Williams is the highest ranking legislator in the state General Assembly and the highest ranking Democrat in the state.
"This election for governor will be the most important election for governor in our lifetime," Williams said during a press conference in Putnam.
SNIP
The endorsement announcement's location in Putnam was symbolic: The town's position on the Rhode Island border is on the opposite side of the state from Lamont's hometown of Greenwich.
"There are 169 towns in this state, and I'm going to all of them to reintroduce myself," Lamont said. "This is a very different race."
SNIP
I heard this news on WINY 1350AM, Putnam's radio station, this morning.
This is a good boost for Lamont. Williams is the highest ranking Democrat in the state and being from the opposite corner of CT from Lamont, helps show that Lamont's campaign is a statewide one.
"When you get bored with the polo ponies, you run for office," he said.
Thus spake Dannel Malloy, candidate for governor. (Hat tip Saramerica)
Okay. I get it. You want to cast yourself as the Ed Norton in this race. The regular guy from humble beginnings facing unfair competition from those "Greenwich millionaires." Fair enough.
But if you're going to go that route, take a moment to learn from the pros:
Is the Lamont campaign in trouble before it's barely begun?
The so called "darling of the liberal wing" of the Democratic party made his gubernatorial candidacy official at 11:30 am today.
It is now 7 hours or so later -- that's about 7 months in Internet time -- and there is silence on MyLeftNutmeg and Daily Kos. Not even the usually reliable Connecticut Bob could rouse himself to make the trip to Hartford for the announcement, relying instead on prepared remarks from the campaign. But at least he posted something.
Meanwhile, Stamford millionaire Dannel Malloy has proven himself an able street fighter. Aided and abetted by South Windsor pauper Kevin Rennie, he is getting plenty of attention by pissing all over the American dream of financial and professional success as exemplified by Lamont and his ilk.
If Lamont's supposed hard-core supporters cannot rouse themselves to cheer his announcement, complete with fawning video, how in the wide world of sports is he supposed to win this thing?
UPDATE: Video footage of Lamont's announcement, as well as his Q&A with local reporters are added.
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Ned Lamont, the political upstart who challenged U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman four years ago, plans to officially announce his bid for Connecticut governor next week, according to a state Democratic official.
The official told The Associated Press on Friday that Lamont will declare his candidacy Tuesday at the Old State House in downtown Hartford, the same location where Lamont announced his Senate run back in March of 2006. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the campaign has not yet made the announcement.
UPDATE: E-mail from Ned just in.
Friends,
Over the last few months, I've spoken with voters across Connecticut, sharing with you my vision for our future and listening to your thoughts on how we can work together to get our state back on track.
Four years ago, I was humbled to be joined by so many of you as I stood at the Old State House in Hartford to call for a new direction for our nation.
Today, it has become increasingly clear that we need a new direction in Connecticut.
I would be honored if you joined my family and me this coming Tuesday, February 16th at 11:00am at the Old State House in Hartford for a very special announcement.
When: Tuesday, February 16th, 11:00AM
Where: Old State House, 800 Main Street, Hartford, CT [Map] [Directions and Parking]
Immediately following the event, please join me and other supporters for a reception just down the block at City Steam, 942 Main Street, Hartford CT.
Not a big surprise here as Richard Blumenthal beats all Republicans (Simmons, McMahon, Schiff) handily, as he did in the PPP and Quinnipiac polls.
Senate 2010
Blumenthal (D) 54
Simmons (R) 35
Blumenthal (D) 56
McMahon (R) 34
Blumenthal (D) 56
Schiff (R) 33
More interestingly, both Ned Lamont and Dan Malloy beat the no-name Republicans by about 10, but that suggests a race could develop. Susan Bysiewicz did a little better but has since left the race to run for Attorney-General.
Jodi Rell would win in a walk if she deigns to run in 2012 for the U.S. Senate, but Chris Murphy would clobber the ridiculous Joe Lieberman head-to-head, 45-26.
Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 1/11-13. 600 Likely voters. MoE 4%
Perhaps one of the more interesting stories taking shape around the 2010 CT Governor's race, is the questions around whether Ned Lamont will use CT's landmark campaign finance reform program (the citizen's election program) or choose to self finance with his large personal wealth he amassed from inheritance and starting a cable company.
From a blog today in the New Haven Advocate:
Ned Lamont is exploring a run for governor and he's also exploring the idea of ignoring Connecticut's public campaign financing system. The Greenwich millionaire used $15 million of his own money in 2006 when he ran against U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman. He won the Democratic nomination in a primary that year but lost to Lieberman in the general election.
Some folks close to Lamont say he's about to reach into his deep pockets again.
If Lamont does use his personal fortune to fuel his campaign, it could put more pressure on the already stressed-out public finance program. That's because the campaign finance fund would be required by the law to give Lamont's opponents matching grants equal to what Lamont is pumping out if he goes over the statutory spending limits for participating candidates.
