Polls Lagging, Lamont Gives Campaign $2M

[ECH1969]

Behind in the polls, Democrat Ned Lamont has given $2 million to his campaign to unseat three-term Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Lamont has contributed $8,751,500 of his own personal wealth to his Senate bid, including a $2 million check he wrote on Tuesday. The latest poll showed him trailing Lieberman, 48-40 percent, with Republican Alan Schlesinger at just 4 percent.

Both Lieberman and Lamont are spending heavily for television ad campaigns as the fall race intensifies. Lamont has criticized Lieberman for missing Senate votes in a new commercial. One Lieberman ad receiving heavy air play accuses the Greenwich millionaire of lacking the experience to be an effective senator.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101100814.html

[lcordero2]

1. I wonder if Lamont has thought of

Finding connections in between LIEberman's votes in the Senate and his contributors.

[Zhade]

11. Hope he knows about what's in my sig line.

lieberman is SCUM, taking money from such people!

[bluestateguy]

2. Buy the Senate seat for the people of Connecticut

This is nothing to be ashamed of.

[madfloridian]

3. Lieberman is not respecting his party or the CT voters. Video.

Joementum

[madfloridian]

4. Actually to be honest, Lamont moved up a little in the polls.

Smaller margin than last polls.

Joe should be ashamed of himself.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/387

[TheWraith]

5. Not exactly.

The older polls were almost exclusively Lieberman 50, Lamont 40. Liberman lost two points to the undecideds, but Lamont didn't pick anything up. And unless he starts gaining ground real soon, I'm afraid Joementum is going to return to the Senate.

[madfloridian]

6. Well, then Joe will have in effect....

I hate to say the word "blackmail", so I won't...but he will in effect have made the congressional leadership fall and bow before him to keep a seat when someone else won.

He lost. He should have quit the race. There will be no victory for him if he wins. Nor for our party.

It is in effect saying the to hell with the voters, they don't matter. Joe is all that matters. Reid should step down as leader over this.

[onenote]

7. huh?

I'm a Lamont supporter, but even I can't follow your logic. If Lieberman gets more votes and wins it is saying the hell with the voters? I don't think so. I think Lieberman has said to hell with the Democratic voters, which is why I support Lamont. But I also think that if LIeberman wins, its not going to be because Democratic voters didn't support him, its going to be because repubs and indies did.

And exactly how is Reid to blame?

[Zhade]

12. I think mf is referring to the "he'll keep his seniority" bullshit.

You know, how Reid et al will allow lieberthug to retain seniority and whatnot, even though he told the party and the party's primary voters to fuck off by running as an "independent Democrat" (he is no longer a Democrat) after the voters chose Lamont.

[madfloridian]

15. Yes, elected by Republicans...allowed to keep Democratic seniority.

It is just dead wrong. It is the only reason he still has credibility among some CT Dems. They think he can keep his seniority.

But one's loyalty lies where the money and support comes from...and this is mostly Republican support.

People are spinning this crap all over the place. Joe is wrong, they need to admit it. Harry Reid needs to tell him flat out he will lose seniority.

No more Joementum

[CTyankee]

19. Any loss of Dems for Lamont spells trouble for him

I've talked to some in my calls from Ned's New Haven hq. I think it is particularly tough for the Jewish Dems in areas such as West Hartford. These are usually strong Dem progressives and there is a division with them on this race.

I'm getting a philosophical view on this and that is, that there has to be the person who steps forward and prepares the way for change. Ned was that person in our party. Now it looks like he may lose the election. But he and those of us who support him will have the knowledge that we were right. Gotta take the long view here...

[xxqqqzme]

8. OK, Connecticut DUers what happened here?

I know the rethugs are voting for lieberman - that alone should convince Dems to vote for Lamont - but I thought lieberman's pro-torture vote would cause some to re-think. Are the undecideds not breaking for Lamont?

