Governor Jodi Rell, the most important Republican in Connecticut, is remaining neutral in the Senate race, and doesn't appear to be endorsing the GOP candidate, Alan Schlesinger.

I just got off the phone with Rell's spokesperson, Rich Harris. And I gave him three or four chances to say that Rell is supporting Schlesinger. He declined in every case, saying over and over again: "He is the state party nominee." Asked each time if that meant she was endorsing him, he just repeated the phrase. Until there's a more definitive statement, that means no endorsement.

Whether by coincidence or by design, the Connecticut GOP is doing things that are very helpful to Joe Lieberman. It isn't giving any genuine support to the GOP candidate. It also appears to have abandoned earlier efforts to get Schlesinger out of the race. That is very helpful to Lieberman, because it means that the would-be GOP candidate who'd have a much better chance of pulling actual votes won't be able to run. The result: Lieberman is far more likely to pull the GOP votes he needs if he's to prevail over the Dem nominee, Ned Lamont.

UPDATE: It should also be mentioned that Rell and Schlesinger have clashed before, with Rell trying to drive him from the race. But now she's accepted his candidacy, and the expected thing would be for the GOP governor to endorse the party's candidate for Senate.

UPDATE II: Joe Lieberman himself commented to Political Wire about Rell's lack of support for Schlesinger here.