Former United States Senator Joseph Lieberman died Wednesday, reportedly from complications after a fall. Poetically, Senator Lieberman's fall from Democratic grace was almost as deadly to his career. Lieberman was still politically active while working for the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres in New York City. His political star rose from his relative fame in Connecticut to the United States Senate. He was the first Jewish nominee for Vice President and was part of Florida's famed pregnant and hanging chads voting fiasco in 2000. Eventually, the Supreme Court stepped in and ordered the counting to stop. The Court installed George Walker Bush as the 43rd President of America. When the counting stopped, five hundred and thirty-seven votes separated America from an Al Gore victory. Had Gore been victorious, it may have saved us from a disastrous economic policy that nearly plunged America into a second Great Depression and decisions that pushed the country into 20 years of war in the Middle East.
When someone famous dies, no matter what their stripe, a collective aww shucks is exclaimed to show respect. The Aww Shucks choir is in full force and will be louder at his funeral today. Words of praise came from both sides of the aisle, including President Biden. Senator Lieberman supported the abolishment of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military and backed abortion rights for women. His views on affirmative action were sketchy and wavered depending on expediency. I am sure Senator Joe Lieberman, to his family, friends, and colleagues, was a lovely man. After a failed presidential run in 2003, Lieberman met a strong challenge in the Democratic primary for his Senate seat from party-favored Ned Lamont. Lieberman lost the primary but mounted a bid as an independent and won the race with help from Republican voters and Independents. Mr. Lieberman caucused with the Democrats, but calling him a Democrat after he felt the party abandoned him in the primary was a stretch.
From then on, Senator Lieberman turned his back on the party, and his vote during the Medicare for All debate resulted in his decision to stop the Public Option. Lieberman stood fast in his support of George W. Bush invading Iraq and advocated for bombing Iran. In 2008, Lieberman backed his longtime friend, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), over the Democratic nominee, then-Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). In exchange for his support, McCain included him on his shortlist for his VP. Lieberman eventually withdrew his name from consideration. Although Lieberman had been the nominee with Gore for the Democrats, being a Jew was a bridge (לְגַשֵׁר) too far for the Republicans. Yet, Lieberman moved his positions from center-left to center-right and alienated his Democratic contemporaries. Even though Lieberman had been a strong proponent of doing something on climate change and supported abortion rights and gay rights, his hawkishness on war issues left him at odds with Democrats. His excoriating speech condemning Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal left him a man without a political country.
Mr. Lieberman’s parting shot to the Democrats was being one of the co-founders of No Labels. Lieberman was an intelligent and sophisticated politician who knew the dangers of playing politics with a country on the verge of a potential autocracy. Lieberman will be missed by many and cursed by some. His voting record was filled with contradictions and complexity, but in the end, it's simple: death opens us up to not only grief but examination.
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