Lamont showed up at a state employee union food drive event Monday, but he wasn't in the mood to talk about whether he'll be using his personal fortune in the governor's race.
"I'll let you know," Lamont said. "I've got to see what the law is."
He's got to see what the law is?
This is the same public campaign finance law that he's praised in the past; the same one that's been hailed as a major step toward removing the influence of special interest and lobbyist money on Connecticut politics; the same program that is supposed to face it's biggest test in next year's statewide elections; the same funding system that could be in crisis because of Connecticut's huge budget gaps.
He's got to see what the law is?
Lamont was the hero of the Democratic left three years ago for taking up the anti-war banner in his challenge of Lieberman. He lost to Lieberman in large part because Connecticut voters didn't know who he really was, a natural reaction to Lamont's almost total lack of experience in politics.
His biggest challenge this time will be to convince those same voters that he knows what he's doing as a candidate for Connecticut's highest elective office.
It seems it might be to Lamont's interest to avoid language around the law. Ned has a very strong chance at winning this election either way being the current Democratic front runner, but it will be telling to see if he sticks by his principles of supporting Campaign Finance Reform or chooses to self finance.
"I'm in the exploratory phase for statewide office as the lawyers have explained to me," Lamont said.
Lamont says he's been considering a run for governor for a year and doesn't care if the popular incumbent Republican runs for another term or not.
"Governor Rell's going to do what she's going to do but at the end of the day you need a stronger hand at the tiller. I mean this state's in trouble. Read that Moody's report that just came out. They gave us a failing grade, they described us as something like a slow motion fiscal car wreck," Lamont said.
Interesting how much WTNH/Mark Davis dwelled on the Lamont family's personal wealth. I expect that will be the particular line of attack throughout. Oddly enough we never heard much about the $20,219,460 Joe Lieberman got (in large part through Republican sources) in 2006, which was more than Ned Lamont raised though private donations or his own money.
h/t Heather at Video Cafe for the video and transcript.
Maddow: What do you think those consequences will be though? One of the things that we have to think about is what happens in Washington, whether or not the Democrats and the Senate allow him to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee-there's also the question of whether he faces political consequences at home. He seems to be planning to run again.
Lamont: I believe-I probably wouldn't know-I'd be the last person in Connecticut to know whether he's going to run again but I can tell you this; there's an awful lot of folks here who are looking forward to the opportunity of challenging Sen. Lieberman. You know during our race a few years ago he said nobody wants to have a Democrat elected president as much as I do. He supported health care reform. Nobody wanted to get the troops home more than he did. Three years is a long time. I think there are a number of folks, independent, moderates, Republicans and Democrats who are disappointed where the words aren't matching the action and are looking for a change.
Maddow: Why do you think he doesn't just become a Republican?
Lamont: I think he's been a Democrat for an awful long time, but I think tactically he's probably looking at his options right now. I've got to believe when you walk away from health care reform, when you deny your fellow Senators the right to vote on health care reform, that seems to be somebody that knows he was elected in 2006 with overwhelming Republican support. I think that's his base.
Yes, Ned Lamont may be the most important name in 2009 politics. Right now, it may be a more important name than Barack Obama. Let me explain.
The fight for health care reform comes closer than it has ever been before, and the Republican party continues to demonstrate that no compromise, not even tort reform, will draw a single Republican vote. At this point, the last thing standing between us and a strong health care bill is conservative or moderate Democrats. The progressive blogosphere has drawn a line in the sand. And I am reminded of 2006, and the Lieberman vs Lamont primary. I am reminded that when progressives draw a line in the sand on the most important issues to voters, they will follow through on holding politicians accountable.
This Friday, May 1, marks the 100th full day of Barack Obama's presidency, and what a ride it's been so far. The Greenwich Democrats and friends from around the 4th District will be celebrating this milestone at the Saltwater Grille in Stamford. We've now got over 100 paid guests signed up, and so we've agreed with the Saltwater Grille to take their main floor for the event - which means we now have room for plenty more!
Registration is still open (with PayPal or credit card) for this party right on Shippan Harbor Friday night.
Our featured guests include Mayor Dan Malloy of Stamford, CT-4's new Congressman Jim Himes, Selectman Lin Lavery, Attorney General Dick Blumenthal, and netroots favorite Ned Lamont. Did I forget anybody? (You forgot Poland!)
• Hearty Hors D'oeuvres, Pasta Buffet and Complimentary Drink • Heed Michelle Obama's call to community service with opportunities from several local organizations • Dancing to Calypso and Jazz with the Terry Hess Band •
Below is my letter to Manchester Journal-Inquirer editorial page editor Keith Burris setting him straight about Ned Lamont after he went after Ned in a bizarre oped recently.
