War Stance Could Mean a Primary Battle for Lieberman
WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who rose to national prominence as the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee, appears likely to face a serious primary challenge this year that could measure the depth of his party's discontent over the Iraq war.
Ned Lamont, a businessman and war critic, last week began publicly seeking support for a run against Lieberman in the state's August nominating contest. Lamont is attracting interest largely because of Democratic grumbling -- in Connecticut and nationally -- about Lieberman's unflinching support of President Bush's policies in Iraq.
"The indications I have is that a primary would be good for the party and very doable," said Lamont, 52, who founded a cable television company.
Lieberman, 63, said he was prepared for a fight. "I am totally energized by this," he said. "I'm proud of my record and I'm ready to defend it."
Although Lieberman would enjoy significant advantages in fundraising, organization and name identification in a primary, a recent poll has encouraged his critics. When Connecticut Democrats were asked whether they wanted the senator nominated for a fourth term, 52% said yes and 39% said they would prefer a new candidate -- a weak showing for an incumbent.
"There's no doubt these numbers point the way for a protest candidate," said Scott L. McLean, head of the political science department at Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn., which conducted the survey.
Lieberman is not the only centrist senator to confront intraparty discontent.
Next door in Rhode Island, moderate Republican Lincoln Chafee is battling a stiff primary challenge from Stephen Laffey, the conservative mayor of Cranston. In 2004, moderate Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) narrowly survived a primary with then-Rep. Patrick J. Toomey, whose campaign was largely underwritten by the Club for Growth. The well-funded conservative group is now backing Laffey.
The backdrop for these primaries is an atmosphere of intensifying polarization on Capitol Hill that has sparked rebellions against legislators on both sides of the aisle who break from dominant party positions.
Democratic centrists argue that this impulse is especially dangerous for their party when it needs to expand its coalition to dislodge the ruling GOP.
If Lieberman lost his primary race, "it would be catastrophic for the Democratic Party
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