There's a new kid on the political block in Connecticut, and he's challenging three-term senator Joe Lieberman for the Democratic senatorial nomination in 2006.

His name is Ned Lamont, a successful 20-year entrepreneur and community leader with degrees from Harvard and Yale universities. And he's far more liberal than Senator Lieberman, who's known as the Democrat most admired by Republicans. Per the Stamford Advocate newspaper, " Lamont has been an outspoken critic of Lieberman for his support of the Iraq war and his voting record on such issues as judicial appointments and intelligence-gathering techniques."

While polls show that Lieberman should beat Lamont by a wide margin, the senator can't take reelection for granted as a gaping fissure in the Democratic Party rapidly broadens and deepens between leftwing progressives and centrist-leaning, moderate Democrats such as Joe Lieberman.

Writes top liberal blog MyDD : "I love MoveOn.org/ It's an organization I've supported and contributed to and it's an organization I take seriously. When they raised the anti-Lieberman banner a few months ago I responded at once and when Ned Lamont jumped into that race last week I was one of the first bloggers to interview him, write a story on him and set up an ACT BLUE page for him. "

Lamont has been endorsed by former US Senator Lowell Weicker, who was defeated in 1988 by Lieberman for this senate seat. Weicker remains a respected voice in Connecticut politics, and despite being Republican, "was always regarded as somewhat of a maverick, and a moderate-to-liberal voice in an increasingly-conservative Republican Party," per Wikipedia.

And Kiki Kennedy, daughter-in-law of Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), has notably been been introducing Mr. Lamont to the Kennedy family social circle, likely for campaign contributions and potential endorsements. Mrs. Kennedy's husband, Edward Kennedy, Jr., had reportedly considered challenging Senator Lieberman in this 2006 primary election.

Although Mr. Lamont has pledged to spend $1 million of his own fortune on this campaign, Senator Lieberman feels that he will win the August 8 Connecticut Democratic primary.

Said Lieberman to the Stamford Advocate, "I don't think an angry, one-issue campaign works in Connecticut. I ask to be judged on my full record of service to the people of the state and the state and the results that I've brought home. Based on my record, I'm going to make my case to the voters of Connecticut."

Democratic anger at Senator Lieberman over his wholehearted embrace of the Iraq War is a significant issue, though, and not to be overlooked. Wrote Kos of DailyKos in January 2006, "Lamont is not a fringe candidate, and this isn't a hopeless battle. Uphill, yeah. Improbable, yup. But not hopeless.... we've got ourselves quite an epic showdown brewing.

I plugged in to the gossip mill while in DC over the weekend, and this race has got everyone talking. The buzz is that Lieberman is freaking out, going so far as to demand that the Dem senate caucus help him eliminate this primary threat. However, those pleas don't appear to have been well received. He's on his own.

Take that with all the appropriate grains of salt and file away under 'rumor' (even though the source is pretty darn good). But there's a reason that Lieberman has hinted he'd run as an independent in the general election if ousted in the primary. For him to even consider that possibility and vocalize it means it's on his mind. The grassroot groups in Connecticut are furious at Lieberman, and Lamont is the beneficiary."
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