he's [Lieberman's] running in 2008?"

 

[Bonnie]

plenty here for everyone:

Seems Lieberman is feeling his oats these days
and justly so

 

[Annie]

Seems Lieberman is feeling his oats these days
and justly so

My gut, he's Democratic liberal. But there really is no telling. He's mighty pissed for good reason.

 

[Bonnie]

My gut, he's Democratic liberal. But there really is no telling. He's mighty pissed for good reason.

True, and he wants to be on committees, but we have him on a few key issues..... At least I hope so

 

[ScreamingEagle]

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds: "HMM, does this mean he's [Lieberman's] running in 2008?"

If all the Republicans can rustle up in '08 is McPain or Goolymon, I could see Leebie becoming a distinct threat to Mrs. C.

 

[Gunny]

My gut, he's Democratic liberal. But there really is no telling. He's mighty pissed for good reason.

Nothing's perfect. Because he is Jewish, he will not vote to pull the plug on Iraq because it indirectly involves Israel, and the results may very well directly involve Israel.

He seems more an old-style Democrat Hawk to me.