Upgrading Connecticut, from Joe Lieberman to Chris Murphy

Rep. Chris Murphy Six years ago, we defeated Joe Lieberman in a Democratic primary in Connecticut because of his support for the war in Iraq. It was a watershed movement for us as a movement, and for the Democratic Party'which realized that it could safely oppose the Iraq War, and it rode that opposition to big victories that November.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish off Lieberman that November, and his reelection as independent in a three-way contest allowed him to continue watering down the Democratic agenda and otherwise being a thorn on our side.

But last year, with other Democrats demurring, Rep. Chris Murphy stepped up and promised to finish off what we started in 2006. Not long afterward, Lieberman announced his retirement.

We are almost done with our task. Sure, Lieberman can now take his Fox News schtick into retirement, but we now need to replace him with a true progressive Democrat, we need need to make sure that Chris Murphy becomes the next U.S. senator from Connecticut.

As we talk of upgrading the Senate, few seats present a clearer opportunity.

Chris Murphy first won his seat in Congress in 2006 by defeating a 24-year Republican incumbent with an anti-war message. In fact, Murphy's grassroots campaign defeated the best-financed Republican in America. In Congress, he hasn't backed down on key issues like the public option, even when his fellow Democrats were running for cover. It's one reason he survived a fierce challenge during the Citizens United-fueled Republican wave of 2010.

If we are going to build progressive power, we need to make sure that a real Democrat like Chris Murphy replaces Joe Lieberman in the Senate, where he can bolster Sens. Sherrod Brown, Barbara Boxer, Al Franken, Sheldon Whitehouse, Ben Cardin, Bernie Sanders and others in the chamber's progressive wing.

That's why I'm proud to add Chris Murphy to our Orange to Blue fundraising effort. And lest anyone think that this is a gimme race in indigo Blue Connecticut, we can't be complacent. Murphy will face off in the general against Linda McMahon (who we saw a lot of in 2010). And just like last cycle, she's spending tens of millions trying to buy her way into the Senate.

The latest Quinnipiac poll has it Murphy 46, McMahon 43. We'll have to fight for this upgrade, and you can start by chipping in $3 today!