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Ear to the Ground

Lieberman Hires Political Opportunist

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Posted on Nov 22, 2006
Whitmann
newyorktimes.com

We can’t say we’re surprised that Joe Lieberman has chosen as his spokesman an ideological acrobat—the only Jew ever to serve as chief lobbyist for the Christian Coalition.  The New York Times describes Marshall Wittmann as “a Trotskyite turned Zionist turned Reaganite turned bipartisan irritant turned pretty much everything in between…. “


New York Times:

“I think I’m the only person who has worked for both Cesar Chavez and Linda Chavez,” Mr. Wittmann said of the union pioneer who inspired him in the 1970s and the conservative Republican whose Senate campaign in Maryland he joined in the 1980s.

“I think I’m the only person who’s worked for both Ralph Reed and Bruce Reed,” Mr. Wittmann added, referring to the former executive director of the Christian Coalition and the top lieutenant to former President Bill Clinton.

There are of course plenty of political people who have undergone philosophical evolutions over the years. But Mr. Wittmann, 53, has zigzagged in the extreme, from stints in left-leaning unions to right-wing policy shops. He describes his career as “eclectic,” saying he has always been drawn to independent thinkers. “The good lord has made me a contrarian,” Mr. Wittmann said.

The good lord has also blessed him with the gift of speaking in punchy and irresistible sound bites.

He has been quoted thousands of times in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and journals, according to Lexis-Nexis. And this does not count the at least 939 times his name has appeared misspelled as “Marshall Wittman.”

He suffered through a two-year dry patch from 2002 to 2004 when he was a spokesman for Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, a job that largely required him to suppress his inner quotemeister for his boss’s even-more-impressive knack for drawing attention.

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By Rodney Matthews, November 22, 2006 at 2:17 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Lets be brutally honest for a change. Joe Liberman supports the war in Iraq because he puts his jewish heritage and his loyality to Israel above the interests of America ,a country that he was elected to serve. A lot of Americans that live in Israel, vote in both Israel and American elections. This policy of dual citizenship with dual voting privilges should be illegal. Either you are a American or not! We cannot have a fair and balanced middle east policy with votes and political money floating between the two countries, espesically a part of the world as vilotile as the middle east. It’s about time we call Joe Liberman on the issue of loyalty to America in order to begin a real middle east peace process between Israel and the Palestineans. To end the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. To negotiate with our advarsaries in Iran and Syria, To bring moderate Islamic nations to the table to negotiate a long and real lasting peace throught the region and to stop the policy of uniting our enemies and dividing our allies.

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By harald hardrada, November 22, 2006 at 11:11 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

connecticut has demographics that favor lieberman—freaks of religiosity abound

i don’t see how he’ll ever lose an election as long as he lives

if wittmann was looking for a long-term sinecure he couldn’t have done better—all he need do is keep kissing joe in a dark place till the cows come home

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By Manny, November 22, 2006 at 10:48 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Lieberman might as well live in Israel and come
to the U.S.A. to peddle Zionism down the throats
of the Conn. voters. Well, they voted for him.  In time, Lieberman will screw them just like Bush has screwed the country.

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By C Quil, November 22, 2006 at 10:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

There’s another word for people who work for anyone as long as the price is right, and who have no emotional commitment to their work.

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By mite, November 22, 2006 at 10:12 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Check out this web site people!
http://www.articbeacon.com

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By Druthers, November 22, 2006 at 4:07 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

That Conn. has inflicted old mealy-mouth Lieberman on the country for another term and that the Dems. are not cutting him loose is an instant photo our where we are today.
Does it really matter who speaks for him?  He has so little to say but says it so repeatedly and lengthily.

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By Not Confused, November 22, 2006 at 3:28 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Gee - what an “independent” thinker! Or is he?

Let’s see - Zionist, Reaganite, Christian Coalitionist, spokesman for Lieberman - what could all these things possibly have in common?

It’s obvious: they’re all about Israel, Israel, Israel. This guy’s just a hack for the pro-Israel right. He works for whomever and whatever serves that agenda. “Mystery” solved. “Independence” debunked.

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