September 06, 2006
Lamont Opposes Impeachment
An entrepreneurial-minded Ned Lamont stopped by the Christian Science Monitor breakfast in DC today; 30 reporters, including the Hartford Courant's David Lightman and reps from two of the three broadcast networks, attended.
Lamont's opening statement was technocratic. He started with "the numbers," as he as a "business guy" is wont to do. 47M Americans have no health care; there are 63 lobbyists for each member of Congress; there were 6K earmarks on the transportation bill. He said he decided to run to change all that. Lamont: "If you're a business person, you tend to be a little pragmatic if it's not working."
He said he wanted to spent "as little as possible" of his own money during the gen. election campaign, but acknowledged that he'd probably have to write himself a check. He declined to put a figure on his future self-funding. Lamont implied that he would ask DSCC chair Chuck Schumer for help with fundraising. The two meet today in person for the first time.
Asked if he thought Sen. Hillary Clinton was taking of advantage of his alliance with anti-war activists to improve her own credentials, he demurred, but noted: "I had an awful lot of people who didn't want to ... meet me on Tuesday afternoon who were willing to talk on Tuesday evening." And, he added, "I like my new friends." So how is HRC different than Lieberman? Lamont allowed that Clinton, "three and a half years later," called for a new direction. Lieberman still hasn't, he said.
Lamont said that if Pres. Bush replaced Rumsfeld with Lieberman at DoD, "In my world, that's a lateral move." (As Lightman reports, Lamont said he wouldn't support a Sec/Def Lieberman nomination.)
Lamont said he does not support impeaching Pres. Bush and would not support House Dem efforts to move on an impeachment proceeding. Lamont: "I'd oppose that." More Lamont: "I don't think I've see anything that would be an impeachable offense."
Asked to name Republicans outside the NE that he admires, Lamont cited Sen. John McCain for his opposition to the prosecution of the war and his stance against "pork hidden in the transportation bill" as well as Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) for his foreign policy vision.
Ex-Kerry comm. dir Stephanie Cutter is a consultant to Lamont; she accompanied him to breakfast. [MARC AMBINDER]
Posted at 11:39 AM
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