Senator Joe Lieberman Watch: Lieberman Defends Civil Rights Record

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman makes a point during a news conference in his Hartford, Conn.. campaign headquarters where he refuted points made earlier in the day at a news conference attended by rival Ned Lamont about his civil rights record.

AP: Lieberman defends civil rights record

Sen. Joe Lieberman defended his civil rights record, disputing a black Democratic group’s charge he lied about his 1960s activism fighting segregation in the South.

“That’s really outrageous and, of course, it’s a lie,” Lieberman said Wednesday.

The Connecticut Federation of Black Democratic Clubs, which includes 20 clubs across the state, endorsed Lieberman’s Democratic rival Ned Lamont and questioned whether he marched for civil rights.

“Senator, the Connecticut Federation of Black Democratic Clubs is offended by your television ad which claims you were an advocate for African-Americans’ first-class citizenship and as such you marched for our civil rights,” said Henry E. Parker, a former state treasurer, during a news conference attended by Lamont.

“Our research indicates that there is no evidence of you taking any action that could be described as an initiative to remove the shackles of second-class citizenship,” Parker said.

Lieberman’s campaign produced a 1963 college newspaper clip that cites Lieberman’s reporting from Jackson, Miss., about the arrests of civil rights workers. Lieberman was chairman of the Yale Daily News.

“Was I there?” Lieberman said. “You bet I was there.”

Lieberman said he led a group of Yale students to Mississippi. He also recalled being part of the Washington, D.C., crowd at the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famed “I Have a Dream” speech in August 1963.

Keep writing those self-promoting campaign checks, Ned.

Behind in the polls, Lamont has given $2 million to his campaign to unseat the three-term incumbent.

Lamont has contributed $8,751,500 of his own personal wealth to his Senate bid, including a $2 million check he wrote on Tuesday. The latest poll showed him trailing Lieberman, 48-40 percent, with Republican Alan Schlesinger at just 4 percent.

Has the Fat Lady sung?

NOPE, but warming up in this race.

Keep writin’ Ned…….

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