Former Sen. Joe Lieberman dies
US Senator Joseph Lieberman (R) and US Vice President and Democratic Presidential Candidate Al Gore (L) greet the audience during a rally in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 8, 2000, when Gore formally revealed Lieberman as his running mate for vice president.
Getty Images/AFP/Tannen Maury
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Lieberman's political development gained momentum. His hawkish foreign policy instincts caused him to diverge more and more from his party, and he was a fervent advocate of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which sparked a protracted conflict that many of his fellow Democrats eventually came to oppose.
In 2004, he launched his own bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, but it was a bust, further separating him from the party's leadership.
Although Lieberman's speech offended a lot of Democrats, it also played a big part in Vice President Gore's choice of him as his running mate. While Gore was embracing the popular Clinton legacy, particularly in the economic arena, he also wanted to make it clear to the American people that, in a campaign that Bush was molding as an effort to bring back "honor and dignity" to the White House, he disapproved of the former president's behavior.
Lieberman's fervent commitment of his Orthodox Jewish beliefs, which included refusing to work on Shabbat, will also be remembered. However, he made a well-known exception in 2009 when he strolled five miles from Georgetown to the US Capitol to oppose a Republican plan to reduce Medicare spending.
As he neared death, Lieberman was infuriating
Career in politics always beckoned
The news of Lieberman's passing was announced by his family in a statement honoring his historic American narrative.
Former US Senator Joseph I. Lieberman passed away in New York City this afternoon, March 27, 2024, as a result of complications following a fall. His age was eighty-two. According to the statement, "his beloved wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him as he passed."
"Throughout his life of service in the public interest, Senator Lieberman's love of God, his family, and America persisted," the statement read.
Until the very end of his life, Lieberman persisted in trying to find a common ground in politics. However, he emphasized that the No Labels campaign would not proceed if it proved to be beneficial to Trump.
Recalling with both friends and old enemies
On Wednesday, both former rivals and allies alike weren't slow to recall the political outsider.
In a statement sent to X, Gore expressed his "profound sadness" at the loss of his former running partner and stated, "It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail."
He was a guy of devoted religion and love for his family first and foremost. Hadassah, Hana, Matt, Rebecca, Ethan, his sisters, and everyone else mourning his loss have all got my deepest sympathies. Joe devoted his life to serving his country and was a guy of great integrity. He was a very talented leader, Gore added, whose kind demeanor and unwavering determination made him a formidable opponent.