Joe Lieberman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2005 | |
| Chair of theSenate Homeland Security Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Susan Collins |
| Succeeded by | Tom Carper |
| In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Fred Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Susan Collins |
| United States Senator fromConnecticut | |
| In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Lowell Weicker |
| Succeeded by | Chris Murphy |
| 21stAttorney General of Connecticut | |
| In office January 5, 1983 – January 3, 1989 | |
| Governor | William O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Carl R. Ajello |
| Succeeded by | Clarine Nardi Riddle |
| Member of theConnecticut State Senate | |
| In office January 1971 – January 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Edward L. Marcus |
| Succeeded by | John Daniels |
| Constituency |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Isadore Lieberman (1942-02-24)February 24, 1942 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 2024(2024-03-27) (aged 82) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Congregation Agudath Sholom |
| Political party |
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| Other political affiliations | Senate Democratic Caucus (1989–2013) Connecticut for Lieberman (2006–2013) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Ethan Tucker (stepson) |
| Education | Yale University (BA,LLB) |
| Signature |  |
Lieberman questioning Defense SecretaryRobert Gates on troop reductions in Afghanistan. Recorded December 2, 2009 | |
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Early political career U.S. Senator from Connecticut
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Joseph Isadore Lieberman (/ˈliːbərmən/; February 24, 1942 – March 27, 2024) was an American politician and lawyer who served as aUnited States senator fromConnecticut from 1989 to 2013. Originally a member of theDemocratic Party, he was itsnominee for vice president of the United States in the2000 presidential election. During his final term in office, he was officially listed as anIndependent Democrat and caucused with and chaired committees for the Democratic Party.
Lieberman was elected as a Democrat in 1970 to theConnecticut Senate, where he served three terms as majority leader. After an unsuccessful bid for theU.S. House of Representatives in 1980, he served as theConnecticut attorney general from 1983 to 1989. He narrowly defeatedRepublican Party incumbentLowell Weicker in1988 to win election to the U.S. Senate and was re-elected in1994,2000, and2006. He was the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in the 2000 presidential election, running withpresidential nominee and then Vice PresidentAl Gore, and becoming the firstJewish candidate on a U.S.major party presidential ticket.[2][3]
Gore and Lieberman lost the 2000 Presidential Election to the RepublicanGeorge W. Bush–Dick Cheney ticket, while winning thepopular vote. He also unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in the2004 U.S. presidential election. During his Senate re-election bid in 2006, Lieberman lost the Democratic primary election but won re-election in the general election as athird party candidate under theConnecticut for Lieberman party label.
Lieberman was officially listed in Senate records for the110th and111th Congress as an Independent Democrat,[4] and sat as part of theSenate Democratic Caucus. After his speech at the2008 Republican National Convention in which he endorsedJohn McCain for president, he no longer attended Democratic Caucus leadership strategy meetings or policy lunches.[5] The Senate Democratic Caucus voted to allow him to keep the chairmanship of theSenate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Subsequently, he announced that he would continue to caucus with the Democrats.[6] Before the 2016 election, he endorsedHillary Clinton for president and in 2020 endorsedJoe Biden for president.
