The Demublican

Whose side is Joe Lieberman on?

By Jeffrey Bartholet | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Jan 24, 2008 | Updated: 1:29 p.m. ET Jan 24, 2008

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Sen. Joe Lieberman is one of the most loved and loathed men in politics these days. Many liberal Democrats loathe him because he broke with the party line on Iraq, strongly backing the war and the surge. These critics effectively exiled Lieberman from the Connecticut Democratic Party in 2006 when they backed a rival, Ned Lamont, for Lieberman's Senate seat. Lieberman was then forced to run (and win) as an independent. Yet many hawkish Democrats--and more than a few Republicans--love Lieberman for similar reasons. Supporters see him as a man of principle, willing to take risks and reach across party lines for what he believes.

What Lieberman believes now is that Republican John McCain should be the next president. There's even been speculation that the renegade Democrat could emerge as a VP choice if McCain wins the GOP nomination. NEWSWEEK's Jeffrey Bartholet spoke to Senator Lieberman at his Washington office as he was preparing to stump for his old Republican friend and colleague in Florida this weekend. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: You almost won the vice presidency as a Democrat in 2000, and you later ran as a Democratic presidential candidate. Now you're supporting a Republican for president. Why the change?
Joe Lieberman: Well, I would not have guessed that I'd be here. But part of it is [my] increasing concern that our politics has become much too partisan, and that partisanship has made it harder to get things done. Parties are important in our governmental system, but they're not more important than the public interest. I think increasingly Washington conducts itself in a way that seems to put party ahead of everything. And the parties are in turn being dominated, certainly in the nominating process, by inner-core groups that don't reflect the totality of the party and certainly not the totality of the country.

You're still a registered Democrat, correct?
I am.

So you won't be able to actually vote for McCain in the primary.
I won't. It's funny, I just thought of that [last night]. I started to make a note to myself to make sure I asked for an absentee ballot. And I realized: I can't vote for him, because the Republican Party in Connecticut doesn't allow Democrats to vote in its primary.

Will you vote in the Democratic primary?
No, I won't, because I'm supporting McCain.

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Posted By: fedupwithbullstuff @ 10/18/2009 2:40:54 PM

I like 'ole Joe because he has taken a step that many career ploiticians are afraid to take. He has decided that to best represent his folks, he can't be tied up with party politics. If there were a party for COMMON SENSE, I would be happy to Joe take charge and run it. I think most americans would appreciate the change, and a real 3rd party might get rid of the left wing nuts and the right wing nuts that are driving us all into oblivion. I truly believe that the vast majority are in the middle.
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Posted By: JJJJJ @ 03/17/2008 5:07:53 PM

McCain was given the opportunity to leave the POW camp in Vietnam because he was the son of an admiral, but instead choose to remain in captivity unitl EVERYONE else was released. His loyalty to his countrymen led to 6 more years of TORTURE. McCain is to be admired for this, and yes, he IS A HERO.

To MEREDITH_ROLLO, guardedlyoptimistic, Chaotician, and any other bleeding-heart, hate America, run and hide limousine liberals who CANNOT RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE TORMENT THAT MCCAIN ENDURED IN VIETNAM - SHAME ON YOU!!!!

How dare you call into question this man's allegience to his country. And dumb a@@ guardedlyoptimistic, Bush did not get into "2 wars" - Afghanastan was because of 9/11 - to you remember 9/11? You know, where 3,000 Americans were murdered!

Mrs Hate the Troops, MEREDITH_ROLLO , "Politicians will expend soldiers lives'.....and McCain should be familiar with that scenario!!! Just another 'Ivy League' appointed and supposed "War Hero"...." ----what the hell are you commenting about.? McCain was being tortured in a POW camp while the "ivy leages" were protesting the war from the comfort of their east coast mansion - so get your facts straight!!!!

People like you line up to spit on the returning soldiers while looking down from your ivory towers. Your are pathetic and your pious attitudes towards the troops makes me sick.
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Posted By: guardedlyoptimistic @ 03/15/2008 1:32:12 AM

I don't think you'll see Lieberman on the ticket...if that were likely I imagine McCain would have accepted Kerry's offer to be his vice presidential candidate in 2004. While I personally respect Mr McCain, I KNOW for sure that a vote for McCain is a vote for war and it's a vote for a continuation of Bush policies that have made the people of this country sick (sometimes literally) and tired of feeling less free, less secure, less proud, and definitely, less safe! Name one "accomplishment" of the Bush years? There are none...he's gotten us into 2 wars and ruined the economy! The Republicans inheirted a huge surplus when Bush became President and turned it into a colassal deficit! The government procured more secrecy and deceit for themselves while we suffered the loss of our civil rights! We were duped...that makes it a no brainer....they fooled us, twice! We know for certain that they lied to us, they spent all our money, lost our jobs, failed to protect us...and just generally lost interest in us....if you're willing to bend over again... you're going to get kicked in the ass...again..Sooooo, to avoid that ,vote for a Democrat and with a Democratic congress, things will get done that will benefit the people of this country and not just the corporations!