I was, frankly, dismayed by your oped regarding Ned Lamont and his possible run for governor of the state of Connecticut ("Lamont for Governor?"). First, you suggested that Mr. Lamont lost the general election because he wasn't a very good politician and Joe Lieberman was. Furthermore, you went on, Mr. Lamont still isn't a very good politician. Let's take a look at the facts.
To begin, let's keep in mind what actually happened: in August 2006 a guy named Ned Lamont, whom virtually no one in the state had heard of six months before, defeated Joe Lieberman, a three-decade incumbent politician, one of the best-known politicians not only in the Constitution State, but in the entire United States, in the Connecticut Democratic primary that featured an overwhelming turnout. Now a guy just doesn't come out of nowhere to defeat Joe Lieberman if he's not one heckuva politician. Lamont went on to lose the general election to Lieberman, but look what he was up against.
In the general election, Lieberman enjoyed tremendous assistance from 1) the overwhelming support of the Republican Party, including the Republicans' decision not to field a strong candidate and to withhold virtually all financial support from that candidate, 2) close strategic guidance from Karl Rove, who was on the phone with Lieberman virtually on a daily basis, 3) Republican operatives to run his campaign seconded from Mayor Bloomberg to Lieberman's campaign, and 4) massive financial support from Republican donors mobilized by the Republican Party. And Lieberman had the support of not only the up-and-coming Illinois senator Barack Obama, who spoke on his behalf at the party's JJB dinner, but also the most popular Democrat in the country and the state in Bill Clinton, who filmed TV ads for Lieberman near the end of the primary campaign. Last, virtually the entire Democratic establishment either stayed clear of Ned Lamont during the general election campaign, or, as did Jim Amman, defied the primary vote and supported Lieberman.
Mark Pazniokas has an intriguing little story in the NY Times about Ned Lamont now expressing interest in a gubernatorial campaign. He'd obviously be a damn sight better than Jodi Rell and might even be able to whip the legislature into an effective body.
With the same bluntness he once directed at Senator Joseph I. Lieberman and the war in Iraq, Mr. Lamont complained about the inability of Mrs. Rell and the General Assembly to tame Connecticut's deficit.
Then he delivered an urgent outline of the budget address he would have given if governor.
"To me that was the opportunity to stand up and say, 'We're confronted with a $4 billion deficit,' " he said during a telephone interview from his office in Greenwich on a snowy morning. "This is the time for Connecticut to change the way we do business. And I have to tell you I'm going to bring labor to the table, and they are going to be part of this solution."
He is months away from a final decision, but after previously disavowing any interest in the job, Mr. Lamont said that a gubernatorial campaign grows more intriguing as the economy worsens and the deficit deepens, all harbingers of a protracted budget fight in Hartford.
During a speech at Central Connecticut State University, Ned Lamont pointed out some of the glaring weaknesses of Governor Rell's latest budget as well as her handling of the state economy. His biggest criticism is that Rell seems to fail to recognize that Connecticut's economy has been stagnant for at least a generation, and the budget lacks the big changes needed to position the state for economic growth in the 21st century.
He called her budget - $38.3 billion over two years with cuts meant to correct predicted billion-dollar deficits - a smattering of quick fixes with little in the way of important changes.
Pointing out the projected deficits for the next several years, he said the need for change at the Capitol should be obvious.
"This is the time for Connecticut to make the big changes that are so long overdue," Lamont said. "We as a country and we as a state have consistently underestimated the scale of the issues and crisis in front of us."
Rell recommended that people turn out lights when leaving their offices and not travel out of state as a way of paying down the deficit. Lamont hit at her intention to borrow against the state's rainy-day fund.
"Her plan is extraordinarily shortsighted, and you young people should be outraged because they've borrowed against your future," he said to the students.
Lamont said he plans to take a crack at this budget himself, along with other members of his public policy committee at Central Connecticut State University.
Lamont, who was made a distinguished professor of political science and philosophy, said the university arts and sciences public policy committee he leads will be looking at ways to fix the economic problems and get the state going again.
"We're going to take a look at this deficit and look at it in a serious way and hopefully present an alternative to the governor that will prepare the state for when we're on the back side of this depression and get the state rolling again," he said.
Oh, and in case you were wondering ...
Lamont said he was not considering a run for either the governor's seat or a senate seat.
The war on drugs has claimed another politician: Ned Lamont will moderate a forum at the "Drug Policy for the 21st Century" conference at Central Connecticut State University, Wednesday, February 4, 2009.
National legalization experts like keynote speaker Ethan Nadelmann from the Drug Policy Alliance, and panelist Jack Cole, from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition will lead the conference, co-sponsored by CCSU's Peace Studies Department and its Institute for the Study of Criminal Justice. Tickets are still available for the conference here.
