Kerry to campaign for Lamont in Connecticut Senate race

WASHINGTON --Sen. John Kerry is ready to join an exclusive club: prominent Democrats shunning three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman to campaign in Connecticut for his anti-war rival Ned Lamont.

The Massachusetts senator, the party's 2004 presidential nominee, plans to travel to the state Oct. 25 for Lamont. Kerry's running mate, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, appeared at a Lamont rally last month.

Other top Democrats, however, have tacitly backed Lamont, who seized the Democratic nomination from Lieberman in last month's primary, but have avoided public displays of support. The rationale is simple: Lieberman is running as an independent and has a good shot of winning another term; a statewide poll released Thursday showed him up by 10 percentage points.

Democrats want to stay in Lieberman's good graces to ensure that he remains on their side.

"The Senate is a club," said veteran Democratic strategist Dan Payne. "Once a club member, always a club member. And one club member doesn't generally campaign against another club member."

Kerry and Edwards are potential 2008 White House candidates whose campaigning for Lamont could pay dividends among the liberal voters who tend to dominate Democratic presidential primaries.

Kerry has scolded Lieberman, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee, over his staunch support for the Iraq war and for echoing Vice President Dick Cheney.

Leading Democrats have lined up behind their nominee Lamont, but they have also been reluctant to alienate Lieberman, who has served 18 years in the Senate. Democrats greeted Lieberman with applause when he returned to the Senate a few weeks ago -- even as they vowed to fully support Lamont.

It is a delicate dance for Democrats eager to shatter the GOP's lock on Congress.

If Democrats can gain six seats this fall and Lieberman wins, the party will need him to recapture control of the Senate.

"Democrats know it is a win-win situation for them, either way," Payne said.

Lieberman has vowed to remain a Democrat if he wins a fourth term. He expects to retain his seniority and committee seats and, if the Democrats take control, he is in line to become chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, a key panel which deals with issues such as terrorism.

Former Rep. Norman D'Amours, D-N.H., said party rules prevent some elected Democratic officials from voicing public support for Lieberman.

"There are people who are not supporting Joe, for the time being ... who, on a secret ballot would probably vote for Joe," D'Amours said. "They have a responsibility to abide by party rules."

D'Amours made his remarks on a conference call with reporters to announce "Dems for Joe," a group of former senators, House members and Clinton administration officials backing Lieberman. The group includes ex-Sens. Dennis DeConcini, D-Ariz., Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., John Breaux, D-La., and former CIA chief James Woolsey.

The Lamont camp said it is seeking to strike a balance between an influx of national support and the campaign's Connecticut flavor.

Lamont spokeswoman Liz Dupont-Diehl said state Democrats have been strongly supportive. Kerry, she noted, would help galvanize voters, particularly Democrats and the independents whom Lamont needs to win. Kerry beat President Bush in Connecticut by 10 percentage points in the 2004 presidential contest.

"We don't have all the relationships that incumbency brings, but a significant number of Democrats support the positive changes that Ned is talking about," Dupont-Diehl said. "Sen. Kerry is one of the many Democrats who is frustrated with Sen. Lieberman's pandering to the Bush administration."

Another prospective 2008 presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., met with Lamont after the primary to talk about campaign strategy and she also offered to host a fundraiser for Lamont.

They met privately.