I thought Schlesinger did really well today. He was on a mission to try and wrestle Republican votes from Lieberman's camp and had some funny lines which seemed to stun Joe. But Joe is stunned easily these days. Lieberman gives off the impression that this debating thing is really such a hassle. Ned Lamont held his own and is getting more comfortable in front of the cameras.
Matt Stoller feels the same way.
Jane Hamsher: Finally. A Republican with the stones to tell Joe Lieberman to get off his damn lawn. Lieberman thought he was going to look "bipartisan" standing in between Ned Lamont and Alan Schlessinger during the debate today but he just looked like a man without a country, crying because everyone was trying to steal his candy. While Joe was praising every Republican in sight (Jodi Rell, John McCain, Susan Collins — funny, no Democrats)
This candidate's name is Alan Schlesinger. He is the official candidate nominated by the Republican Party to replace Joe Lieberman in the U.S. Senate. He trails both Lieberman -- who's now running as a "Connecticut for Lieberman" candidate -- and Democrat Ned Lamont by far in this fall's Senate race; Republicans are overwhelmingly backing Lieberman instead. Schlesinger has been drowned out by all the attention on the other two candidates.
That dynamic was clear in the closing statements. Lieberman continued to ignore Schleisnger and seek to put the focus on Lamont, attacking him for promoting partisan attack politics. And Lamont actually offered his Republican opponent encouragement. He spoke of how he, too, was once discounted by pundits, early in the Democratic primary campaign, then emerged victorious. "Don’t worry about what the insiders say. Don’t worry what the party brass say," Lamont told Schlesigner. "Say your piece. Look people in the eye…” It almost sounded like wishful thinking.