Give Lamont some credit for guiding the afternoon's premier panel, featuring Connecticut anti-prohibitionists like Cliff Thornton, whose 2006 Green Party campaign for governor I managed, former Hartford City Councilman Bob Painter and A Better Way's Lorenzo Jones.
But surrounded by activists openly touting legalization, with no one on the panel to argue for the drug war, you think that Lamont, who enjoys a part-time professorship in the Peace Studies Department at CCSU, would be forthcoming about his opinions and history with illegal drugs.
"No, I am not answering any of those questions," Lamont said when I asked him if he had ever done any illegal drugs. Nor would he go on the record to analyze prohibition.
"It is a long overdue debate for the state of Connecticut," Lamont would only say. "As a moderator I am going to do everything I can to be neutral. I am going to be a provocateur."
So Ned is playing his participation like a man who is running for office in 2010. And frankly, I tire of leadership - or those who purport to want to lead society via electoral office - equivocating on the most intense, important issues of our day.
Lamont did not make the war on drugs an issue in his Senate campaign. So when did he have this epiphany that the war on drugs was bad? Or does he think by lending his world-famous, Lieberman-slaying name to a conference that endorses legalization, he can still straddle this fault line of an issue?
"A leading indicator of a politician's character is their stance on the drug war, or lack thereof," Thornton said.
(Make your voice heard and urge your local DTC and State Central to censure Lieberman. - promoted by ctblogger)
Last night the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee voted overwhelmingly to
"publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions of Joe Lieberman and to ask that he resign from the Democratic Party of the state of Connecticut."
It also overwhelmingly adopted a resolution criticizing Senate Democrats for not stripping Lieberman of his committee chairmanship. The votes were all the more significant since they were taken in full view of speaker of the state house of representatives Jim Amman, who was sitting in the front row.
This writer urged members to remember that it is sometimes up to the grass roots to guide our leaders, rather than the other way around. And I urged the members to remember that it was Greenwich's own Ned Lamont who sparked the Democratic Party's revival in 2006 that culminated in Barack Obama's victory and the booting out of Fairfield County's faux-moderate Republican Chris Shays. And I reminded members that Lieberman not only refused to endorse Greenwich's Jim Himes, but actually praised Shays. Debunking Lieberman's own spin that he was guilty only of making some statements "in the heat of the campaign" that he regretted, some recalled that Lieberman ran for both vice-president and senate in 2000, which, winning the former, would have resulted in the Republican governor's naming a Republican to his seat.
Jim Amman, who supported Lieberman even during the general election, sat quietly in the front row as we raked Lieberman over the coals.
Frankly, President-elect Obama is making a mistake in extending an olive branch to Lieberman. Someone like Lieberman will never do the right thing, he can never be trusted, and restoring him to a leadership position is asking for trouble.
I urge every other Connecticut DTC to stand up against Lieberman, pass the petition to censure Lieberman and demand that he resigns from the party. Harry Reid and his fellow Senate Democrats were just plain wrong to pander once again to Lieberman. We Nutmeggers do not have to knuckle under like that. We know Lieberman only too well, and we know that it is time to call him the disgrace that he is, not to reward him for his dishonesty and disloyalty.
Hello all. I was wondering if anyone else caught this nugget in today's New York Times? Buried on page A22 is a little gem about Chris Matthews' interest in running for Senate in Pennsylvania. He recently attended a dinner with some big-ticket Dem fundraisers and was spotted in something of a huddle with a group of influential Democrats. One in particular may catch your eye. From the Times:
The group at the dinner, which was held Oct. 14 at the Four Seasons, included: Marc Lasry, a co-founder of the Avenue Capital Group; Leo Corbett, a top executive at EMI Music Publishing; Jim Torrey, a co-founder of the hedge fund Torrey Associates; Suhail Rizvi of Rizvi-Traverse Management; Ned Lamont, who in 2006 ran for the Senate against Joseph I. Lieberman in Connecticut; Orin Kramer, chairman of the New Jersey State Investment Council; Jeff Kindler, the chief executive of Pfizer; and Frank Brosens, the founder of Taconic Capital Advisors.
What does this mean? I'm not sure, but I'm glad to be seeing Ned's name in the papers, and even happier seeing him play the role of kingmaker!
A Message from Ned Lamont about Million Doors for Peace
Join us this Saturday, September 20th! Details below.
It has been five and a half years since the start of the Iraq War. Over the course of that time, millions of Americans have taken to the streets to protest this abhorrent war, holding marches and rallies all across this country and in its capital city.
But what about the majority of Americans who favor peace but cannot join us at a traditional rally in Washington D.C.? That is why it is time we turned the notion of an anti-war protest on its head, and instead of packing a million people into the National Mall, we knock on a million doors.
On Saturday, September 20 we intend to do just that.
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