If You Go Out in the Woods Today . . .

The Lamont-Lieberman faceoff in Connecticut at least so far is providing the main-ring dollop of entertainment in these early-election-year days. It may not be quite up there with the tandem of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report on a day-to-day basis, but that would be asking a lot of an election, after all.

The latest episode involves what I gather is a Lieberman attack-ad that seems at best plain silly. You should have no trouble finding amusing commentary most anywhere amongst your carefully bookmarked progressive blog list (try wandering Democratic Underground for starters), but I'll set you up here with a selection from Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo.

This first post introduces the ad:

Like I said before, I've got no horse in this race. Or something like that. But is Joe Lieberman serious about this silly 'bear cub' ad attacking Ned Lamont as a cat's paw of Lowell Weicker? (See Hartford Courant article on it here.) This has to be the most ridiculous ad I've ever seen. It's not even that it's mean. It's just too silly and stupid to believe. Does anyone really believe that Lieberman is in this fix because of Lowell Weicker? And pace Weicker, Lieberman and ad creator Carter Eskew, but even in Connecticut, Lowell Weicker has been out of the Senate for a really long time. I don't want to say he's ancient history. But he's sort of ancient history.

I mean, maybe the next ad will be on the Missile Gap or school busing. Or maybe Lamont's failure to bring the Patriots to Hartford.

I'm not sure I even have the heart to ask my Lieberman pals what's up with this. Lieberman's trying to show CT Dems he's not out of touch but he's showing them he's out of his mind.

The followups involve input from loyal TPM readers. For example:

Crazy like a fox? Or crazy like a moron? TPM Reader JH checks in ...

I'll chime in as someone that thinks the Lieberman ad is crazy, and not crazy like a fox.

I work in graphics and advertising, and the thing that strikes me hardest about this ad is how amateurish it looks. You can get away with a crappy cartoon ad if what you're selling is the local tile and carpet dealership, but Lieberman is supposed to be a serious person, not to mention a U.S. Senator. As an incumbent he should be selling his gravitas and experience, and he should be at least implicitly referring to his deep roots to his constituents (after all, he's been their Senator since '88). Ad hominem attacks are pretty standard for political advertising, but at least most pols try to be a little dignified when making them. For a senior U.S. Senator (and former second on the national party Presidential ticket), this is embarrassing.

He's right. It is embarrassing.

And more from TPM readers:

Ugh, the reviews just keep coming in on Joe's rendezvous with imbecility ...

From TPM Reader JM ...

Putting aside the bizarre premise and truly rookie-league production values, what does it say about Lieberman's campaign that they felt compelled to run this ad? Here's a staid former vice presidential candidate, a would-be statesman, lowered to running a straight-up attack piece more befitting an unknown, low-budget challenger. If there were any doubts that Lamont was for real, this settles it.

But it doesn't even do what a classic attack ad is supposed to do. How many Democrats who were mildly annoyed with Lieberman will see this ad and actually think worse of Lamont? How many will think worse of Lieberman?

Lieberman could have lost the Senate seat and retained his own dignity. But he may lose both, thanks to his own inexplicable bad taste.

Then there's TPM Reader TS ...

Pardon my unPC-ness, but that ad is retarded. Being born and raised in CT, I can honestly say that even I don't understand it. Lowell Weicker is ancient news... funny thing is, a lot of people really liked him, especially when you consider that he was governor just prior to to John Rowland. Once Rowland started getting sketchy, a lot of people wished they had Weicker back. Lieberman needs to screw his brain back in.

It ain't pretty.

For sure. But between you and me Joe's mug would challenge a mother's tolerance too. And his consistent willingness to support and suck up to the swine in power should classify him as shark-fodder for the folks now according to polls in the majority, realizing what knaves are occupying those plush seats in Washington DC.