Saturday, May 27, 2006 by the Los Angeles Times
Strong Signs of Rift Among Democrats
Support for a Challenger to Longtime Sen. Joe Lieberman Indicates Tensions Over Iraq War
by Ronald Brownstein

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With the involvement of these groups, the face-off between Lieberman and Lamont in Connecticut's Aug. 8 primary has emerged as the focal point of tensions between Democratic liberals and centrists over the party's direction.

"This is a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party," said Marshall Wittmann, a senior fellow at the centrist Democratic Leadership Council. "It will have repercussions for the 2008 presidential campaign and whether centrists will feel comfortable within the Democratic Party."...

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Wittmann said that if Lamont and his allies succeed in ousting Lieberman, "it would be devastating to the Democratic Party" by suggesting that centrists are no longer welcome.

"This shows that is trying to precipitate a civil war within the party," he said.