As senator, Lieberman introduced and championed theDon't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and legislation that led to the creation of theDepartment of Homeland Security. During debate on theAffordable Care Act (ACA), as the crucial 60th vote needed to pass the legislation, his opposition to thepublic health insurance option was critical to its removal from the resulting bill signed by PresidentBarack Obama.[7]
Lieberman was born on February 24, 1942, inStamford, Connecticut, the son of Henry, who ran a liquor store, and Marcia (née Manger) Lieberman.[8] His family is Jewish; his paternal grandparents emigrated fromCongress Poland and his maternal grandparents were fromAustria-Hungary.[9]
In 1963, Lieberman traveled to Mississippi to work in support of thecivil rights movement.[10] He received a Bachelor of Arts in bothpolitical science and economics fromYale University in 1964,[11] and was the first member of his family to attend college.[12] At Yale, he was editor of theYale Daily News and a member of theElihu Club.[13] While at Yale Lieberman was introduced to conservative thinkerWilliam F. Buckley Jr., who was also editor of theYale Daily News; Buckley and Lieberman maintained a social relationship.[14] His roommate wasRichard Sugarman, who later went on to become a Professor of Philosophy and Religion at theUniversity of Vermont and advisor to 2016 presidential candidateBernie Sanders.[15] Lieberman later attendedYale Law School, receiving hisBachelor of Laws in 1967.[16] After graduation from law school, Lieberman worked as a lawyer for theNew Haven-based law firm Wiggin & Dana LLP.[17]
Lieberman received an educational deferment from theVietnam Wardraft when he was an undergraduate and law student from 1960 to 1967. Upon graduating from law school at age 25, Lieberman qualified for a family deferment because he was already married and had a child.[18][19]
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Lieberman was elected to theConnecticut Senate in 1970, where he served for 10 years, including the last six as Majority Leader.[20] He suffered his first defeat in Connecticut elections in theReagan landslide year of 1980, losing the race for the third district congressional seat to RepublicanLawrence Joseph DeNardis,[21] a state senator from suburbanHamden[22] with whom he had worked closely on bipartisan legislative efforts.[23] In 1981 he wrote an admiring biography of long-time Connecticut and national Democratic leaderJohn Moran Bailey, reviewing also in the book the previous 50 years of Connecticut political history.[24]
From 1983 to 1989, Lieberman served asConnecticut Attorney General.[25] He argued one case before the United States Supreme Court,Estate of Thornton v. Caldor, Inc., a free exercise case involving Connecticut's repeal of itsblue laws.[14] In the 1986 general election, Lieberman won more votes than any other Democrat on the statewide ticket, including GovernorWilliam O'Neill.[26] As Attorney General, Lieberman emphasized consumer protection and environmental enforcement.[27]
Lieberman was first elected to theUnited States Senate as a Democrat in the1988 election, defeating liberal RepublicanLowell Weicker by a margin of 10,000 votes.[28] He scored the nation's biggest political upset that year,[29] after being backed by a coalition of Democrats and unaffiliated voters with support from conservativeRepublicans, most notably includingNational Review founder andFiring Line hostWilliam F. Buckley Jr. and his brother, former New York SenatorJames L. Buckley,[30] who were disappointed in three-term Republican incumbent Weicker's liberal voting record and personal style. During the campaign, he received support from Connecticut'sCuban American community, which was unhappy with Weicker. Thereafter, Lieberman remained firmly anti-Castro.[31]
Shortly after his first election to the Senate, Lieberman was approached byGeorge J. Mitchell, the incomingMajority Leader who advised him, "Pick out two or three areas that you're really interested in and learn them so that your colleagues know what you're talking about ... You're going to have more influence even as a freshman than you think because you know there's hundreds of issues and inevitably we rely on each other."[32] Recalling the conversation, Lieberman said "that was true when I first came in, although you could see partisanship beginning to eat away at that. But at the end of my 24 years, it was really so partisan that it was hard to make the combinations to get to 60 votes to break a filibuster to get things done."[32]
Lieberman'sinitiatives against violence in video games are considered the chief impetus behind the establishment of an industry-widevideo game rating system during the early 1990s.[33]
