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Hillary reiterates her support for joe lieberman { August 7 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/08/07/ny_sen_clinton_says_voters_will_decide_liebermans_fate/http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/08/07/ny_sen_clinton_says_voters_will_decide_liebermans_fate/
N.Y. Sen. Clinton says voters will decide Lieberman's fate
By Beth Fouhy, AP Political Writer | August 7, 2006
NEW YORK --New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated her support Monday for embattled Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman but insisted "Democratic voters in the Connecticut primary are in charge."
Appearing at a Harlem health clinic to promote the emergency contraception measure known as Plan B, Clinton declined to speculate on the outcome of Tuesday's heated primary contest between Lieberman and Ned Lamont, a multimillionaire businessman and political newcomer whose opposition to the Iraq war has been the centerpiece of his campaign.
"We're going to have an election tomorrow in Connecticut, and the people of Connecticut are going to have a chance to make their decision," Clinton said. "Let's just wait and see what happens."
Lieberman, who's become a target for liberal activists and bloggers over his support for the Iraq conflict and perceived closeness to President Bush, has trailed Lamont in several recent polls.
Clinton, whose support for military intervention in Iraq has angered many of the same activists now hoping to oust Lieberman, was unwilling to speculate on what kind of message a Lieberman defeat would send to Democrats nationally.
"Every election is different, every candidate is different, every place is different," she said.
In many ways, the Lieberman-Lamont contest has further exposed Clinton's struggle to balance her centrist views on Iraq with the more voluble anti-war bloggers who have become a powerful force in Democratic politics. While she has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq, she has steadfastly refused to call for a date-certain withdrawal of troops.
Clinton is facing a primary challenge from another anti-war activist, labor organizer Jonathan Tasini. But Tasini has raised little money in the campaign and has posed little threat to her re-election.
While numerous Democratic luminaries including Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, have campaigned publicly with Lieberman, she has stayed away. She also announced last month that she would back the winner of the Democratic primary after Lieberman declared his intention to run for re-election as an independent if he loses to Lamont on Tuesday.
Still, Clinton has sent out e-mail alerts and appeared in brochures on Lieberman's behalf.
Lieberman's campaign Web site features a quote from Clinton praising his efforts to develop alternative energy and prevent oil companies from drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
Clinton's political action committee, HILLPAC, has contributed $10,000 to his re-election campaign this year.
Lieberman, a three-term veteran, was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in 2000 and came within a few hundred votes of gaining the White House with Al Gore. He also was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2004.
© Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
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