Critics are asking Lieberman to be expelled from Democratic Party

Lieberman's Independent Run Questioned By Democrats

Critics asked a New Haven election official to remove Sen. Joe Lieberman from the Democratic Party on Monday, a request which could potentially lead to a hearing in which the longtime Democrat would have to argue that he still adheres to the principles of the party.

The group, whose members described themselves as peace activists, said Lieberman cannot belong to the Democrat Party while running for office under the "Connecticut for Lieberman" party banner.

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

Sharon Ferrucci, the Democratic registrar of voters, said she would research the request, which she said was the first such in her two decades on the job. Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz said Ferrucci could choose to deny the request.

Lieberman campaign manager Sherry Brown said the effort was "dirty political tricks at its worst."

"This kind of ridiculous, partisan game-playing is not going to provide anyone in Connecticut with better jobs, better health care, or better schools," she said.

Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for president in 2000, lost the Democratic primary Aug. 8 to Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont. Lamont, the founder of a cable television company, defeated Lieberman by 10,000 votes after criticizing him for supporting the Iraq war and being too cozy with President Bush.

The day after the primary, Lieberman submitted thousands of signatures to petition his way onto the November ballot as an independent candidate, running under the new Connecticut for Lieberman party.

Some state and national Democrats have called on Lieberman to forgo his independent run for the good of the party. But Lieberman, popular among Republicans and unaffiliated voters, has said the full electorate should decide whether he should be re-elected to a fourth term.

Lieberman leads Lamont by 12 points in a recent statewide poll, with Republican Alan Schlesinger trailing far behind.

Bysiewicz said if the local registrar and the New Haven town committee chairman would schedule a hearing if they decide there's evidence to revoke Lieberman's party affiliation. Lieberman would then have a chance to make the case that he still adheres to the principles of the party.

Lieberman has already said he supports Democratic candidates and plans to remain part of the Democratic caucus in Washington. Since losing the primary, Lieberman has referred to himself as an "independent Democrat."

Also on Monday, a university professor filed complaints with state officials to try to keep Lieberman's name off the November ballot.

John Orman, a Fairfield University political science professor and a former Democratic candidate in the Senate race, filed complaints with the Secretary of the State's Office and the State Elections Enforcement Commission accusing Lieberman of creating "a fake political party" to resuscitate his re-election bid.

"He's doing anything he can to get his name on the ballot," Orman said.

Lieberman campaign spokesman Dan Gerstein said Lieberman has followed the law in his re-election campaign. "This is dirty politics at its worst," Gerstein said of Orman's complaint.

Gerstein took issue with Orman's claim that Lieberman is wants "a do-over," bending the rules so he can run twice for the same race.

"It's not a do-over," Gerstein said. "It's just like saying that Ned Lamont got a do-over after he lost the convention."

Lamont was able to primary Lieberman because he received more than 15 percent of the vote at the May 20 convention.