July 07, 2006 08:00 AM UTC

Salazar Will Support Lieberman

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• by: Colorado Pols

We didn’t get a chance to get to this story yesterday, so here it is today. As the Rocky Mountain News reports:

Sen. Ken Salazar is risking the ire of some fellow Democrats by pledging to support incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman, of Connecticut, in November’s election whether or not he wins the Democratic primary. Lieberman, a centrist and stalwart supporter of the war in Iraq, is facing a serious challenge from anti-war candidate Ned Lamont in the Aug. 8 Democratic primary.

Last week, Lieberman announced he was circulating petitions to run on the ballot as an independent even if he loses the Democratic primary. Liberal activists have been trying to pressure national Democrats to support the winner of the primary, even if it is not the incumbent. This week, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said she would not back Lieberman if he loses the primary.

But Salazar said Wednesday that he is in Lieberman’s camp and that he will support him in an independent bid if he loses the Democratic primary. “I will support Joe Lieberman for the primary and beyond the primary,” Salazar said. “I appreciate his strong stance of independence. We need more senators like Joe Lieberman.”

Salazar plans to campaign with Lieberman July 30 in Connecticut. Salazar and Lieberman were part of a bipartisan “gang of 14” senators who played a role in ending the flap over judicial filibusters, and they’ve formed another “gang” focused on ways of promoting energy independence.

What do you think?

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