“We’re proud to stand behind a candidate with the courage to stand up for change and working families,” said Robert Madore of UAW. “Labor for Lamont is going to work as hard as we can for change. We will be going door to door, making phone calls and doing lit drops.

LIEBERMAN CAST KEY VOTE HELPING CREDIT CARD COMPANIES GOUGE MIDDLE CLASS: Lieberman cast a key vote for cloture on the credit card industry-written bankruptcy bill, which allows credit card companies and banks more leeway in bilking consumers with exorbitant interest rates. In return, Lieberman has received more than $1.1 million in campaign contributions from the banking and finance industry over his career. [Senate Roll Call Vote #29, 3/8/05; Center for Responsive Politics, Lieberman career profile]

Koch, who ran the Big Apple from 1978 to 1989, made headlines in 2004, when he endorsed Bush's re-election and helped Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg recruit volunteers for the national Republican convention in New York City.

Koch said at the time he was a "liberal with sanity" who supported the war and considered Bush the only candidate willing to "stand up to international terrorism."

The war and Bush have lost popularity, but Koch, in a brief interview yesterday, said he has no regrets about endorsing the Republican president and is confident in his backing of Lieberman. He and Bloomberg will co-host a Nov. 1 fundraiser for Lieberman....

Lieberman afterward said he was not concerned that aligning himself with the pro-Bush Koch would fuel his own reputation as a Bush ally.

More than one commuter told Lieberman: "I'm a Republican, but you've got my vote," and non-constituents such as Republican Ron Feinstone of New York wished him luck.

"I hang around some pretty conservative circles, and they all like Lieberman," he said.