Schumer vs. Kos?
Not surprisingly, Markos, writing at DailyKos, is not happy with the leeway DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer gave himself and the DSCC regarding Joe Lieberman should the incumbent Dem senator decide to abandon the Dem primary in favor of an indie bid. Schumer hinted that if Lieberman promised to caucus with the Dems and support Harry Reid as Maj. Leader, the DSCC would consider either sitting out or doing something proactively for Lieberman.
The problem the DSCC might have, though, is more than just the "mission" statement Kos cites regarding the cmte's endorsement procedure. While we're trying to get some legal clarification on this, there is something "official" that a state Dem party has to do in order to allow the DSCC to transfer money to help a particular candidate. For instance, the DSCC made sure the VT Dem Party endorsed Bernie Sanders in VT SEN before the DSCC could publicly touted its support of the "independent" member of Congress.
In order to financially support an indie Lieberman, does the DSCC need to have the CT Dem Party officially endorse Lieberman's indie run? Can the state party do that if Ned Lamont wins the Dem primary? Of course, the DSCC could simply sit out, something they regularly do in senate races where they don't believe party outcome is in jeopardy. It's easy to see how the DSCC could look at the CT landscape and believe that the two most likely winners in November will be candidates who will support Reid as majority leader. [CHUCK TODD]
This certainly is one of the most interesting races in 2006 - I am a very moderate Republican and would love to see more indies in the Senate (and elsewhere). I hope that Ned Lamont wins the primary and then Joe can be the indie that he is.
I still wonder whether similar steps should be taken by moderate Republican Chafee in Rhode Island?
-americanmoderateparty.blogspot.com
Perhaps it isn't so much the ability for the DSCC to independently financially support Lieberman so much as it is to be able to have coordinated party expenditures?
See pages 34, 35 and 108 of http://www.fec.gov/pdf/partygui.pdf