Lieberman says he'll collect signatures for independent campaign

HARTFORD, Conn. --Facing a stronger-than-expected Democratic primary challenge and sagging poll numbers because of his support of the Iraq war, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman said Monday he'll collect signatures for an independent campaign if he loses next month's primary.

"While I believe that I will win the Aug. 8 primary, I know there are no guarantees in elections," Lieberman told reporters on the steps of Connecticut's state Capitol Monday. "No one really knows how many Democrats will come out to vote on what may be a hot day in August."

Lieberman, who is serving his third term in the Senate, said he plans to remain a part of the Senate's Democratic caucus if re-elected.

"I will stay a Democrat, whether I am the Democratic Party's nominee or a petitioning Democratic candidate on the November ballot," said Lieberman, who was accompanied by his wife Hadassah.

Lieberman's decision to begin collecting the 7,500 signatures needed to get on the November ballot poses a strategic headache for Democratic party leaders, who fear that a Lieberman primary loss could distract from efforts to win seats in states such as Pennsylvania, Montana, Missouri and Tennessee.

Publicly, they voiced optimism that Lieberman will win the primary.

"He certainly has a right by law to do this. But he is, right now, the endorsed candidate and I support him as the party-endorsed candidate," said State Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo.

Both Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said they're backing Lieberman in the primary.

"We aren't going to speculate about what happens next because that would undermine our candidate," said DSCC spokesman Phil Singer.

Once a Democratic stalwart and the party's 2000 vice presidential nominee, Lieberman, 64, has fallen into disfavor from some Connecticut Democrats for his support of the Iraq war and his perceived closeness to President Bush.

Opponent Ned Lamont, a multimillionaire who owns a cable television company and has little political experience, accuses Lieberman of being a Republican lapdog who has strayed from his Democratic roots.

At a separate news conference Monday, Lamont said Lieberman's decision may split the party and hurt Democrats running for U.S. House seats in Connecticut. He accused Lieberman of "gaming the system" by launching a fallback candidacy as a petitioning candidate.

"I can see why he's doing it," Lamont said. "He's worried about the fact that we've got an awful lot of support right now."

Quinnipiac University polls show Lamont's support among registered Democrats increasing from 19 percent in May to 32 percent in June. Lieberman's support in the same period fell from 65 percent to 57 percent.

Lieberman maintains high ratings among unaffiliated voters, who make up the the state's largest voting bloc, and Republicans.

The poll found that if Lieberman ran an unaffiliated campaign, he would win with 56 percent of the vote, compared with 18 percent for Lamont and 8 percent for Republican Alan Schlesinger.

Lieberman said polling did not play a role in his decision. He said it was influenced by Lamont's wealth and concerns of a low primary turnout. Lamont has so far spent $1.5 million of his own money on the campaign.

"What if my opponent, who says he is worth somewhere between $90 million and $300 million, decides to write bigger and bigger checks in the last weeks of the campaign?" he asked.

Schlesinger predicted that he would win a three-way race.

"Him trying to be all things to all people is just going to collapse around him. That's why his candidacy is collapsing, too," Schlesinger said. "Joe Lieberman first said that he's the best Democrat. Then he tells some people he's the best Republican. So what's he going to do now, tell the people he's the best independent?"

Lieberman said Lamont is appealing to one segment of the Democratic party by making the entire race about one issue -- Iraq.

"After 18 years of working for, fighting for, and delivering for all the people of Connecticut, I want the opportunity to make my case to all the voters in November," said Lieberman.

Lieberman has until Aug. 9 -- the day after the Democratic primary -- to collect 7,500 signatures from registered voters to put his name on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. Experts have said his petition drive during the primary could further annoy Democrats who already question his party loyalty.

As of Monday morning, Lieberman's office had not sought petitions to circulate for an unaffiliated campaign, said Dan Tapper, spokesman for Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

Lieberman's campaign said no date has been set for the signature collections.

------

Associated Press Writer Andrew Miga in Washington, D.C. and Karen Testa in Boston, Mass. contributed to this report.

AP Political Writer Susan Haigh has been covering the Connecticut statehouse and political scene since 1994.