MLN interviews Ned Lamont

Hopefully, we'll interview Lamont soon but for now, here's some highlights from Brandford Boy's interview (man, he's doing a excellent job covering this).

Turning to issues, Lamont's pick for the major issue prompting his run will come as no surprise to readers of this blog.

"Joe [Lieberman] is not challenging the president on policies that are bad for the country. Number one is the war, which I have thought was a foreign policy blunder from the get-go. I'm also distressed at the way Joe Lieberman has tried to discourage ongoing debate about the war, when Murtha and others have come up with viable alternatives."

"The problems we're having in Iraq are not the result of too much debate."

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"The Senator is so outspoken on the war that we're becoming passive on other important issues like health care -- there's been very little creative thought on this while people are forced into greater expense for less security -- energy conservation, and education.

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Another thing that bugs Lamont is something that bugs a lot of rank-and-file Dems in the state.

"Joe has been distant from the state. He's not here as much as he should be." Lamont promised that as Connecticut's new junior senator, "I'll be back every weekend with an eternal debt of gratitude to the people who sent me to Washington. A senator should be there, be accessible, and always be listening."

Lamont also pledges to support Democratic candidates, another area in which many feel Lieberman has been missing in action. "A, we're Democrats. We should be standing up for one another. But how can Democrats run against Republicans who say 'I'm just like Joe'?"

Lamont was dismissive of the notion that the war is just one issue of many and that it won't really matter in the long run.

"I hear people say, 'Well, Joe's good on everything else,' and my response is 'Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?' It's a big issue."

Oh, that's good! Note to Lieberman, Lamont seems like the real deal and you might be in some serious trouble. You just might have to pull the independent card if Lamont's message resonates with the rank and file Democratic voters...

Go check out My Left Nutmeg for the full interview.