Dodd

Just when the pundits thought it was over for Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman rides to the rescue. Excerpt:

Lieberman’s embrace of Dodd is the latest indication that the once-icy relationship between the Independent senator and the Democratic Party is beginning to thaw. Lieberman’s endorsement of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president last year, coupled with his speech at the Republican National Convention last summer, infuriated Senate Democrats and nearly cost him his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. …

“The 2006 election was a terribly awkward time,” Dodd told The Hill. “We’ve been great friends for 40 years, so this was one of those moments when two people who had had a great relationship ran into a very awkward moment. He had to do what he had to do, and I was sort of stuck with what I had to do … But we just have a longstanding, deep friendship that goes beyond collegiality.”

During the 2006 campaign, Dodd was quoted saying his decision to back Lamont was “very difficult.” …

Today, Lieberman’s support denies the GOP the opportunity to drive a wedge between Dodd and Lieberman and feed a scenario that could split the vote against Dodd. It was just such a scenario that eventually defeated Lamont in the 2006 general election — he won 40 percent of the vote, compared to 10 percent for Republican nominee Alan Schlesinger and 50 percent for Lieberman. …

Simmons did not respond to a request for comment, and another possible opponent, CNBC host Larry Kudlow, would not comment, according to a CNBC spokeswoman.

A senior GOP Senate aide pointed out that it remains to be seen whether Lieberman will show enthusiasm for helping Dodd, such as by cutting advertisements or appearing with Dodd on the campaign trail.

Bit of GOP wishful thinking there at the end, and its interesting that Caligiuri isn’t on The Hill reporter’s screen.

This isn’t such a surprise. To the dismay of Lieberhaters, and the consternation of Democrats in general, Dodd was a member of President Obama’s whip team supporting Lieberman’s retention as Chairman of the upper chamber’s Homeland Security Committee a few months ago. Without it, Lieberman would have been relegated to back-bencher status and probably made an early and ignominious exit from the Senate.

That decision by the new President and Connecticut’s senior Senator has already paid some measurable dividends on the Administration’s policy agenda. Now it may prove to be a meaningful factor in stabilizing Dodd’s flagging political popularity.

We shall see.

Source: J. Taylor Rushing, “Frenemies Dodd and Lieberman make nice” The Hill 11 March 2009.