‘Dems for Joe’ Unveiled

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Democratic Congressional leaders may be keeping their distance from Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) since he opted to seek re-election as an Independent, but a group of more than 50 former Senators, House Members and Clinton administration officials will proudly announce the creation of “Dems for Joe” today.

A common thread among the geographically and ideologically diverse group is a sense that Lieberman was unfairly being portrayed as a “bad” Democrat.

“It just seemed to me, and apparently a lot of the folks who also know Joe, that here is a really good Democrat with a great Democratic voting record and background,” said former Rep. Norman D’Amours (N.H.), who helped get the group off the ground.

“It just seemed ‘Hey what’s going on here?’” he asked. “This guy is a Democrat and people should know that. We just started talking to each other and it grew.”

Other founding members include former Sens. David Boren (Okla.), Bob Kerrey (Neb.), John Breaux (La.) and Dennis DeConcini (Ariz.); former Reps. Mel Levine (Calif.) and Leon Panetta (Calif.), who served as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton; former Clinton Agriculture Secretary and former Rep. Mike Espy (Miss.); and former Clinton CIA Director James Woolsey.

They join a much smaller group of incumbent Democratic Senators who have endorsed Lieberman in the general election. Sens. Tom Carper (Del.), Ken Salazar (Colo), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.) all have decided to stick by Lieberman.

The group is not taking any issue positions, and its support does not translate into an endorsement of Lieberman’s stance on the Iraq War or any other specific issue, organizers and the Lieberman camp stressed.

“We’re just saying that Joe Lieberman is a damn good Democrat,” D’Amours said. “He has an independent streak; he’s had it ever since I’ve known him ... but we shouldn’t eliminate [from Congress] people who dare to disagree.

“It’s good to have people who disagree” with the party, D’Amours said.

The group is not set up to raise money, make independent expenditures or do anything else akin to what political action committees and 527 interest groups traditionally do, he stressed.

But most members say all Lieberman needs do is ask them to campaign for him or host a fundraiser, and they will.

“I will do anything he wants me to do,” Breaux said. “He’s a decent, honest, hardworking, pragmatic politician who is less interested in following any particular ideology than he is in getting things done.”

Many of the individual group members already have volunteered to help with fundraising, media interviews and making calls to voters, according to the Lieberman campaign.

Group members also are taking pains to point out that they are not critical of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.) or any sitting Members who felt it necessary to endorse Democratic nominee Ned Lamont, D’Amours said.

“I think party leaders in Connecticut and on the national level are in a very difficult position,” he said. “Even if they like Joe and even if in a secret ballot they would vote for him, when you’re part of an institution you have to follow the rules.”

Breaux said he understands the position many incumbents took.

“It’s easier for me to do from the outside because I’m not running for anything,” he said. “I think there’s a great deal of pressure from the party structure on currently serving elected officials to be supportive of the party, but I think there are some things that are more important than the party.”

Lieberman spokeswoman Tammy Sun was less forgiving about the defection of so many Democratic leaders.

“Although we no longer have a party apparatus to count on, we’re glad to know that Joe Lieberman can still count on good people who believe, as he does, that the best way forward is not by demonizing each other but by working together to find common solutions to common problems,” Sun said.

While the Lieberman camp unfurled its list of Democratic luminaries, Lamont scooped up another endorsement from a liberal group.

People for the American Way Voters Alliance endorsed Lamont on Wednesday.

“After looking at where both candidates stand on the issues that are important to our members, it is clear that Ned Lamont deserves our support,” Mary Jean Collins, the group’s executive director, stated in a news release.

Lamont campaign officials did not reply to calls seeking comment before press time.