ME-SEN: War Declared

Rep. Tom Allen has officially filed to challenge Susan Collins for Senate in what will be one of the better pickup opportunities for Democrats this cycle. And Collins went ahead and put a huge target on her back by employing Holy Joe Lieberman to help her raise cash.

Not only has Lieberman endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.) -- one of Democrats' biggest targets in the 2008 cycle -- but he's planning to co-host a fundraiser for her on June 21 in Washington, D.C.

The event, which will be held in a Capitol Hill location still to be determined, will feature Lieberman and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) -- a very rare bipartisan fundraiser. Attendees are being asked to raise $3,000; $2,000 would come in the form of a political action committee donation while the other $1,000 would be a personal contribution, according to an electronic invite for the fundraiser obtained today by The Fix.

"Let's try to make this a bi-partisan tour de force," reads the invite.

Now we'll have a proxy war and a perceived opportunity to beat Lieberman. The Collins campaign really won't know what hit them.