Lieberman says potential for leadership role helps candidacy

HARTFORD, Conn. --Sen. Joe Lieberman says the likelihood that he would take a leadership role if the Democrats take control of the Senate on Nov. 7 is helping him in his race against the endorsed Democrat in Connecticut.

"People are reading," Lieberman said after attending Sunday services at Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Hartford. "They see that there's a chance that Democrats might control and they know that if that happens, that I would be a committee chair and also would be in the majority."

Lieberman, an 18-year Senate veteran, is running as an independent after losing to Ned Lamont in August's party primary. Lieberman holds a double-digit lead in statewide polls against his anti-war challenger.

The Lamont camp scoffed at Lieberman's claim.

"As people pay more attention to this race and the issues, they realize that Lieberman's seniority and so-called bipartisanship are serving George Bush and Dick Cheney much more than the people of Connecticut," said Lamont spokeswoman Liz Dupont-Diehl.

If re-elected, Lieberman could return to Capitol Hill to claim the chairmanship of the Homeland Security panel. Lieberman has said he would caucus with the Democrats.

Lamont would go to Washington as a freshman senator, at the bottom of the seniority ladder.

"There's no question it's better to have seniority in a majority than seniority in a minority," Lieberman said.

Lieberman's remarks came as the chairman of the Senate Democratic campaign, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., voiced confidence that his party can win a Senate majority in the elections.

"We're right on the edge. Every week things get better and better," said Schumer on "Fox News Sunday."

Democrats need to gain six seats to wrest control of the 100-member Senate from Republicans.

If he wins a fourth term, Lieberman said it will be partly because voters considered factors beyond his support for the war in casting their votes. Polls show the war is unpopular with Connecticut voters.

"I will believe that, if this works out and I win, it is because people wanted me to be their senator for a lot more reasons than Iraq," he said, noting voters often approach him to say while they disagree with him on the war, they still support him.

Lieberman said he does not see the race as a referendum on his support for the war in Iraq. Lamont won the primary by tapping into voter anger over the Bush administration's Iraq policy.

"It's really a question of what do we do now," he said. "My own interpretation will be that the people decided on Iraq they trust that I want this to end, I'm not for an unlimited commitment."

Lamont is pressing his anti-war views as the race enters its final full week.

"Even George Bush is admitting that it's time to change direction in Iraq," said Dupont-Diehl. "A vote for Joe Lieberman is a vote for more war."

Lamont supports a deadline of about 12 to 18 months for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Lieberman has said that prematurely pulling troops from Iraq would be disastrous.

Lamont had no public campaign events on Sunday.