Top Lieberman Campaign Official: We Begged Obama For Help In 2006 -- And He Came Through

[LTR]

Now that Joe Lieberman has emerged as John McCain's lead attack dog against Barack Obama -- even going so far as to suggest that Obama's judgment could pose a danger to our safety -- there's some very interesting behind-the-scenes back-story to the Lieberman-Obama relationship that you should know about.

Specifically, a top official on Joe Lieberman's 2006 Senate reelection campaign tells me that Lieberman's staff practically begged Barack Obama to come in and endorse him at a critical moment -- requests that Obama agreed to, helping Lieberman minimize the damage from challenger Ned Lamont's recent entry into the contest.

This back-story is particularly relevant right now in light of Lieberman's harsh assaults on Obama's national security credentials.

The top Lieberman official, who was directly involved in securing Obama's help, tells me that the campaign was desperate for Obama to come to Connecticut in March of 2006, soon after Lamont entered the race.

"We needed him to strongly validate us as a candidate that liberal Democrats should not desert," the official tells me. "We went to the Obama operation with a very urgent plea for him to come out for us."

It's well known that Obama's 2006 endorsement was important. But it's not widely understood just how urgently the Lieberman people begged for Obama's help at a critical moment in Lieberman's career -- and in that light, just how much of a back-stabbing Lieberman's attacks on Obama now represent.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/top_lieberman_staffer_we_begge.php

[WeDidIt]

1. LieberTraitor

HE's pissed because no Democrat could support him in the GE against another Democrat.

[Diamonique]

5. McCain/Lieberman '08!

Watch them sink like a stone.

[Bread and Circus]

2. Lieberman is just a piece of shit creep. End of story.

[NotThisTime]

3. That pretty much sums it up, but he wants to be VP to someone

[EffieBlack]

4. Not surprising. It was amusing to see early in the campaign that some of the same Dems who

were dismissing Obama as too inexperienced, etc. to be a viable candidate fell all over themselves trying to get him out on the campaign trail to stump for them back in 2006.

[Cha]

25. Exactly.."too inexperienced" but

not too inexperienced to campaign for all the 2006 Dem candidates that he helped get elected.

[Skip Intro]

6. Why did Obama rush in to help a status quo, pro-war cheerleader defeat an ati-war challenger?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. For the 100th time now, he only backed Lieberman in the primary. When Lemont got the nom, Obama

backed him.

[Skip Intro]

14. That doesn't address the question at all.

[chascarrillo]

21. Okay. Large, medium, or small? Tomato sauce or pesto base?

[Skip Intro]

28. Oh brother.

[LTR]

11. He helped out a fellow Dem

Politicians do that.

Of course, you knew that, right?

[Skip Intro]

15. I think Lamont was a Democrat too...

:shrug:

[LTR]

23. Again, this was before the primary

Lieberman was still a Democrat.

And in order to get things done in the Senate, sometimes you have to do a few favors. I find nothing unusual here. If he would have immediately campaigned for Lamont, it could have made for a rather ugly situation at work.

Lieberman, as it turns out, has no moral scruples, and could give two shits who he pisses off.

So tell me, did Hillary campaign for Lamont prior to the Connecticut primary?

[sellitman]

12. At that point Joe was a Democrat.

His voting record was still largly liberal. Obama did what most Dems would do. In retrospect it was a bad choice because Joe has completely flipped out.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

13. And here's a link for you:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/26/lamont_gets_lift_from_obama_lieberman_campaigns_with_landrieu/

[Skip Intro]

16. Why didn't he support the anti-war DEM to start with

instead of supporting one of the loudest pro-war cheerleaders in DC?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

17. Why did Hillary support Lieberman over Lemont?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/05/politics/main1774454.shtml

“I've known Joe Lieberman for more than thirty years. I have been pleased to support him in his campaign for re-election, and hope that he is our party's nominee,” the former first lady said in a statement issued by aides.

[Skip Intro]

18. That's not an answer, that's a diversion.

c'mon

[SemiCharmedQuark]

20. Well how about you answer why Hillary did it, and then I'll answer why Barack did it.

[Skip Intro]

29. I want to hear your answer so badly, that I will answer your question first.

Why did Hillary back Lieberman? Well, you know this - she's an agent of the status quo. Hell, everyone from Edwards to Obama to KO has told all of us that.

But the problem is, Obama, anti-war hero and change agent, had an opportunity to put those ideals into action, and actually help bring about the change that he has made his one-word slogan. Instead, he chose not to back the anti-war Democratic challenger, but to back the most vocal pro-war propagandist democrat in the party. That happened. Can't change it. So tell me. Why did he do it?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

32. Because he had political ambition, he's a centrist, and he's a politician.

And there are very few brave politicians.

