Washington – Sen. Ken Salazar will campaign on behalf of Connecticut’s embattled Sen. Joe Lieberman, who faces an increasingly serious challenge in the Democratic primary from an opponent of the Iraq war.
And Salazar, D-Colo., said Tuesday he’ll support Lieberman even if he loses the primary to challenger Ned Lamont and runs as an independent in the November general election.
“He’s a good guy. He’s been a principled and good senator. He deserves to be re-elected,” Salazar said of Lieberman, a supporter of the Iraq war. “If he doesn’t win (the primary), he’ll win the general anyway.”
Salazar’s position separates him from Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and John Kerry of Massachusetts, who have said they will support whomever wins the party’s Connecticut primary.
Salazar will travel to Connecticut to support Lieberman on July 30. Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Barbara Boxer of California also plan to campaign for Lieberman before the Aug. 8 primary.
Their goal is to reassure Connecticut Democrats of the three-term senator’s loyalty to party causes, including women’s issues, labor and the environment.
Salazar and Lieberman both have staked out positions as centrist Democrats. But Lieberman voted against a call for a phased withdrawal from Iraq that Salazar supported.
Bill Vandenberg, co-director of Colorado progressive action, said Salazar’s move may be disappointing to Colorado progressives, but is not surprising.
“With Sen. Salazar, our expectations are realistic,” Vandenberg said. “We would like to see Sen. Salazar stand with strong progressives candidates like Mr. Lamont, but this is not unexpected.”
Salazar has longstanding political ties to Lieberman. Salazar endorsed Lieberman’s bid for the 2004 presidential nomination, and Lieberman supported Salazar in his successful 2004 Senate bid.
They also campaigned together when Salazar was attorney general and Lieberman was running for vice president with Al Gore.
Lieberman’s staunch support for the Iraq war has helped fuel a challenge from Lamont, a wealthy Greenwich, Conn., businessman and political newcomer.
Denver Post wire services contributed to this report.
