Former US senator, Joe Lieberman, famed for being the first Jewish nominee for vice-president on a prominent party ticket in the 2000 elections with Al Gore, has sadly passed away at 82. The cause of his passing was complications from a fall in New York, his family announced. His political career was extensive, serving four terms as a senator for Connecticut.
Mr. Lieberman’s political trajectory was amongst the most contentious in modern US history. He was a significant figure for America’s Jewish community with his unique position alongside Al Gore, but he sparked considerable criticism from Democrats with his approval of President George W. Bush’s Iraq War, signalling his shift towards the right.
Despite seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, his pro-war stance marred his potential candidacy amidst growing public resentment towards the invasion and its bloody consequences. This led to his rejection by Connecticut Democrats in his 2006 campaign for a fourth Senate term.
Nevertheless, standing as an independent candidate, he succeeded in retaining his Senate seat, attributing it to a vindication of his standpoints, enjoying significant backing from Republican and independent electorate.
By 2008, Mr. Lieberman had become a prominent supporter of Republican senator John McCain against Democrat Barack Obama, who was vying to become America’s first Black president.
Mr Lieberman’s political career garnered both admiration and hostility, crossing party lines. He earned considerable commendation from Democrats due to his clear support for civil, gay, and abortion rights along with environmental causes, fulfilling the archetype of a northeast liberal. He also played a crucial role in the creation of the US Department of Homeland Security.
Notably, he was the initial Democrat on a national platform to publicly admonish President Bill Clinton over his illicit affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. This brought upon him the wrath of his party, despite the fact that such a stance has become commonplace following the #MeToo movement.
As Mr. Lieberman searched for a political constituency outside of Democrat politics, it was rumoured that his friend, Senator John McCain, considered choosing him as vice-president for the Republican ticket in 2008. Despite this, his historical association with liberal policy was deemed too unpopular for Mr. McCain’s conservative base, leading him to choose Sarah Palin over Mr. Lieberman.
When Mr. Lieberman announced his departure from the Senate in 2013, he admitted that he didn’t always conform to traditional political classifications, and felt a primary duty to represent his constituents, state and nation, ahead of his political affiliation.
The former Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, once confessed that even though he didn’t always agree with Mr. Lieberman’s independent mindset, he held a deep respect for him. He voiced this by stating, “Despite our disagreements, I have never questioned Joe Lieberman’s convictions or his loyalty to our country.”
Upon leaving the Senate, Mr. Lieberman accepted a position with a legal firm in New York and joined several corporate boards – a common move for retired senators. However, his public stances remained a blend of left-wing and right-wing ideologies.
He publicly supported Donald Trump’s controversial relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and also supported Trump’s conservative education secretary, Betsy DeVos – who was critically viewed by many on the left. Concurrently, he endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020 for their presidential campaigns.
Mr. Gore paid tribute to Lieberman, lauding him as an “extraordinarily talented leader” whose engaging persona and determined spirit made him a formidable figure, remembering particularly his support of the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Regarding their relationship, Mr. Obama stated that although he and Mr. Lieberman didn’t always share the same viewpoint, he applauded the former senator’s support in repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and passing the Affordable Care Act.
In 2021, Mr. Lieberman espoused his belief in compromise in his book The Centrist Solution, in which he likened far-right extremists to progressive leftists, indicating a shift from the political core in both parties, but he remained confident that the moderate elements within the Republican Party would eventually regain control.