Lamont campaign gaining media attention

As the Ned Lamont's campaign continues to attract media attention and closes on their 1,000 person sign-up mark, the Greenwich Times published an interesting feature story on the Democratic challenger who had some choice words for Joe Lieberman.

From the Greenwich Times

On the wall of an office in Republican Greenwich hangs a sign: Ned Lamont for U.S. Senate.

It might as well be a collector's item because it's the only one.

But it's a start, says Lamont, a local businessman and former town selectman who fueled the Internet blogosphere last month when he revealed that he was considering a challenge of Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Lamont is no Republican, however. That's a label he says is more fitting for his would-be opponent.

"Joe is clearly the most popular Democrat for all Republicans," said Lamont, who called the entrenched incumbent out of touch with state Democrats such as himself.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll supports that theory, with 75 percent of Republicans surveyed saying they would support Lieberman for re-election this year, compared to 59 percent of Democrats.

Lamont is trying to seize on those figures, as well as antiwar sentiment among Democrats, to go from relative obscurity to credible challenger in what some observers regard as an uneven contest that could also feature a challenge from former Gov. Lowell Weicker Jr.

At the least, Lamont said it will be an opportunity for Democrats to debate and for Lieberman to explain his strident support of an unpopular war that has eroded civil liberties, as well as his stance on other issues such as judicial nominations.

[...]

A lifelong Democrat with a similar academic pedigree as President Bush -- Lamont holds an MBA from Yale University, a bachelor's degree in sociology and history from Harvard University and a diploma from Phillips Exeter Academy -- the presumptive candidate said he was inspired to run because of Lieberman's admonishment of those against the war.

"The senator sort of said those that critique the president are sort of undermining the war effort," Lamont said. "It was at that point that got me off the couch."

Lamont also knocked the incumbent for his recent vote to cut off debate on the nomination of Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, which effectively squashed Democratic attempts to block the nomination. Alito was approved along party lines in the Senate, with Lieberman voting against the reputed conservative.

"To me, Sam Alito is not a close call," Lamont said.

The article is good and I encourage everyone to
read the article in full at the Greenwich Times website. This follwoing quote in the article caught my eye as it sums up the opinion most Connecticut Democrats have of Lieberman and why the Ned Lamont's campaign is important.

Mary Sullivan, a former Democratic National Committee member from Riverside, said she would also back Lamont in a primary.

"I think it's always a long-shot, but on the other hand, I think there must be a lot of disillusionment with Joe Lieberman among many Democrats, and I think they would welcome a chance to debate the whole record of Lieberman," Sullivan said.