WaPo Essentially Writes Off Lamont

The Washington Post writes about the political debate in the Connecticut Senate race held yesterday. For all intents, it might as well be an obituary for the Lamont campaign.

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 16 — Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) met here Monday for their first general election debate, and the insurgent candidate did not get one direct question about the issue that dominated the August primary, the war in Iraq.

It was symptomatic of the predicament Lamont has found himself in since his stunning victory two months ago.

Then, he was hailed on the left as a political giant-killer who had demonstrated the power of national dissatisfaction with President Bush and the war. Today, his campaign is emblematic of the pitfalls of trying to marry a political insurgency with the party establishment. Tugged and pulled in different directions by old and new advisers, the wealthy businessman has been struggling to refocus his candidacy.

Monday's debate, which also included the Republican nominee, Alan Schlesinger, continued the war of words Lamont and Lieberman have conducted on television and by news release since the primary.

Lamont attacked Lieberman as a prisoner of the status quo on Iraq, health care and other issues. He chided Lieberman for going back on a pledge made in 1988, when he first ran for the Senate, not to serve more than three terms. "Well, Senator, it's been three terms, it's been 18 years," Lamont said. "Now you're part of that problem. Time's up."

Lieberman said Lamont would only deepen partisan divisions in Washington. "His finger-pointing, partisan blame-giving, petty political accusations is the last thing Washington needs more of," Lieberman said.

Now, given the sorry state of political reporting this year, I can't say as I put too much stock in anything I'm reading these days. This, however, does reinforce the other sources that show Lamont struggling. There is also the simple fact that Lamont is getting killed in the fund raising area. That is usually a decisive factor, no matter what you think of the state of political fund raising.

Isn't there a Cher movie Lamont's campaign can quote to magically turn everything around? Oh, never mind. That only works in the movies.