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September 14, 2006
Mass.-ed Man:: Leiberman vs. Lamont
I had a hunch the other day and it looks like it was right. I wanted to know if Massachusetts Democrats, especially the well-financed liberal ones, were getting involved in the Connecticut race for U.S. Senate, where ex-Democract Joe LIeberman, now an Independent, is running against Democrat primary winner Neil Lamont and an unknown Republican. Turns out cash is flowing liberally across state lines to the Nutmeg State, with Lieberman getting most of it, but Lamont still getting plenty of dough..
There is no U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts, and the Connecticut affair is intriguing. Democrats are hoping to retain Lieberman's seat in their quest to win control of the U.S. Senate, an unlikely happening. Mass. liberals, however, are engaged because of Lamont's one and only claim to fame: he is an anti-war Democrat and has lambasted Lieberman for his votes to support President Bush's invasion of Iraq. So the anti-war crowd is weighing in.
I called Evan Lehmann, The Sun's Washington bureau reporter, and he has begun researching the campaign finance reports. He should file a story shortly. What he has turned up, however, is some interesting data. Up until April, Lieberman had received about $216,000 in donations from Mass. residents to Lamont's $93,000. That was the last filing deadline prior to the primary, which Lamont won in a close vote. Lehmann is updating the donations. There are several big donations from Greater Lowellians to Lamont while Lieberman's biggest donors hail from the Boston suburbs. These are likely people who favor his strong stand on Israel.
It'll be interesting to see how this break downs. I believe Massachusetts Independents and Republicans might be inclined to favor Lieberman, because of his national security stance. The anti-war liberals, who want an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, favor Lamont.
To date, Lieberman that the same thing is happening in Rhode Island, where Democrats have a good chance of unseating incumbent Republican Lincoln Chaffee. Trouble is, Chaffee often votes like a Democrat, so you wonder if Rhode Islanders really care to get rid of him.
Posted by JimC at September 14, 2006 9:24 AM
Comments
Do I detect a bit of a Republican bias in your scribe?
PS..good going on the length of this one. Why I do believe I might become a regular reader!
Bye now---
Posted by: myconos99 at September 14, 2006 6:05 PM
Jim,
Don't worry about the republican bias... we need a little balance around here just to keep em on their toes.
As to the Lieberman/Lamont thing, I think the liberals are going to be eating crow come the election.
The independents and republicans are all going to vote for Lieberman (a reasonable Democrat even I would vote for. This should crimp the power of the liberal wing in Connecticut for a while.
Posted by: Shawn at September 24, 2006 5:48 PM