[Diamonique]

19. Because Obama was teamed with Lieberman when he first entered the Senate.

They put new members together with a member that has been there awhile to show them the ropes. Obama was unlucky enough to get Lieberman. So I guess Obama felt that helping him out was the least he could do. Maybe he (like me) figured Lieberman would lose and that would be the end of it. I'm sure he never figured Joe would turn Independent and run against the Democrat.

[yellowcanine]

7. "Holy Joe" a backstabber? Say it ain't so!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. That lowers my already low opinion of Lieberman n/t

[Missouri Girl]

9. Wasn't Holy Joe

Obama's senatorial "mentor" when he first came into the Senate? Seems like I read that somewhere.

What a way to mentor someone Joe. Use and backstab, repeat.

[NotThisTime]

22. No, that was Durban I believe, definitely not Joe....

[LTR]

24. Yes, Durbin was Obama's biggest backer

Along with Kerry.

I imagine Holy Joe didn't give a shit about him, unless it was to his own benefit.

[Cha]

27. lieman was said to be

"Obama's mentor" when he came to the senate.

"As to Lieberman being Obama's "mentor in the Senate"? Yes, he was. Every freshman Senator is assigned a more experienced mentor to help him learn the ropes, and when Obama was first elected to the Senate in 2004, Lieberman had been his party's vice presidential candidate in the previous Presidential election and was still well-respected. And Obama loyally endorsed Lieberman when Lieberman was challenged by newcomer Ned Lamont in the CT primary, which I didn't like, since Lamont was the better man; but once Lamont won the Democratic nomination and Lieberman decided to run against Lamont anyway as an Independent, Obama notably didn't endorse him; he stayed out of it."

http://vichydems.blogspot.com/2006/04/joe-lieberman-barack-obamas-mentor-in.html

[Diamonique]

26. Yes Joe was Obama's mentor, but

it only means that he was assigned to him to show him the ropes, i.e. shortcuts to get from one place to another, where the various cafeterias are, which has the best ham sandwich, which runners/pages are the most responsible & trustworthy... that kinda stuff.

[ejbr]

30. This is why Obama was not my first choice

Even though I find him to be an amazing candidate, I hate Lieberman more, and still hold deep resentment toward anyone responsible for his tenure. Anyone who despised Lieberman back in 2006 will not be surprised by this story.

[Chloroplast]

31. Ugh, Lieberman is such a tool. He was on a losing ticket 8 years ago...

and is gung ho to join another. Hillary and Barack both did what friends do: support each other. How does Lieberman repay their loyalty? By jumping fence because he thinks he finally can belong to a winning team. Pffft.

[girl_interrupted]

33. Obama used poor judgment backing LIEberman

Why he didn't back Lamont from Day 1 is beyond me. But then Obama campaigned for Kerry, who voted for the war. It's confusing, isn't it? Joe LIEberman is as scummy as they get, even called off any investigations into Katrina. I wish the Dems would dump his ass.

[Cha]

34. NO, it's not confusing if you can keep up.

lieberman was Obama's assigned mentor when he entered the Senate and was "begged" to endorse him for his re-election, which he did.

But, endorsed Lamont in the General because he won the primary.

Of course, he campaigned for Kerry..do you think he wanted bush?

[Colobo]

35. Fuck you, Joe.

[Larkspur]

36. Karma is a B*tch to Obama too

As a CT Dem who worked hard for Ned Lamont, I have no sympathy for every “knife” Lieberman sticks into Obama’s back. I voted for Obama in CT’s Feb. 5, 2008 primary because I am basically an “Anybody but a Clinton/DLC and Republican” voter this election year. Obama should have held the same position as Sen. Russ Feingold who stated on Meet the Press in 2006 that he’d support the winner of CT’s Dem primary. Granted Obama gave Lieberman a lukewarm endorsement at CT’s JJB dinner but Obama failed to come to CT to campaign with Lamont in the 2006 general election. Obama managed to go to Massachusetts for book signings and fundraisers but failed to stop by CT to help Ned Lamont. I noticed that in 2008, he managed to make it to CT to win our delegates for his Prez nomination. This is why I can’t get enthusiastic about Obama. However, I will enjoy watching the cat fight between Lieberman and Obama. It will be entertaining. Karma is a B*tch and not just for Hillary.

And Hartford Courant columnist Colin McEnroe picks up on this story with a clear example of Lieberman’s half-hearted defense of Obama -- http://blogs.courant.com/colin_mcenroe_to_wit/2008/06/broin-out-with-o-and-joe.html . He despises Lieberman as much as I do.

There is only one thing that will make me forgive Obama for snubbing Lamont in 2006 – him getting the Senate Dems to strip Lieberman of his chairmanships in 2009.

[FrenchieCat]

37. Well Ned Lamont understood, and endorsed Obama quite early

in the primary process.

Why I'm Supporting Barack Obama
by Ned Lamont
Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 03:49:55 PM PDT
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/10/184519/630/624/434646