MyDD :: Labor Stalwart Rick Melita Joins Lamont Campaign

Labor Stalwart Rick Melita Joins Lamont Campaign

by Matt Stoller, Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 12:47:04 AM EST

Last week I blogged about a rumor that the Lamont campaign was hiring a serious union figure in Connecticut. I confirmed that today. Rick Melita, who has 25 years of experience in Connecticut local and union politics and field organizing is coming on staff to the Lamont campaign to be the field director.

Ned Lamont has a very serious campaign operation going on.

Now let's get Ned to 3000 donors...

Update: In the comments, Nonpartisan points out that Lieberman is hiring 5 field directors for $3000/month and 20 field organizers for $2000/month through Democratic GAIN. He'll have a fearsome ground game. I have to say, most people who takes a job like that will be miserable. Politics is about compromise, so working for someone you're not excited about is one thing. But it is downright awful to work for someone you don't actually support just for your career.

Tags: Ned Lamont, Joe Lieberman, Connecticut (all tags)

Permalink :: 7 Comments :: Post a Comment

Lamont's gonna need that money (none / 0)

Lieberman's hiring what's got to be the biggest Senate campaign team ever assembled in a tiny state like Connecticut -- twenty field organizers and five regional field directors. (You have to log into DemocraticGain.com to see those listings, but it's worth it.) He's basically hiring workers for what's usually done on a volunteer basis. Is it because no one wants to volunteer for Lieberman? Maybe -- but it doesn't change the fact that the guy's going to have a really fearsome ground game, and he's starting now.

Ned needs a really top-notch field team in place ASAP, or he's done.

ProgressiveHistorians: History For Our Future

by Nonpartisan on Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 01:10:28 AM EST

Re: Lamont's gonna need that money (none / 0)

no too fast, I've spent many years in field, no matter how great the staff team is, if you don't have the support of the people under you it's a hollow shell.

Lamont is going to have better staff and has the grassroots support!

(disclaimer, i interviewed with Rick this am so I've a bias :)

http://www.johnedwards.com/nh

by epv72 on Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 09:33:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Lamont's gonna need that money (none / 0)

Umm, door knocking and phone banking is usually volunteer, but most campaigns hire field directors and volunteer coordinators, don't they?

by dansomone on Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 04:47:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Campaign (none / 0)

Ned Lamont needs Lowell Weicker's endorsement. That would put the nail in Joe's coffin.

by global yokel on Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 01:28:19 AM EST

He's (none / 0)

got it already.

ProgressiveHistorians: History For Our Future

by Nonpartisan on Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 01:35:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Labor Stalwart Rick Melita Joins Lamont Campai (none / 0)

the sad thing about all of this is that lamont has almost no shot in this one. realistically, only a strong and prolonged anti-lieberman media campaign that focused on lamont as the alternative could take this guy out.

by island empire on Fri Mar 31, 2006 at 10:39:31 AM EST

Re: Labor Stalwart Rick Melita Joins Lamont Campai (none / 0)

"Realistically", that's just what we're getting, courtesy of repeated Liberman gaffes.

Ned Lamont should have no shot against a Senator, a former VP candidate, and the entire Connecticut Democratic machine-- but that is just what we're seeing . As a strong believer in "Joementum" you know Joe Lieberman is troubled by these recent events and somehow must figure out how to rein in this thing before it breaks completely away from him.

by Scarce on Sat Apr 01, 2006 at 08:31:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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