The Truth About Joe

The Truth About Joe: "Late last week, Sen. Joe Lieberman proudly unveiled a national group called “Dems for Joe,” landing a story in Roll Call newspaper to trumpet his supposedly broad-based support by Democrats. Yet, a closer look at who is in this group shows that many of its principals are, in fact, major corporate lobbyists with a vested financial interest in keeping Lieberman in Washington. As you may recall, Lieberman is still holding regular fundraisers with these lobbyists in Washington, and his D.C. financial operation is being headed up by Michael Lewan – the same Michael Lewan who was Lieberman’s chief of staff, and the same Michael Lewan who was the Enron lobbyist that repeatedly met with Lieberman’s office during the Enron investigation Lieberman helped slow down. Lewan was the one who explained to the Hartford Courant why Lieberman is getting so much support from corrupt interests in Washington. “The Washington lawyers and lobbyists in those rooms will come back for Joe Lieberman,” he said. “Who knows what Lamont would be like?”

Lieberman’s press release celebrating the formation of “Dems for Joe” lists John Breaux, Dennis DeConcini, Mel Levine, Norman D’Armours, Steve Elmendorf, Tony Podesta and Buddy Darden as major founding members. Each of these men is a major Washington lobbyist who stands to financially gain from having a reliable ally like Lieberman keep his job. In all, roughly 40 percent of the former elected officials Lieberman cites in his “Dems for Joe” group are Washington lobbyists. Here is a look at some of the key lobbyists who make up “Dems for Joe”:"