Reuters: Lieberman may be first political casualty of Iraq War [View All]

One can dream...

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By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent Mon Jun 5, 3:46 PM ET

MERIDEN, Connecticut (Reuters) - After years of ardent support for the
Iraq war, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record) could become that conflict's first big political casualty in a Democratic primary race fueled by rising anti-war anger.

Lieberman, the party's vice presidential nominee in 2000, faces a growing challenge from a political neophyte who has rallied Democrats angered by the senator's enthusiastic backing of the war and willingness to support Republican
President George W. Bush on other issues.

Challenger Ned Lamont's underdog bid to unseat Lieberman in Democratic-leaning Connecticut could offer an early gauge of the intensity of anti-war sentiment ahead of November's midterm elections, along with a measure of the influence of the Internet activists and bloggers who have flocked to his cause.

"Senator Lieberman has cheered on the president every step of the way when it comes to the invasion of Iraq, and he is too quick to compromise on core Democratic principles," Lamont, a businessman and former Greenwich town selectman, told Reuters. "He's wrong on the big issues of the day and he is not challenging the Bush administration," added Lamont, who qualified for the August 8 primary ballot by winning 33 percent of the delegates at the state party convention last month.

Lieberman, who has not faced a tough re-election race since entering the U.S. Senate 18 years ago, has been stirred by the challenge, stepping up his state schedule and launching a television ad attacking Lamont for votes he cast in Greenwich.

Lieberman acknowledges his support for the war runs counter to sentiment in Connecticut, where a recent poll found more than 60 percent of voters believe the war is wrong. But he also points to a poll showing just 15 percent of state voters would support a candidate based solely on his position on Iraq.

"On the war, I've done what I thought was right for my country. I obviously haven't done it for political reasons," Lieberman told Reuters.

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