Update: Senate Democrats Supporting Ned Lamont

I never claimed when I began keeping this list that I would be 100-percent sure that I had gotten every Senate Democrat who had pledged support for Ned Lamont as the legitimate Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. But it's interesting how hard it is to track down those doing the right thing --- no matter how tepid that initial support may be -- and finding those who will inexplicably side with Joe Lieberman as he moves away from his own party.

As I reached out to some people in Senators' offices yesterday, it became obvious that some of them were under the impression that it was readily understood that their boss was for Lamont, even though tracking down a press release or formal statement to that effect is almost impossible.

But, I'm working at it and am getting lots of tips from readers and other bloggers. As I can definitively confirm those doing the right thing and those choosing the wrong path in all of this, I'll update the list.

And we have four additions today, bring the total number of Senate Democrats pledging support for Lamont to 20, while the number who have chosen to support non-Democrat Lieberman remains at three.




Here's the names I've added in support of Ned Lamont:

• Daniel Akaka (D-HI) strongly supports Lamont according to 2006 Campaign Manager Andy Winer who confirmed it with me. Said Andy: "Senator Akaka made it clear that he is endorsing Ned Lamont, who is the people's choice, in the Connecticut Senate race." Interestingly, Winer reports that Ed Case, a centrist in the Lieberman mold who is challenging Akaka in Hawaii's primary, is supporting Lieberman. I have a message in to the Case campaign to confirm and will keep you posted.

• A press report had Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) praising Lieberman's service but saying "I intend to support Ned Lamont this fall and do everything I can to put the Democrats back in the majority, where we can effect real change in the direction of the country." This was confirmed to me yesterday by Biden Press Secretary Elizabeth Alexander.

• I confirmed on Monday with Melissa Merz, Senator Ron Wyden's (D-OR) Communications Director, that he is indeed supporting Lamont. "As Vice-Chair of the DSCC, Senator Wyden will support the Democratic nominee, Mr. Lamont," she said.

• Jack Reed's (D-RI) Chief of Staff, Neil Campbell, told me last night that Reed supports Lamont in the general election. "Connecticut Democrats have chosen Ned Lamont as their candidate for Senate, and I support their decision and his candidacy," he quotes Reed as saying.

All indications are that Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) will follow through on his pre-primary pledge to support Lieberman but I'm waiting for confirmation from his office before we add him to that list.

Here's the contact information for the 18 Democratic Senators who have yet to demonstrably commit one way or the other:

Max Baucus (MT) 202-224-2651
Web Form: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue

Jeff Bingaman (NM) 202-224-5521
E-mail: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Robert Byrd (WV) 202-224-3954
Web Form: http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html

Kent Conrad (ND) 202-224-2043
Web Form: http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html

Byron Dorgan (ND) 202-224-2551
E-mail: senator@dorgan.senate.gov

Dianne Feinstein (CA) 202-224-3841
Web Form: http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html

Daniel Inouye (HI) 202-224-3934
Web Form: http://inouye.senate.gov/abtform.html

Tim Johnson (SD) 202-224-5842
Web Form: http://johnson.senate.gov/emailform.cfm

Herb Kohl (WI) 202-224-5653
Web Form: http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html

Mary Landrieu (LA) 202-224-5824
Web Form: http://landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Patrick Leahy (VT) 202-224-4242
E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

Carl Levin (MI) 202-224-6221
Web Form: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Blanche Lincoln (AR) 202-224-4843
Web Form: http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html

Barbara Mikulski (MD) 202-224-4654
Web Form: http://mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html

Patty Murray (WA) 202-224-2621
Web Form: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Ben Nelson (NE) 202-224-6551
Web Form: http://bennelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Bill Nelson (FL) 202-224-5274
Web Form: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

John Rockefeller (WV) 202-224-6472
Web Form: http://rockefeller.senate.gov/services/email.cfm

More as it becomes available...

You can reach Bob Geiger at geiger.bob@gmail.com