Decision 2008: Ned Lamont for Congress! CT-04

Still deliriously happy over the course of events over the past 24 hours...and still bitterly disappointed in my fellow Nutmeg State residents over their failure to see through Holy Joe's shtick.  The re-election of Joe Lieberman has consequences, not the least of which is that a promising newcomer named Ned Lamont fell short of a position wherein he could have done so much good for Connecticut and the nation.

So yeah, despite the overall good news, I'm looking for silver linings in my own backyard, which also re-elected Chris Shays, though by a margin of victory even smaller than the one he eked out in 2004.  

It's not too hard to connect these dots, and urge Ned Lamont to run for Chris Shays' Congressional seat in 2008.

The Lamont family is undoubtedly asleep today, or in seclusion, or both.  But when they reappear, I'm hopeful they'll consider taking a run at the House of Representatives instead of the U.S. Senate.

The reasons are several.  For starters, Lieberman won't be up for re-election for another six years (GOD, it pains me to write that!).  And it makes little to no sense to contemplate a primary run at Chris Dodd, with whom Lamont has no quarrel, political or otherwise.

An election to the House would satisfy Ned's critics who claimed that he lacked the experience to be a U.S. Senator.  Four years representing the 4th CD in Connecticut would give ample opportunity for Ned to show what he's made of (at least to those who don't already see it).

A Lamont candidacy might be the final nail in the coffin of Chris Shays, who has survived two tough elections in a row now.  Perhaps the third time would be the charm for Diane Farrell...or perhaps the answer lies elsewhere.  Lamont's appeal might well carry him across the finish line and enable him to close a deal that Farrell, and Stephanie Sanchez before her, couldn't quite close.

So by all means, let's celebrate our victories and revel in the overall accomplishment of a dominant win for the Democratic party.  But in the not too distant future, Ned...give us a call.  We'll answer.

•  Great idea - 2 terms in the House and he will be

  ready again for Lieberman's seat. Or, he might find happiness in the House.

  by ecoast on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:39:50 PM PDT

  •  Can you convince Ned to run for the House?

    That is a great idea, I hope that Ned will consider it after a few months of relaxation.  He has all the campaign apparatus set up, and lots of eager volunteers.  Two years is not all that far away, and Shays could be swept out of the way.

    by MD patriot on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:57:27 PM PDT

    •  Me personally? Heh.

      I don't have that kind of clout.  But he's surely going to get a letter from me, and I hope from many many other Kossacks, expressing these thoughts.

      by rlamoureux on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:59:35 PM PDT

•  GREAT IDEA.. Smart, Smart, Smart

  Mister Lamont - Your country needs you.  Do not let one defeat at the hands of Darth Lieberman discourage any potential future efforts!!

  by bincbom on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:41:41 PM PDT

•  I feel like you and Kos

  today.

  Hard not to be happy generally, but still down - and yes, angry - at what was done to Ned.

  Lieberman is truly an ass.  I want to visit his sins upon the voters of CT.  Upon the DC Dems who stabbed all of us in the back.  And upon a good, honest man with the potential to have become a great senator.

  I also know - deep in my heart - that the same people who hurt us and Ned will shoot themselves - and this country - in the foot.

  We will have moved from CT in 2 years.  But we encourage Ned Lamont to step forward in any manner he wishes to "do his thing".

  Thanks, again, Ned for your time, talent and treasure - for the people of this state and the country.

  by mombadanes on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:42:26 PM PDT

•  Does Ned Lamont live in CT-4?

  NT

  by Eric J in MN on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:42:28 PM PDT

  •  I'm shocked that Shays held on

    I mean, looking at Connecticut at the start of the election cycle...I figured that CT-4 would fall easily to the Dems, that CT-2 could fall to the Dems but would likely remain Republican and that CT-5 was a definate longshot.  Instead, CT-5 fell very easily to the Dems, CT-2 is still being decided but Courtney has a narrow lead, and CT-4 remains in Republican hands.

    I think the question should be how well Lamont did within CT-4.  He would make a great congressman and he'd be a great fit for the district.  But if he lost to Lieberman by a large margin in the district, he probably wouldn't have much of a chance.  I think he needs to work on looking more like a leader (his last ads using "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" were kinda pathetic).

    by SoCalLiberal on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:43:00 PM PDT

    •  Never Underestimate

      Never underestimate the power of the old-line money in Fairfield county to come through for the Republicans.  

      CT-4 will not fall Democratic until we find someone who can blunt the anti-tax high-income Republican vote.  Looking at the numbers, you have to win Westport, Norwalk and Weston by more, and you have to turn the tides somewhat in historically Republican places in like Ridgefield, Monroe and Trumbull.

      by dumbruss on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:54:46 PM PDT

      •  Ned might be the guy to do it

        Underneath it all, his message was one of fiscal conservatism.  The "$250 million a day" mantra wasn't meant to convey that we should stop spending it in Iraq and instead make Bush's tax cuts permanent...it was to talk about how we could fill the holes in our budget and provide things that everyone (INCLUDING those of us in Fairfield County) need and support.  

        A new Lamont candidacy might be a test of his appeal as something other than an antiwar candidate, but having heard him so often this year, I'd say he would pass that test with flying colors.

        by rlamoureux on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:58:08 PM PDT

    •  I don't know the overall numbers,

      but I suspect that Lamont lost big in CT-04.  My wife was a Lamont poll-stander in Darien (from 6 a.m. to 9 pm), which, like Greenwich, is essentially filled with rich white Republicans.  IIRC, the totals at her poll were Lamont 365, Schlesinger 151, and Lieberman 715.  And, according to her pre-vote converations with the Lamont team, her polling place was thought to be the most likely one in Darien to go for Lamont.

      by NoMoJoe on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:09:34 PM PDT

    •  lol

      Same thing happened in PA (sorta). PA-04 (the number 5 pick-up opportunity) flipped early in the night, while Gerlach, who was supposed to be the most vunerable incumbent after 2004, held on.

      I heard someone suggest Governor for Lamont. He did better than DeStefano, after all.

      by collegekid318 on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 08:29:36 PM PDT

      •  Faint praise indeed

        I think Katherine Harris did better than DeStefano, too.  :)

        In defense of DeStefano, I think his loss was a far greater reflection of Rell's popularity than it was on DeStefano himself.

        by rlamoureux on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 08:42:56 PM PDT

  •  Yes he does

    I think he comes from Greenwich, the heart and the soul of the Republican part of the state.

    by SoCalLiberal on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:44:02 PM PDT

•  Tips

  And yes, Lamont IS a CT-04 resident.  One of the reasons this idea works so well.  :)

  by rlamoureux on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:47:09 PM PDT

•  related note

  the other TN senate seat is up in 08. Maybe Ford Jr. isn't a dead candidate.

  by Use Common Sense on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:50:26 PM PDT

  •  Oh, please.

    Harold Ford is a younger version of Joe Lieberman...do you wish that on the people of TN?

    by mombadanes on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:52:38 PM PDT

    •  Better to have a conservative Dem...

      ...than a conservative Republican.

      Still, I can't get all excited about a Ford candidacy, for precisely the reason you articulated above.  If Ford HAD won, we'd be rejoicing today...then spending the next six years bitching at him for acting too much like a Republican.

      by rlamoureux on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:56:05 PM PDT

    •  Wrong.

      Ford's voting is more conservative than Lieberman.  But Ford is a Democrat--he owns the label & he doesn't go on Fox News and bash other Democrats, which Lieberman is more than happy to do.

      by GTPinNJ on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:57:48 PM PDT

      •  Ford goes on Fox news and endorses Lieberman

        • which was the same as bashing Ned.

        by mombadanes on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:03:44 PM PDT

        •  eh

          rhetorically, Ford can stick it to the Republicans. Lieberman sticks it to the Democrats.

          by collegekid318 on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 08:31:06 PM PDT

  •  This sounds awful, but Ford needs to get married

    and age a little bit.  There's a reason why politicians always stress their family roots.  The whole bachelor thing probably hurt him more than any racism..

    by Geekesque on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:12:39 PM PDT

•  Great idea!!

  by AnotherMassachusettsLiberal on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:52:20 PM PDT

•  Nice idea but I doubt he wants it

  He ran for Senate mostly to make a protest against Lieberman.  His winning the primary was an absolute shocker.  And the way he ran is general election campaign, it seemed at some of the times that he didn't really want to win.  There's something in Carville's book "Buck up, suck up, come back when you foul up" about how some political contests are like a dog chasing a car: make sure you've got a plan for what to do with the car if you catch it.  

  Ned was a non-politician who stepped up in our hour of need.  We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his Senate run, and our support if he wants to run for office again in the future.  But it won't surprise me if he's had enough of that and doesn't want to put himself through it again.  He himself said many times that he wasn't his own first choice for the Senate (he'd offered to back various people who turned him down).  Blumenthal (CT Dem atty gen who turned down being recruited to the Senate primary gig) must have felt like an idiot after Lieberman lost the primary.  

  In 2006, it was impossible to find any Dem politician willing to run against Lieberman, so Lamont took on the thankless burden.  In 2008, the Dems will have no trouble finding a serious opponent for Shays.

  by clyde on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 12:58:41 PM PDT

  •  Hope you're right...

    ...but so far, the Dems have not, in fact, found the key to defeating Shays.  And they've had a couple of candidates (first Stephanie Sanchez, now Diane Farrell) make multiple attempts at it.

    I don't want a serious opponent for Shays (i.e., someone who'll give him a good run for his money).  I want someone who can whup him in an election and take his job.  I think Lamont might be that guy.  But you have an excellent question: who knows if he really wants it?

    by rlamoureux on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:02:28 PM PDT

  •  No, Lamont clearly wanted it.

    by ProgressiveFighter on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:46:47 PM PDT

•  CT-Gov in 2010?

  2010 is also when Chris Dodd retires, isn't it?

  Hmm.

  by Brain Donor on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:07:25 PM PDT

•  Appointment by Lady Hillary

  Perhaps ?

  by smartcookienyc on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:17:36 PM PDT

•  Don't worry...

  LIE-berman will be gone from the Senate way before his next re-election bid and Rell will be only too happy to replace him with a Republican.  Well, for 2008, we'd better pad our Senate majority a bit.

  by BasharH on Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 01:20:02 PM PDT