Webloggin » Ned Lamont's Dirty Laundry

The Hartford Courant published an article this weekend that paints a more complete picture of the left’s poster boy from Connecticut.

Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont is having trouble moving from the small stage of a primary campaign with its appeal to partisans to the main stage of the general election, which requires the attention of the state’s 2.1 million voters. Since the Aug. 8 primary, Lamont has done little more than repeat his opposition to the war in Iraq and carp about Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s independent bid for a fourth term.

The article discusses the opposition that Lamont gave to the Communication Workers of CT Local 1298 when union president Bill Henderson had the temerity to suggest that the union be let into Lamont Digital. Lamont gave him the cold shoulder and went into spin mode when criticized about it.

Ned Lamont at Union Led Anti Wal-Mart Rally

When Henderson, a Lieberman supporter, complained in public about Lamont’s anti-union attitude in his own business, registered lobbyist and Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan called it a “red herring” because Lamont’s employees are well compensated. But Henderson points out that unions aren’t only about wages. They also secure better working conditions and the dignity of their members. Lamont and, suddenly, Swan aren’t interested in the union credo.

This is just the base of the hill that Lamont must climb. The following skeletons are finally being discussed by people in the media who have an opportunity to inform the voting public.

Lamont’s wife was successfully sued for securities fraud in 1999 for her role in a disastrous public offering of stock by a Florida medical management company that went bust in a big way. Ann Lamont and other defendants entered into a multimillion-dollar settlement with fleeced shareholders. The records are sealed and the Lamont campaign will not reveal much about the settlement.
That income tax return also showed that although Lamont expresses worry about American jobs going overseas, he’s not so upset that he won’t profit from foreign investments. Nearly a third of that $2.9 million income came from investments in foreign funds.
The much reported criticism by Lamont of Lieberman in the Lewinsky scandal blew up in his face when it was revealed that he sent a rambling letter to Lieberman in 1998 praising Lieberman and calling Clinton’s behavior “outrageous.”
There are others such as his association with Al Sharpton and his stinginess at only donating $5,385 of his $2.9 million dollar 2005 income to charity. Not much for an advocate of the down and out.

Don’t be surprised if Connecticut turns Lamont off when the whole state votes in November. The Daily Kos crowd is vastly more radical than Middle America. That segment of the populace includes the older generation folks who are slightly left of center; even Bill Clinton had the sense to recognize this fact. They are Joe Lieberman’s constituency. I can’t wait to see the far left will try and spin a Lamont loss into a win if Lieberman wins as an independent.

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