I didn't see this one coming. Lieberman to pick up endorsement of Florida Rep. Hastings
I have no idea how much of this is tactical, and how much is something else like personal friendship. Alcee Hastings is running for Senate in Florida. In a crowded field he'd have a shot at the nomination, but how endorsing Lieberman helps him get that nomination I fail to see. Peter Deutsch will probably get most of the Jewish vote. And the odds of anyone being fooled into thinking Rep. Hastings is a conservative Democrat are pretty low, although he's less predictable and more interesting than most Representatives. I suppose there's some reason to think Lieberman will run strong in Florida, if his campaign has any juice left by the time we have our primary.
It could well be that Hastings just likes Lieberman for some reason. But it's hard to see what that reason could be other than something personal. Lieberman is my least favorite of the major Democratic candiates because of his disgraceful reaction to the courageous decision by Illinois Governor George Ryan to commute the sentences of 167 death row prisoners
“Governor Ryan's action was shockingly wrong,” Mr. Lieberman said … “It did terrible damage to the credibility of our system of justice, and particularly for the victims. It was obviously not a case-by-case review, and that's what our system is all about.”
Sorry, that decision of Governor Ryan's was shockingly right.
Here's Alcee Hastings's political mapping (vintage 2000):
Here's Joe Lieberman's position on the same map:
Hmmm. Less distance than I'd have expected.
Prof. Froomkin –
I appreciate you saying that Gov. Ryan’s decision was “shockingly right” because, of course, it was. It was also one of the only “shockingly right” thinkgs that the Governor did during his tenure in public service – from Sec. of State on up.