In 1994, Lieberman made history by winning by the largest landslide ever in a Connecticut Senate race, drawing 67 percent of the vote and beating his opponent by more than 350,000 votes.[20] Lieberman then served as chair of theDemocratic Leadership Council from 1995 to 2001.[34] In 1998, Lieberman was the first prominent Democrat to publicly challenge Clinton for the judgment exercised in hisaffair withMonica Lewinsky;[35] however, he voted against removing Clinton from office byimpeachment.[36] Of his criticism ofBill Clinton, Lieberman said in 2014:
It was a very hard thing for me to do because I liked him but I really felt what he did was awful and that unless I felt myself if I didn't say something, I'd be ahypocrite. I also felt that if somebody who was supportive of him didn't say something, it would not be good. And so it got a lot of attention. I got a call fromErskine Bowles who wasChief of Staff about three or four days later saying that he was going to express an opinion which wasn't universally held at theWhite House – he thought I helped the president by bursting the boil, that was the metaphor he used. The following Sunday morning, I'm at home and the phone rings, it's the White House. And it's now about a week and a couple of days since I made the speech. The president says, it was the president, "I just want you to know that there's nothing you said in that speech that I don't agree with. And I want you to know that I'm working on it." And we talked for about forty-five minutes. It was amazing.[32]
In 2000, Lieberman waselected to a third Senate term, defeating the Republican candidate,Philip Giordano.[37]
Lieberman's 2000 Senate campaign was concurrent withthat year's presidential election. In August 2000, Vice President Al Gore announced that he had selected Lieberman as his vice presidential running mate. Lieberman became the first practicingJew to run for the nation's second-highest office.[38] Lieberman was selected from a group of potential running mates that reportedly included SenatorsJohn Kerry andJohn Edwards, the team that would form the Democratic presidential ticketfour years later.[39]
Lieberman had a reputation of being a more ideologically conservative Democrat than Gore.[40] Because of Lieberman's criticism of Clinton's personal behavior, some viewed Gore's choice of Lieberman as a way to distance himself from the scandals of the Clinton White House.[41] The Gore–Lieberman ticket was defeated in a hard-fought election that was contested for weeks after the vote. On December 12, aU.S. Supreme Court ruling brought the race to an official end,confirming the decision in the favor of theBush-Cheney ticket.[20]
| Candidate | Votes[42] | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ned Lamont | 146,587 | 52% |
| Joe Lieberman | 136,468 | 48% |
Lieberman sought the Democratic Party's renomination for U.S. Senate from Connecticut in 2006 but lost to the comparatively more liberal[43]Ned Lamont, aGreenwich businessman[44] and antiwar candidate.[45] Lamont received 33 percent of the delegates' votes at the Connecticut Democratic Convention in May, forcing an August primary.[46]
In July, Lieberman announced that he would file papers to appear on the November ballot should he lose the primary, saying, "I'm a loyal Democrat, but I have loyalties that are greater than those to my party, and that's my loyalty to my state and my country."[47] He said he would continue to sit as a Democrat in the Senate even if he was defeated in the primary and elected on an unaffiliated line, and expressed concern for a potentially low turnout.[48] On July 10, the Lieberman campaign officially filed paperwork allowing him to collect signatures for the newly formedConnecticut for Lieberman party ballot line.[49]
On August 8, 2006, Lieberman conceded theDemocratic primary election to Ned Lamont, saying, "For the sake of our state, our country and my party, I cannot and will not let that result stand,"[50] and announced he would run in the2006 November election as an independent candidate on theConnecticut for Lieberman ticket, against both Lamont and the Republican candidate,Alan Schlesinger.[51]
Polls after the primary showed Lieberman leading by varying margins.[52]Alan Schlesinger barely registered support,[53] and his campaign had run into problems based on alleged gambling debts. According to columnistSteve Kornacki, Lieberman was therefore "able to run in the general election as the de facto Republican candidate – every major Republican office-holder in the state endorsed him – and to supplement that GOP base with strong support from independents."[54]
On August 9, 2006,Hillary Clinton, the juniorU.S. senator from New York, affirmed her pledge to support the primary winner, saying "voters of Connecticut have made their decision and I think that decision should be respected",[55] andHoward Dean called for Lieberman to quit the race, saying he was being "disrespectful of Democrats and disrespectful of the Democratic Party".[56] On August 10, in his first campaign appearance since losing the Democratic primary, referencing the2006 transatlantic aircraft plot, Lieberman criticized Lamont, saying: "If we just pick up like Ned Lamont wants us to do, get out [of Iraq] by a date certain, it will be taken as a tremendous victory by the same people who wanted to blow up these planes in this plot hatched in England. It will strengthen them and they will strike again."[57] Lamont noted Lieberman's position was similar toGeorge W. Bush andDick Cheney's position. Lamont said, "That comment sounds an awful lot like Vice President Cheney's comment on Wednesday. Both of them believe our invasion of Iraq has a lot to do with 9/11. That's a false premise."[57] Lieberman's communications director replied that Lamont was politicizing national security by "portraying [Lieberman] as a soul mate of President Bush on Iraq".[57]
As a Democrat, Lieberman earned an inordinate amount of support from some prominent conservatives in American politics. On August 17, 2006, theNational Republican Senatorial Committee stated that they would favor a Lieberman victory in the November election over Democratic nominee Ned Lamont; however, the NRSC stated that they were not going so far as to actually support Lieberman.[58] Former New York mayorRudy Giuliani praised Lieberman at aSouth Carolina campaign stop on August 18, saying he was "a really exceptional senator".[59] Five Democratic senators maintained their support for Lieberman, and Lieberman also received the strong support of former senator and Democratic stalwartBob Kerrey, who offered to stump for him.[60] Democratic minority leader Harry Reid, while endorsing Lamont, promised Lieberman that he would retain his committee positions and seniority if he prevailed in the general election. On August 28, Lieberman campaigned at the same motorcycle rally as Republican CongressmanChristopher Shays.[61] Shays told a crowd of motorcycle enthusiasts, "We have a national treasure in Joe Lieberman."Mel Sembler, a formerRepublican National Committee finance chairman, helped organize a reception that raised a "couple hundred thousand dollars" for Lieberman, who was personally in attendance. Sembler is a prominent Republican who chairedI. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby's legal defense fund.[62] New York MayorMichael Bloomberg held a fundraiser for Lieberman at his home in November, co-hosted by former mayorEd Koch and former SenatorAlfonse M. D'Amato.[63] Koch called Lieberman "one of the greatest Senators we've ever had in the Senate."[64]
Despite still considering himself a Democrat, Lieberman was endorsed by numerous Republicans who actively spoke out in favor of his candidacy. Lieberman was also the focus of websites such as ConservativesforLieberman06.com.[65] On November 7, Lieberman won re-election with 50% of the vote.Ned Lamont garnered 40% of ballots cast andAlan Schlesinger won 10%.[66] Lieberman received support from 33% of Democrats, 54% of independents and 70% of Republicans.[67]
When control of the Senate switched from Republicans to Democrats in June 2001, Lieberman became Chairman of theGovernmental Affairs Committee, with oversight responsibilities for a broad range of government activities. He was also a member of theEnvironment and Public Works Committee and chair of itsSubcommittee Clean Air, Wetlands and Private Property; theArmed Services Committee, where he chaired theAirland Subcommittee and sat on theSubcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities; and theSmall Business Committee. When Republicans gained control of the Senate in January 2003, Lieberman resumed his role as ranking minority member of the committees he had once chaired.[68]
Lieberman was an early supporter of the creation of theDepartment of Homeland Security as the chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee,[69][70] proposing organizingFEMA, theU.S. Customs Service, theU.S. Border Patrol, theU.S. Coast Guard, and other agencies under the new department.[71] This proposal was eventually implemented in theHomeland Security Act of 2002.[72][73]
In 2006, Senators Lieberman and Collins drafted legislation to reshape theFederal Emergency Management Agency into an agency that would more effectively prepare for and respond to catastrophes, including natural disasters and terrorist attacks. The legislation elevated FEMA to special status within the Department of Homeland Security, much like theCoast Guard and designated FEMA's head to be the president's point person during an emergency. The bill also called for the reunification of FEMA's preparedness and response functions, giving it responsibility for all phases of emergency management. In addition, the measure strengthened FEMA's regional offices, creating dedicated interagency "strike teams" to provide the initial federal response to a disaster in the region. The legislation passed Congress in September 2006.[74]
As the 2007 hurricane season approached, Lieberman held an oversight hearing on implementation of the FEMA reforms on May 22, 2007. He urged FEMA to implement the reforms at a quicker pace.[75] Lieberman was also involved in congressional oversight of the response to theH1N1 influenza (swine flu) pandemic and held four hearings on the subject in 2009, including one in Connecticut. At the hearings, he pressed theUnited States Department of Health and Human Services to distributevaccines and antiviral medications at a quicker pace and to streamline the process.[76] In the 110th Congress, Lieberman was Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is responsible for assuring the Federal Government's efficiency and effectiveness. He was also a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee; Senate Armed Services Committee, where he was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Air Land Forces and sat on the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities; and the Small Business Committee.[73]
From 1989 onwards, Lieberman received more than $31.4 million in campaign donations from specific industries and sectors. His largest donors represented the securities and investment ($3.7 million), legal ($3.6 million), real estate ($3.1 million), and health professional ($1.1 million) industries.[77]
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In August 2000, Lieberman was selected as the nominee for Vice President of the United States byAl Gore, the Democratic Party nominee for president.[89] Among the last round candidates were U.S. senatorsBob Graham,John Kerry andJohn Edwards. The nomination committee was headed byWarren Christopher.[90] Lieberman was the first Jewish candidate on a major political party ticket.[89] Of the vetting process, Lieberman related a conversation in which Christopher told him the background checks would be "like a medical procedure without an anesthesia."[32]
The Gore–Lieberman ticket won aplurality of thepopular vote, with over half a million more votes than the Republican ticket ofGeorge W. Bush andDick Cheney, but they were defeated in theElectoral College by a vote of 271 to 266 after an intense legal battle concerning the outcome in disputed counties (seeBush v. Gore).[91] The US Supreme Court ruled that the Florida Supreme Court's ordered recount was unconstitutional and said that it defers to what it believes is the Florida Supreme Court's judgment that December 12 is the deadline for all recounts—thus preventing a new recount from being ordered.[92]
Lieberman decided torun for re-election to maintain his Senate seat, as vice-presidential candidatesJoe Biden andPaul Ryan did for their senatorial and congressional seats respectively in2008 and2012.[93] He won re-election and continued to serve in the Senate until his retirement in 2012.[94]
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On January 13, 2003, Lieberman announced his intention to seek theDemocratic nomination as a candidate in the2004 presidential election.[95] Lieberman campaigned on his experience in government as well as his centrist andhawkish positions.[96] Indeed, he initially led in polls of primaries, but due to his political positions he failed to win a support ofliberal Democratic voters, who dominated the primaries.[97]
Prior to his defeat inNew Hampshire, Lieberman declared that his campaign was picking up "Joementum";[98] however, he failed to provide such momentum during theNew Hampshire primary debates, held atSaint Anselm College days before the primary.[99] On February 3, 2004, Lieberman withdrew his candidacy after failing to win any of the five primaries or two caucuses held that day. He acknowledged to theHartford Courant that his support for the war in Iraq was a large part of his undoing with voters.[100]
Lieberman's former running candidate Al Gore did not support Lieberman's presidential run, and in December 2003 endorsedHoward Dean's candidacy, saying "This is about all of us and all of us need to get behind the strongest candidate [Dean]."[101] Finally, Lieberman withdrew from the race without winning a single contest. In total popular vote he placed 7th behind the eventual nominee,Massachusetts senatorJohn Kerry; the eventual vice presidential nominee,North Carolina SenatorJohn Edwards; formerGovernor of VermontHoward Dean;OhioRepresentativeDennis Kucinich; retired GeneralWesley Clark; and ReverendAl Sharpton.[102]
On December 17, 2007, Lieberman endorsedRepublican SenatorJohn McCain for president in 2008,[103] going against his party and going back on his stance in July 2006 when he stated "I want Democrats to be back in the majority in Washington and elect a Democratic president in 2008."[104] Lieberman cited his agreement with McCain's stance on theWar on Terrorism as the primary reason for the endorsement.[105]
On June 5, 2008, Lieberman launched "Citizens for McCain", hosted on the McCain campaign website, to recruit Democratic support for John McCain's candidacy. He emphasized the group's outreach to supporters ofHillary Clinton, who was at that time broadly expected to lose the Democratic presidential nomination toBarack Obama.[106] Citizens for McCain was prominently featured in McCain team efforts to attract disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters such asDebra Bartoshevich.[107][108]
Lieberman spoke at the2008 Republican National Convention on behalf of McCain and his running mate,Alaska GovernorSarah Palin.[109] Lieberman was alongside McCain and SenatorLindsey Graham during a visit to French presidentNicolas Sarkozy on March 21, 2008.[110] Lieberman was mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee on a McCain ticket.[111][112]ABC News reported that Lieberman was McCain's first choice for vice president until several days before the selection, when McCain had decided that picking Lieberman would alienate the conservative base of the Republican Party.[113][114] Lieberman had been mentioned as a possibleSecretary of State under a McCain administration.[115]
Many Democrats wanted Lieberman to be stripped of his chairmanship of theSenate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs due to his support for John McCain which went against the party's wishes.[116] Republican Minority LeaderMitch McConnell reached out to Lieberman, asking him to caucus with the Republicans.[117] Ultimately, theSenate Democratic Caucus voted 42 to 13 to allow Lieberman to keep chairmanship (although he did lose his membership for theEnvironment and Public Works Committee). Subsequently, Lieberman announced that he would continue to caucus with the Democrats.[6] Lieberman creditedPresident-electBarack Obama for helping him keep his chairmanship. Obama had privately urged DemocraticSenate Majority LeaderHarry Reid not to remove Lieberman from his position. Reid stated that Lieberman's criticism of Obama during the election angered him, but that "if you look at the problems we face as a nation, is this a time we walk out of here saying, 'Boy did we get even'?" SenatorTom Carper ofDelaware also credited the Democrats' decision on Lieberman to Obama's support, stating that "If Barack can move on, so can we."[118][119]
Some members of the Democratic caucus were reportedly angry at the decision not to punish Lieberman more severely. The independent SenatorBernie Sanders ofVermont stated that he voted to punish Lieberman "because while millions of people worked hard for Obama, Lieberman actively worked for four more years of President Bush's policies."[119] Lieberman's embrace of certain conservative policies and in particular his endorsement of John McCain have been cited as factors for his high approval rating among Republicans in Connecticut with 66% of Republicans approving of him along with 52% of independents also approving of his job performance; this is also cited for his mediocre approval rating among Democrats: 44% approving and 46% disapproving.[120] In September 2018, Lieberman gave a eulogy at the funeral of John McCain, in which he stated that he had turned down a request to serve as McCain's 2008 running mate.[121]
In April 2012, Lieberman announced that he would not make any public endorsements in the2012 presidential election between President Obama and formerMassachusetts governorMitt Romney.[122] On August 10, 2016, Lieberman endorsed Democratic candidateHillary Clinton in the2016 presidential election.[123] On September 13, 2020, Lieberman endorsed Democratic candidateJoe Biden in the2020 presidential election.[124]
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Lieberman was a strong advocate for thewar in Iraq.[125] He was also a strong supporter of theU.S.-Israel relationship.[126] On domestic issues, he supportedfree trade economics[127] while also reliably voting for pro-trade union legislation.[128] As part of theGang of 14, he opposed filibustering Republican judicial appointments.[129] Lieberman was a supporter ofabortion rights[130] and of therights of gays and lesbians to be protected withhate crime legislation, and toserve openly in the military.[131] Lieberman was one of the Senate's leading opponents ofviolence in video games and on television. Lieberman described himself as being "genuinely an Independent", saying "I agree more often than not with Democrats ondomestic policy. I agree more often than not with Republicans onforeign anddefense policy."[132] Lieberman was known for his leadership in the successful effort to repeal theDon't ask, don't tell policy regarding sexual orientation in the U.S. Armed Forces.[133][134][135]
During debate on thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Lieberman opposed the public option. As the crucial 60th vote needed to pass the legislation, his opposition to the public option was critical for its removal from the resulting bill.[7] Lieberman was an integral part in attempting to stopWikiLeaks from publishing further material using U.S.-based corporations in theUnited States diplomatic cables leak of 2010.[136] That same year, he joined Republican Senator Scott Brown and bipartisan House membersJason Altmire andCharlie Dent in introducing the Terrorist Expatriation Act, which proposed stripping citizenship rights from Americans who took arms against the United States or provided material support to enemy combatants. The bill received mixed reviews and was heavily criticized by some senior Democrats.[137][138]
