On the same day that Joe is coming to Waterbury with national figures and national media in tow, he got some significant support from Waterbury's Repubican Congresswoman, Rep. Nancy Johnson. In an interview on this morning's "Where We Live" on WNPR (mp3), Johnson, locked in a battle with Democrat Chris Murphy to keep her seat, praised Lieberman and disparaged her own party's candidate for Senate:

JOHNSON: I think the news that has come out about Mr. Schlesinger is extremely disappointing, and I think he should have revealed that going in, because whether people will vote for somebody who clearly has had a gambling problem, if they don't know, is a real issue. So I'm very disappointed about that. I also think, in terms of the Senate excitement that's going on right now, that, you know, Joe Lieberman has been good for Connecticut. We just don't realize - people in the state don't realize - what a powerful influence he is....

Q. I hadn't read that you've officially endorsed Mr. Lieberman. Are you endorsing him right now?

JOHNSON: I'm not endorsing Lieberman. I'm just saying that he has been good for Connecticut, because he's a senior member. He's a person with very great influence. And he's seen as a "thinker." You know, people who have the reputation of being a "thinker" do have more influence in the process. They sometimes don't come up as well on some of the thumbnails, bumper-sticker, judgment pads.

Q. Do you think Mr. Schlesinger should stay in the race?...

JOHNSON: I follow my governor on these issues, she's closer to it than I am. I agree with her that it's very disappointing to find this out at this point.... I think he needs to really search his soul as to whether he can be an effective senate candidate with this personal weakness.

This on the same day that John Rowland's Favorite Democrat, Waterbury mayor Michael Jarjura, welcomes Nancy Johnson's Favorite Democrat to town.