CTBlogger and I teamed up last night to interview Ned Lamont on Blogosphere Day (and on his weird habit of inviting the public to his public appearances, unlike his opponent).  Howie tells me we’ve raised a bunch o’ cash for progressive candidates today on our new Blue America ActBlue page, and if you hurry you can still donate to the Lamont campaign and Ned will match any donation given today.

Thanks to everyone who has so generously donated.  It’s hard to match the big buck donations by war profiteers and Big Pharma that have given Lieberman over $8 million in his war chest (we hear rumor of a NYT article on this tomorrow), but with many donations of $5, $10 and $20 at a time it can be done.

Update:  Woo hoo!!! As promised, here it is, and let’s have a big round of applause for NYT’s Jennifer Medina, who did not credulously fall for the "b…b…but Ned Lamont has Haliburton stock" story being pimped by Camp Lieberman and kept looking for the real finance scandal of this campaign: 

When it comes to supporting candidates for public  office, the Associated General Contractors of America gives 90 percent of its campaign contributions to Republicans.
And then there is Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.

The group, which represents the construction industry, wrote a $4,000 check last month to Mr. Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat who is facing a spirited challenge for his party’s nomination from a political novice, Ned Lamont. The money was just a sliver of the $260,000 he has collected from political action committees since March.

The group, which represents the construction industry, wrote a $4,000 check last month to Mr. Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat who is facing a spirited challenge for his party’s nomination from a political novice, Ned Lamont. The money was just a sliver of the $260,000 he has collected from political action committees since March.

But that donation and others like it have fed a perception, stoked by the Lamont  campaign and its supporters on the Internet, that Mr. Lieberman is too cozy with Republicans. It is a vexing assertion for Mr. Lieberman, whose centrist politics and pragmatic style, once a source of pride, are now is being held against him by liberals and antiwar Democrats.

He is drawing financial support, not unexpectedly, from interest groups that typically gravitate to incumbents. Mr. Lamont has received no contributions from political action committees, something his campaign boasts about. Instead, Mr. Lamont’s largest contributor is himself: He has already spent $2.5 million of his own money, and yesterday announced that he would personally match every dollar donated to his campaign over the Internet.

Anyone looking for evidence of Mr. Lieberman’s bipartisan  appeal can find it in his roster of recent contributors, which includes organizations that traditionally give more to Republicans. They include engineering and construction firms, some with contracts in Iraq. Those firms include Bechtel, Fluor International and Siemens, which support Republicans 64 to 70 percent of the time, according to data compiled by PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks campaign and lobbying activities.

Florida Power and Light, which supports Republicans 84 percent of the time, gave $5,000 to Mr. Lieberman. Areva Cogema, a builder of nuclear power plants that gives 70 percent of its contributions to Republicans, contributed $1,000.

An Ohio law firm that directs 80 percent of its donations to Republicans gave $1,000. SRA International, a technology consultant that favors Republicans 66 percent of the time, gave $1,000. America’s Health Insurance Plans, representing health insurers, gives to Republicans 71 percent of the time and  donated $2,000 to Mr. Lieberman.  (my emphasis)

Oh well, Holy Joe can still whine about the fact that Ned voted with the Republicans about which potholes to fill in Greenwich.   I’m sure there’s much political hay to be made there.

Update II:  Per Maura, you can thank Jennifer Medina here. 

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