Difference between revisions of "Joseph Lieberman"
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Revision as of 21:10, April 7, 2009
| Joseph Lieberman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| U.S. Senator from Connecticut From: January 3, 1989-present | |||
| Predecessor | Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. | ||
| Successor | Incumbent (no successor) | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Independent (Caucuses with Democrats) | ||
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Haas (div.) Hadassah Lieberman | ||
| Religion | Orthodox Judaism | ||
Joseph Isadore Lieberman, born February 24, 1942 (age 82), is an independent United States Senator of Connecticut, in the Democratic Party Senate caucus in the 110th Congress.
Contents
Early Life
Joseph Lieberman was born in Stamford, Connecticut, on February 24, 1942 where he attended local public schools. He graduated from Yale University in 1964 and later received a law degree from Yale Law School in 1967. Lieberman served in the Connecticut State Senate from 1970 until 1980 and was majority leader from 1974 until 1980. He later served as the attorney general of Connecticut in 1983, and from 1986 until 1988. In 1988, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and has been reelected three times.
National Politics
Lieberman has been very involved in Democratic Party politics. In August 2000, he was selected as Al Gore's Vice-Presidential running mate, making him the first openly Jewish candidate for high executive office. The Gore/Lieberman ticket won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College. Lieberman later criticized Al Gore for adopting a populist theme during their 2000 campaign, and stated he had objected to Gore's "people vs. the powerful" message, believing it was not the best strategy for Democrats to use to win the election. On January 13, 2003, Lieberman announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination as a candidate in the 2004 presidential election. Throughout the campaign he claimed that he was picking up "Joementum." Lieberman withdrew his candidacy on February 3, 2004 after failing to win any of the five primaries or two caucuses held that day.
United States Senate
Lieberman has gained the reputation as being a moderate Democrat, one with a conservative Judeo-Christian moral code. He was the first Democrat to challenge Bill Clinton for having an affair with Monica Lewinsky. However, he voted against removing Clinton from office. Lieberman is Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He once described himself as an Independent, saying "I agree more often than not with Democrats on domestic policy. I agree more often than not with Republicans on foreign and defense policy." Because of his support for the War in Iraq, he has toyed with the idea of switching his affiliation to Republican, although he still has a liberal record on many social issues, such as abortion. He voted against the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act which was enacted in 2003, and he supports availability of the abortion pill RU-486. He has a 100% pro-choice voting record, according to NARAL.[1] Along with Hillary Clinton, he was one of the handful of Senate sponsors of the Freedom of Choice Act.
Senate reelection, 2006
Despite serving as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, the Democratic nominee for Vice-President in 2000 and a former Democratic presidential candidate, many on the far-left wondered if Lieberman was committed to the Democratic Party. Liberal partisan Ned Lamont challenged Lieberman in a primary for his Senate reelection. Lamont won the primary but Lieberman then ran as an independent, creating the "Connecticut for Lieberman" party, and won the general election. He is now an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
2008 Endorsement
Senator Joe Lieberman has crossed party lines to endorse Republican candidate John McCain for president of the United States in 2008.[1] Because of his endorsement, he did not attend the Democratic Convention in Denver (it was the first time he missed the convention since first attending as a delegate of Representative Morris Udall in 1976). [2]
