Now that it seems likely that Senator Lieberman will be returned to the Senate as an independent and in the process bring enough Republican voters to the polls to help three incumbent Republican Congressmen return as well, the left is furious. They've mounted two challenges to keep him off the ballot. 

A group whose members describe themselves as peace activists asked Sharon Ferrucci, Democratic registrar of voters in New Haven, to remove Lieberman from the party, arguing that he cannot be a Democrat while running under another party's banner.

The request could lead to a hearing in which Lieberman, the Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 2000, would have to argue that he still adheres to the party's principles.

"The law is pretty clear he is no longer a member of the Democratic Party in good standing," said group leader Henry Lowendorf. "There was an open vote, and he was voted out. He joined a different party."

The "peace activists" challenge is unlikely to go anywhere since Lieberman has a clear Democratic record.

The second challenge is even more ridiculous though and suggests any parent paying tuition for political science classes at Fairfield University ought to reconsider the expenditure:

John Orman, a Democrat who gave up a challenge to Lieberman last year, argued in complaints filed with the state Monday that the senator should be kept off the Nov. 7 ballot.

Orman, a Fairfield University professor of political science, accused Lieberman of creating "a fake political party" and added: "He's doing anything he can to get his name on the ballot."

I don't know about you, but I'm tempted to post on nutroots blogsites, demanding they stand by Lamont and continue to pump resources  more profitably put to use elsewhere into the strategic disaster the Lamont candidacy has become.

Clarice Feldman    8 22 06

Ed Lasky adds: the lack of commitment to democracy by these Democrats is fairly breathtaking.

Richard Baehr adds: This will hurt the Democrats with voters, showing them as narrow—minded and afraid to trust the voters.