And today's Democrat with a Spine Award goes to...

Newtown, CT First Selectman Herb Rosenthal:

If US Senator Joseph Lieberman chooses to march in this year's Newtown Labor Day parade, he will likely do so as a true independent. Local members of the Democratic Town Committee, including First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and former staunch Lieberman supporter Jim Juliano, agree that the Senator has no reason to believe he is welcome to march beside other endorsed party candidates.

"By marching with members of the DTC and invited Democratic candidates and state leaders, it would give the impression that we support his candidacy," said Mr Rosenthal when asked about the issue late Wednesday.

"I told him through his office, that as a duly elected Democratic official, he's putting me in an uncomfortable, almost embarrassing position. We have a duly elected candidate, who was endorsed by a historic turnout of state Democrats in the recent primary. I don't have to march with [Sen Lieberman], the DTC doesn't have to march with him, so why would he want to make it look like he's in good graces with the Democratic Party?" Mr Rosenthal continued. "He is not in good graces with state Democrats."

[snip]

"He's only come to the parade once before. He's not coming here this year as the sitting US Senator, he's coming because he's a candidate in the fall election," Mr Rosenthal said.

Mr Rosenthal said he would take issue with any candidate who failed to be endorsed at the statewide convention, who opted to force a primary, and then upon losing, continued to mount a full-scale campaign by petition for the general election.

"He was privately and publicly asked not to run by many state Democrats, and decided to run anyway even after he lost the primary. Philosophically, I have a problem with that," Mr Rosenthal said. "And I'm not going to reward that behavior by marching beside him on Labor Day."

Lieberman wants to have it both ways. He wants to campaign for Republicans, suck up to Republicans, attack Democrats on national television every chance he gets, but still we welcomed as a Democrat, EVEN THOUGH HE LOST HIS PARTY'S PRIMARY.

Forget it Joe. Take your wounded ego and go get yourself a good shrink to deal with it.

(hat tip: Christy Hardin Smith, who has more)