Lieberman staff told Dodd of McCain endorsement

Sen. Chris Dodd (D) said he learned fellow Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) had endorsed Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain for president through Lieberman’s staff.

Dodd, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, said at a Monday press conference that he “got a nice call” from Lieberman’s staff explaining the 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate’s reasoning for backing McCain.

{mosads}Dodd, who said he did not seek Lieberman’s endorsement, added: “Joe told me he was going to stay out of it.”

Politicians from the same state often support one another politically, and in 2004 Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who has remained neutral in this year’s race, endorsed home-state candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) for president. Relations between Lieberman and Dodd, however, have been strained since Dodd lent his support to Ned Lamont, who defeated Lieberman in last year’s Democratic primary. Dodd supported Lamont in the general election after he won the primary.

In 2004, Lieberman was surprised when his 2000 running mate, Vice President Al Gore, endorsed former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean instead of Lieberman. Gore did not call Lieberman in advance to inform him of the Dean endorsement.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who also supported Lamont, expressed disappointment with Lieberman’s backing of McCain.

“I wish he hadn’t done it,” said Schumer, who has endorsed fellow New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination. “I think that the needs of America are much more in line with what the Democratic Party is standing for.”

Lieberman’s endorsement came more than a year after Schumer and other Senate Democrats supported Lamont, a millionaire businessman who lost to Lieberman in the general election after Lieberman decided to run as an independent.

Even though he caucuses with Democrats, allowing them to retain their narrow Senate majority, Lieberman has been a reliable vote for Republicans on the war.  

Democratic leaers said they were getting no signals that Lieberman would switch parties and instead caucus with Republicans.