In June 2015, Lieberman was a signatory to a public letter written by a bipartisan group of 19 U.S. diplomats, experts, and others, on the then-pending negotiations for anagreement between Iran and world powers over Iran's nuclear program.[139][140] That letter outlined concerns about several provisions in the then-unfinished agreement and called for a number of improvements to strengthen the prospective agreement and win the letter-writers' support for it.[139] The final agreement, concluded in July 2015, shows the influence of the letter.[139]
In May 2021, Lieberman expressed support for Israel in theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict and praised "the quiet and effective diplomacy of President Biden, who was not drawn in by the left of the Democratic Party to essentially take a stand against Israel."[141]
Lieberman was a supporter of the Iraq War and urged action against Iran. In July 2008, Lieberman spoke at the annual conference ofChristians United for Israel (CUFI). In July 2009, he accepted CUFI's "Defender of Israel Award" fromJohn Hagee.[142] Pastor Hagee, CUFI's founder and leader, made a number of controversial remarks, including a statement that the Catholic Church is "the great whore" and a suggestion that God allowedthe Holocaust to happen to bring the Jews to Israel.[143]
In April 2010, Lieberman blasted President Obama for stripping terms like "Islamic extremism" from a key national security document, calling the move dishonest, wrong-headed, and disrespectful to the majority of Muslims who are not terrorists.[144]
While favoring thefilibuster and threatening to use it in 2009 to eliminate a public health option as part of the healthcare proposal, Lieberman once strongly opposed the filibuster. In 1995, he joined with SenatorTom Harkin to co-sponsor an amendment to kill the filibuster. Lieberman told theHartford Courant: "The filibuster hurts the credibility of the entire Senate and impedes progress."[145]
Lieberman favored greater use of surveillance cameras by the federal government and referred to attempts by Congress to investigate illegal wiretapping as "partisan gridlock". On June 19, 2010, Lieberman introduced a bill called "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010",[146] which he co-wrote with SenatorSusan Collins (R-ME) and SenatorThomas Carper (D-DE). If signed into law, this controversial bill, which the American media dubbed the "Internet kill switch", would grant the President emergency powers over the Internet; however, all three co-authors of the bill issued a statement claiming that instead, the bill "[narrowed] existing broad Presidential authority to take over telecommunications networks".[147] Americancomputer security specialist and authorBruce Schneier objected to the "kill switch" proposal on the basis that it rests on several faulty assumptions and that it's "too coarse a hammer". However, Schneier also wrote: "Defending his proposal, Sen. Lieberman pointed out that China has this capability. It's debatable whether or not it actually does, but it's actively pursuing the capability because the country cares less about its citizens. Here in the U.S., it is both wrong and dangerous to give the president the power and ability to commit Internet suicide and terrorize Americans in this way."[148]
Lieberman was a major opponent of thewhistleblowing websiteWikiLeaks. His staff "made inquiries" ofAmazon.com and other internet companies such asPayPal,Visa, andMasterCard which resulted in them suspending service to WikiLeaks. JournalistGlenn Greenwald called Lieberman's actions "one of the most pernicious acts by a U.S. Senator in quite some time," and accused Lieberman of "emulat[ing] Chinese dictators" by "abusing his position asHomeland Security Chairman to thuggishly dictate to private companies which websites they should and should not host – and, more important, what you can and cannot read on the Internet."[149] Lieberman also suggested that "The New York Times and other news organisations publishing the U.S. embassy cables being released by WikiLeaks could be investigated for breakingUS espionage laws."[150]
Along with SenatorsJohn Ensign andScott Brown, Lieberman "introduced a bill to amend theEspionage Act in order to facilitate the prosecution of folks like Wikileaks."[151] Critics have noted that "[l]eaking [classified] information in the first place is already a crime, so the measure is aimed squarely at publishers," and that "Lieberman's proposed solution to WikiLeaks could have implications for journalists reporting on some of the more unsavory practices of the intelligence community."[152] Legal analystBenjamin Wittes called the proposed legislation "the worst of both worlds", saying:
It leaves intact the current World War I–era Espionage Act provision, 18 U.S.C. 793(e), a law [with] many problems ... and then takes a currently well-drawn law and expands its scope to the point that it covers a lot more than the most reckless of media excesses. A lot of good journalism would be a crime under this provision; after all, knowingly and willfully publishing material "concerning the human intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government" is no small part of what a good newspaper does.[151]
