Sen. Lamont would side with Senate Democrats, Connecticut Democrats, and the majority of the American public on Iraq:

Ned Lamont expressed shock that his opponent continued to refuse to join Democratic House and Senate leaders in calling for President Bush to begin pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of the year.

The measure, put forth in a letter by Democratic House and Senate leadership, calls for a phased redeployment to begin by Dec. 31, but did not set a deadline for all troops to be home. The July 30 letter is signed by every top Democrat on committees with oversight of military, intelligence and international affairs, but not Lieberman.

“I would support this measure, as I would other measures to establish a plan and begin bringing our brave troops home,” said Lamont. “It is exactly the kind of effort we need, solidifying the Democrats’ position and presenting a unified presence.”

This is one big reason why Rev. Jesse Jackson is speaking tonight in support of Ned's candidacy. Yesterday, Jackson wrote this moving appraisal of the stakes of this election, as he sees them:

To this day, Joe Lieberman still doesn’t get it. The 18-year incumbent Democratic Senator from Connecticut is in the battle for his political life in the Democratic primary. He dismisses his challenger – Ned Lamont, a Connecticut businessman whose campaign is grounded on opposition to the war in Iraq, as a single issue candidate.

But Iraq is not a single issue; it is a central issue – both for the country and for the Democratic Party....

Lieberman’s opponent, Ned Lamont, has run a principled campaign, devoid of personal attacks or gutter politics. He simply has agued, correctly, that Lieberman has not simply been wrong on the war, but a leader of the war hawks, the president’s favorite Democrat and leading defender....

Whatever happens in the primary next Tuesday, the message has already been sent. Americans don’t pay much attention to politics. They are easily roused by appeals to patriotism and fear. They tend to re-elect incumbents. But periodically, democracy works. A defining issue rouses opinion, and that leads to a defining election. In Connecticut, the Democratic primary is just that. And every member of the club better listen to what the voters are saying.