[Nite Owl]

9. He is keeping the voters from the

primary and adding most of the republican votes. The republicans aren't even supporting their own guy who is at something like 5%. The dem leadership who seems to believe that this is a win/win for dems is going to get a surprise if Joe wins. He will owe the republicans for his win not us.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

13. Republicans voting for Lieberman is just precious irony

Someone remind them what they thought of Joe in 2000.

Of course that was before he sucked face with Bush, literally and figuratively, but it's still ridiculous.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. There are a lot of independent voters in CT

In fact, there are more independents and Republicans combined then there are Democrats.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

14. Is it possible...

that come election day the Repubs who are clearly supporting Lieberman in these polls will not actually turn out and pull the lever for him? I have some hope that this is the case, that the Repubs are spitefully propping up Lieberman in the polls but won't actually vote for him on Nov. 7.

Is that crazy thinking?

[JerseygirlCT]

18. Not entirely crazy

The gov. race is not close -- they might feel comfortable enough that Rell is in again not to bother.

I do think Lamont has been somewhat successfully sold to the GOP as a crazy wild-eyed liberal, so there may be some fear of that.

[DuaneBidoux]

16. As sad as it is I'm afraid that shit Lieberman is going to win.

[JerseygirlCT]

17. Interesting headline. I read this morning that he'd closed the gap by 2%

in the latest polls.

[Miss Chybil]

20. How much do Senators make in a year?

I know he's our guy, but it seems wrong, all these politicians paying millions of their own money for a job that doesn't pay squat in comparison.

[Divine Discontent]

21. the nature of the beast

he's (hopefully) spending part of his large fortune to get in to fight for what's right. I'd do the same if I had over 100 million. Lieberman supports a failed and illegal war. Wouldn't you do the same? I really hope I would.

The problem is, Ned is being very good natured. If he wants to get those Dems back he needs to tell them the truth about what Lieberman will do when he gets back in, and that a majority of Republicans are voting for him, how does that match up to their beliefs?

Joe Must Go. I mean, sure, I'd HOPE that if Joe wins he'd still be a liberal on social issues (I'm sure he's anti-gay, but) with him still being a conservative on the war, which ain't good enough. But he could very well side with the Repukes on big issues and let his true colors show since he doesn't have to answer to anyone... that's why his STATUS as a Dem in the power ranks needs CHOPPED OFF!!!!

surely someone in the Lamont camp has begged Reid to announce that if Conn. votes for the non-dem candidate and he wins, he won't retain his powers.

[greccogirl]

22. I'm afraid Lamont is toast.

[Catrina]

23. I completely disagree. That's what everyone said

a few weeks before the primary also. Lieberman lost two points since the last polls were taken. Also, his defense of Hastert hasn't really registered yet. That's up to Lamont's campaign which is really just getting off the ground.

Yesterday, a member of Lamont's campaign explained why Lamont didn't start campaigning immediately after the primary. Many criticized him for that. Apparently the campaign was approached and asked to hold off while people worked on Joe to try to persuade him not to run.

I think that was an enormous mistake. Joe kept slamming Lamont and Lamont was not responding. I wouldn't be surprised either if Joe pretended to be 'considering' dropping out, giving him a huge amount of time without Lamont challenging him.

I don't know whose idea it was to go along with this, but it was a mistake. Now, the Lamont campaign will have to catch up, but I think they can.

The War in Iraq is a big issue with CT voters (as well as elsewhere). There will be debates also, and the Republican, Schlesinger will be there. Joe is going to have a hard time pretending to be both a Republican and a Democrat.

I'm willing to bet that in two weeks, Lamont will be tied at least with Lieberman as CT Dems and moderate Indies, learn that they have choice. Also, the Repubs have not been supporting their own candidate. So, many Repubs may not even know they have a candidate.

Lots of people are heading to CT for each weekend before the election to volunteer for Lamont. Everyone was just waiting. I hope they can make up for time lost while Joe let everyone think he might drop out. And whoever agreed to that should be fired, imo.

[greccogirl]

24. Well I wish I could agree

but I think the republicans are going to cross over and vote for Lieberman and he still has dem support. I think he's going to pull it out. We'll see.