Kerry bats for anti-war candidates Lamont, Menendez and Akaka

WASHINGTON --Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is revving up his online political machine to raise campaign cash for Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont, the anti-war candidate who upset three-term Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman in last week's primary.

Kerry tapped his 3 million-person e-mail list on Wednesday to deliver a fundraising appeal for Lamont.

"Ned Lamont has caused a national stir by successfully challenging the Bush position on Iraq that ignores the utter failure of the President's policy," Kerry's message said.

The Kerry e-mail also touted two Democratic Senate incumbents facing tough fights this fall, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. Both oppose the war.

"Ned, Dan and Bob have been attacked mercilessly for acting with such conviction and are locked in close must-win races," Kerry said. "It's time to reward their courage."

The Massachusetts Democrat, who was the party's 2004 presidential nominee, as well as many other prominent Democrats are lining up behind Lamont in a three-way fall race that includes Lieberman, who is running as an independent; and Republican Alan Schlesinger.

At a news conference Wednesday in New Haven, Conn., Lamont again linked Lieberman to the Bush administration by criticizing claims by Lieberman and Vice President Dick Cheney, who said opposition to the war in Iraq could embolden terrorists.

"I was hoping the political rhetoric would cool off here for the dog days of August. I don't think that's the case," he said. "I noticed in the last week or so, that both Vice President Cheney and Sen. Lieberman seem to be reading off of the same play book. I think they've attacked the voters of Connecticut and the results of the primary, saying that the results are emboldening al-Quaida. I think that's wrong. I think that's outrageous."

Lamont said the "ill-conceived invasion of Iraq" is emboldening the terrorists. Meanwhile, he said that keeping about 132,000 U.S. troops "in the middle of a bloody civil war" in Iraq is weakening the U.S.

Lamont's upset victory last week was viewed by many as a referendum on Iraq and President Bush's handling of the war.

Dan Gerstein, Lieberman's campaign manager, accused Lamont of distorting the senator's statements.

"The fact is, Joe Lieberman wants to finish our mission and get our troops home as quickly and successfully as possible. But he believes that it would be disastrous to do as Ned Lamont has proposed and pull our troops, because it would create a safe haven for terrorists and a launching pad for terror strikes in the Middle East and potentially here at home," Gerstein said in a written response.

Earlier this week, former President Bill Clinton, who recently campaigned for Lieberman in Waterbury, Conn., chided his friend for implying that voting for Lamont might put the country's security at risk. Liz Dupont-Diehl, Lamont's campaign spokeswoman, said Wednesday that Clinton has offered to help Lamont since his primary victory, but the campaign has not yet decided what form that help will take.

The former president's wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., sent Lamont a campaign contribution from her political action committee the day after the primary. Hillary Clinton had supported Lieberman during the primary.

Kerry has traveled widely to raise money and help candidates as he considers a possible 2008 White House bid, and he praised Lamont, Akaka and Menendez for taking a hard line against Bush's Iraq policies in their campaigns for Senate seats.

"Despite the `warnings' coming from consultants, political pundits and naysayers in Washington, each of these candidates is making the mess in Iraq a central issue in their campaigns," Kerry said. "If we want to reward their courage, we've got to commit ourselves to pulling them through to victory."

Lamont and Democratic gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano will receive some more help from Kerry's old running mate, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Edwards will appear at a rally in New Haven with both men on Thursday.

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Associated Press Writer Susan Haigh in New Haven, Conn., contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

John Kerry: http://www.johnkerry.com/

Ned Lamont: http://www.nedlamont.com/

Joe Lieberman: http://www.joe2006.com/

Alan Schlesinger: http://www.schlesinger2006.com/