NYT: Presidential Hopefuls Do Delicate Dance With Lamont (and Vice Versa)

[DeepModem Mom]

Presidential Hopefuls Do a Delicate Dance With Lamont (and Vice Versa)
By ANNE E. KORNBLUT and JENNIFER MEDINA
Published: September 21, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 — For a road map to the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, check out Ned Lamont’s phone log.

Soon after winning the Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut last month, Mr. Lamont heard from almost the entire Democratic field — a group he refers to, with some amusement, as his “new friends.”

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York rushed to donate the maximum amount to his campaign, and is planning a fund-raiser for him in early October. John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator and vice presidential candidate, rallied with him in New Haven. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee who may try again, e-mailed supporters soliciting money on Mr. Lamont’s behalf. And Wesley K. Clark, the retired general and a 2004 also-ran, offered foreign policy advice....

***

But as the dust has settled on the contentious primary defeat of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, whose downfall was initially seen as an ominous sign for other Democrats who supported the Iraq war, the dance between the presidential contenders and the Lamont campaign has grown more delicate.

Some of the White House hopefuls — most notably Mark R. Warner, the former governor of Virginia — are debating how strongly to align themselves with a candidate who has become an icon of the liberal left. And the Lamont team, despite its initial thrill over the rush of attention, is wary of being exploited or of alienating local voters with too many national political stars....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/nyregion/21conn.html

[FrenchieCat]

1. and this part of the article is also interesting

So far, the contest for Mr. Lamont’s affections has been waged mainly among the contenders trying to burnish their credentials with the liberal wing: Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards, all three of whom voted in support of the war in Iraq but have since become critical of it, have all claimed to have been in front of the Lamont wave. Mr. Clark was among the earliest to demand that Mr. Lieberman withdraw from the race.

Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat who is considering running for president on his opposition to the war, called Mr. Lamont immediately after the primary and “offered to help out in any way possible,” a spokesman said.
snip
Showing devotion to Mr. Lamont, agreed David Axelrod, another Democratic strategist, is “really important because there’s an activist wing within the Democratic Party that helped elect Lamont” and expect the next class of presidential hopefuls to pay tribute.
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One minute, we are recognized by the NYT.....and watch the next minute, it will be as if we didn't exist....when convenient or protesting!

[Pithy Cherub]

2. Warner still hedging his bets with his finger in the wind.

Sheesh! That is not leadership even in the worst of times. But hey if Warner wants respect the DLC is there for him...:eyes: