Joe Nixon
The temperature in the race for U.S. Senate in Connecticut went up a few more degrees when Democratic candidate Ned Lamont compared three-term incumbent Joe Lieberman's response to the Iraq war with that of former President Richard Nixon and his handling of the unpopular war in Vietnam.
Lamont won the party primary over Lieberman, who is trying to hold onto his seat by running as an independent. Lieberman publicly supported the decision to invade Iraq and has been one of President Bush’s staunchest allies in Congress. That fact served to propel Lamont’s campaign, which resonated with anti-war and anti-Bush voters. Because of Lieberman's seniority in the Senate, nationally this race has been seen as a referendum on the Bush administration and a warning to candidates from both parties to move away from the president's agenda.
In a commercial prepared especially for the Internet, Lamont’s campaign juxtaposes images, video clips and quotes from both Lieberman and Nixon that are eerily similar in tone and rhetoric around the two wars.
Said Lamont, "Sen. Lieberman saying now, two weeks before an election, that he suddenly wants to end the war is as credible as Richard Nixon was almost 40 years ago."
The two candidates held their final debate on Monday. Despite an early lead by Lamont, Lieberman has led in recent polls by 8 to 17 percentage points.
Posted by bernie at October 25, 2006 10:13 AM