Can someone clear up the Obama - Lieberman mentor and endorsement thing for me?

[Muttocracy]

I'm seeing comments here about Obama "picking" Lieberman as his mentor as freshman senator. Do they "pick" them or are they "assigned"? On a different blog I saw the word "assigned" and I couldn't find anything about it on senate.gov

Did Obama campaign for Lieberman, and if so, was it during the CT Dem primary, or the CT Senate general election? (Same thing, I'm seeing different things different places).

Thanks!

[polichick]

1. I've heard they are assigned mentors...

And that Obama campaigned for Lieberman's opponent.

[MojoMojoMojo]

12. You are mistaken he didnt support Anti-War candidate

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/04/02/164/90446
Who came to his rescue? Sen. Barak Obama, with a ringing endorsement.

"I know that some in the party have differences with Joe," Senator Obama said, all but silencing the crowd. "I'm going to go ahead and say it. It's the elephant in the room. And Joe and I don't agree on everything. But what I know is, Joe Lieberman's a man with a good heart, with a keen intellect, who cares about the working families of America."

Then, with applause beginning to build, he finished the thought: "I am absolutely certain that Connecticut's going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the United States Senate." That time, people cheered loudly.

[anigbrowl]

17. Your link is from April: this is from October

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/26/lamont_gets_lift_from_obama_lieberman_campaigns_with_landrieu/

Nice try, but you fail.

[polichick]

20. Thanks for posting that...

I was beginning to wonder if I'd imagined the whole thing! lol

[MojoMojoMojo]

29. Yes I see we are both correct

[emilyg]

30. He requested Lieberman.

[CoffeeCat]

2. Obama did not campaign for

Lieberman. In fact, he did the opposite. He endorsed Lamont.

Yes, Joe Lieberman showed Obama around when he first came to the Senate. After Obama
endorsing Lamont, I think it's pretty obvious how Obama feels about lieberman and
his politics. That's what is most important.

[Muttocracy]

3. endorsed Lamont - thanks

if that's the case, I wish other people would stop posting the opposite...

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. In fairness, Clinton also endorsed Lamont... *after* the primary.

She endorsed ( if memory serves) Lieberman in the primary vs. Lamont.

I'm not sure when Obama endorsed Lamont, i.e. before or after Lamont was the party nominee.

That would be a fair basis of comparison with Clinton.

Anyone?

[Muttocracy]

9. I'm not even worried about vs. Clinton - I just want to understand what happened nt

[kristopher]

25. Hillary sat on her hands; Bill campaigned for Lieberman as indy against Lamont as Dem

[Smarmie Doofus]

32. Vile if true. Bill Clinton campaigned *against* the DEM nominee...

... in the CT senate race?

[OzarkDem]

4. Obama goes whichever way the wind blows

at the time he was elected to the senate, he admired Joe Lieberman. When it became risky for his career he changed his tune.

[Muttocracy]

5. what does "admired" mean?

like, how does one document that? How did Clinton and other Senators feel back in 2000/2001 when Joe had just been the VP nominee (and by the election, should have been VP?)

Personally, I didn't admire him at all back then, but a lot of Dems. did.

[democrattotheend]

23. I liked Lieberman back then

Or at least, I was pretty proud of having the first Jew on a major party ticket. I was only 16 then, so I did not know much else about him. But he didn't really become that bad until he started supporting the war in 2002.

[Muttocracy]

26. He was far to the right of Gore and pretty conservative on social issues

or at least that's my memory of it.

[MojoMojoMojo]

8. I believe your facts are reversed.Obama helped Lieberman in the campaign

But Lamont endorsed Obama in spite of that.

[Muttocracy]

11. during the primary, or the Nov election, or both??? nt

[anigbrowl]

18. You need to do more research

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/26/lamont_gets_lift_from_obama_lieberman_campaigns_with_landrieu/

[MojoMojoMojo]

6. They are assigned,but Lieberman states that Obama requested him

I see no reason why Lieberman would lie about that,and Obama has never denied it.

[Muttocracy]

10. so is it done by each party leadership in the Senate? nt

[book_worm]

13. They are assigned. Bottom line too, who did Lamont endorse for president?

Obama. While Lieberman is supporting Hillary's buddy McCain.

[Muttocracy]

16. thanks for post - will try to figure this out

had a headache earlier today and it's back :crazy:

[MojoMojoMojo]

14. OBAMA ENDORSED LIEBERMAN

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/04/02/164/90446
"Who came to his rescue? Sen. Barak Obama, with a ringing endorsement.

"I know that some in the party have differences with Joe," Senator Obama said, all but silencing the crowd. "I'm going to go ahead and say it. It's the elephant in the room. And Joe and I don't agree on everything. But what I know is, Joe Lieberman's a man with a good heart, with a keen intellect, who cares about the working families of America."

Then, with applause beginning to build, he finished the thought: "I am absolutely certain that Connecticut's going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the United States Senate." That time, people cheered loudly."

[Muttocracy]

15. thanks for link, will read later nt

[anigbrowl]

19. Keep on lying - he endorsed Lamont

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/26/lamont_gets_lift_from_obama_lieberman_campaigns_with_landrieu/

[Muttocracy]

21. thanks - more for my reading list

[book_worm]

22. That was in the primary. Who did Bill and Hill support in the primary? Joe

In fact Bill held a big rally for Joe, something he never did for Lamont. Meanwhile Obama campaigned for Lamont and Lamont endorsed Obama for president over Clinton.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

33. In the primary. So did Hillary Clinton.

Both went on to endorse Lamont in the general. You are deliberately misleading the OP with this.

[democrattotheend]

24. He endorsed Lieberman in the primary, Lamont in the general

As did many progressive Democratic senators, including Barbara Boxer. It's not unusual for senators to endorse a colleague over a challenger in the primaries. But once Lamont won the primary, Obama got behind him, as did most Democratic senators and the Democratic leadership. Obama went beyond a lot of his Senate colleagues and campaigned for Lamont in October: http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/26/lamont_gets_lift_from_obama_lieberman_campaigns_with_landrieu/

I think Lamont's endorsement of Obama in the presidential primary should put to rest any concern that he is too close to Lieberman or aspires to be another Lieberman. The mentorship was simply procedural.

[Muttocracy]

27. thank you for a clear answer to my OP!

:hi:

[MojoMojoMojo]

28. Agreed

[lmbradford]

31. sure...

When a new senator goes to Washington they are ASSIGNED a mentor to help them with procedure and process.

That's it, end of story and anything else is bs.