Lamont's Out-of-Town Friends

In the latter days of the Connecticut primary, I reported on the inclusion of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in the Lamont campaign, and suggested that it probably wasn't that wise a decision to include those guys in the campaign. During his victory speech both black activists were on full display in prominent positions on the victory podium. Big mistake, as Bob Novak confirms:

Old-line Connecticut Democrats who backed insurgent candidate Ned Lamont against Sen. Joseph Lieberman were appalled to see their candidate flanked at his Tuesday night primary election celebration in Meriden, Conn., by two contentious African-American political activists from out of state.

On either side of Lamont during his victory speech were the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York and the Rev. Jesse Jackson of Chicago. Each nodded affirmatively as Lamont spoke, giving the impression that they were his close advisers.

Faithful Democrats urged Lamont's managers to get the two former left-wing presidential candidates away from the Connecticut campaign. The danger is that they might drive Republican, independent and even some Democratic voters into support of Lieberman's independent candidacy.

Lamont, who is clearly a political amateur, may have successfully torpedoed his general election campaign before he finished his victory speech. The first polls out in the immediate aftermath of the election have Lieberman up by 5 points or so, but the more the voters focus on Lamont and his new friends, the worse he's going to look.