As a result of these statements and actions, Lieberman was perceived as an opponent of Internetfree speech and became the target ofAnonymous attacks underOperation Payback.[153][154]
A survey in October 2010 showed that Lieberman had an approval rating of 31% and that just 24% of Connecticut voters felt he deserved re-election.[155] Lieberman announced on January 19, 2011, that he would retire from the Senate at the end of his fourth term.[156][157] Lieberman gave his farewell address on December 12, 2012.[158] He was succeeded by Democratic representativeChris Murphy.[159]
Following his retirement from the Senate, Lieberman moved toRiverdale, Bronx, and registered to vote in New York as a Democrat.[1] He became senior counsel of the white collar criminal defense and investigations practice atKasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, a law firm in New York City whose notable clients includeDonald Trump.[160] In March 2013, it was announced that Lieberman would be joining the conservativeAmerican Enterprise Institute think tank as co-chairman of their American Internationalism Project, alongside former Republican SenatorJon Kyl.[161] In February 2014, Lieberman was named as Counselor at theNational Bureau of Asian Research.[162] Additionally, he served as the Lieberman Chair of Public Policy and Public Service atYeshiva University, where he taught an undergraduate course in political science.[11]
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In 2015, Lieberman served as co-chair of theBlue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, a commission that recommended changes to U.S. policy regarding biodefense.[163] In order to address biological threats facing the nation, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense created a 33 step initiative for the U.S. Government to implement. Lieberman headed the organization with former GovernorTom Ridge, and the Study Panel assembled in Washington, D.C., for four meetings concerning current biodefense programs. The Study Panel concluded that the federal government had inadequate defense mechanisms in case of a biological event. The Study Panel's final report,The National Blueprint for Biodefense, proposes a string of solutions and recommendations for the U.S. Government to take, including items such as giving the vice president authority over biodefense responsibilities and merging the entire biodefense budget. These solutions represent the Panel's call to action in order to increase awareness and activity for pandemic related issues.[164] In 2022, the group released a report recommending a $10 billion, 10-year program to prevent the next pandemic, in the wake of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[165]
In August 2015, Lieberman became chairman of the advocacy groupUnited Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).[166] In March 2016, Lieberman was hired by theSchaghticoke Tribal Nation to assist the group in challenging Connecticut laws giving exemptions to only the top two state gaming tribes to build casinos.[167][168] That same year, Lieberman joined theMuslim-Jewish Advisory Council, an organization founded to address anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish bigotry in the United States.[169] Lieberman was also on the advisory board of theCounter Extremism Project (CEP).[170]
In early 2017, Lieberman introduced President electDonald Trump's nominee asSecretary of EducationBetsy DeVos to the SenateHealth, Education, Labor and Pension committee. One report on Lieberman's involvement was critical of him for failing to disclose in his testimony the extensive legal work his Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman law firm had done for Donald Trump since at least as long ago as 2001. The work included bankrupt casino restructuring and, during the 2016 campaign, threateningThe New York Times over publication ofa few 1995 Trump tax documents.[171]
On May 17, 2017, Lieberman was interviewed by President Donald Trump for the position of FBI Director, to replace recently firedJames Comey.[172] The interview took place against the background of the appointment of Special CounselRobert Mueller to investigate issues connected toRussian interference in the 2016 United States elections.[173] Speaking to reporters while meeting with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, Trump said he was "very close" to choosing a new FBI director to replace James Comey, and when asked if Lieberman was his top pick, Trump said yes.[174] The President also stated that the odds were "better than 50-50" that his pick for FBI director would be made before he departed for his first trip abroad on Friday;[175] however, no announcement was made publicly on Friday.[175] On May 25, 2017, Lieberman officially withdrew his name from consideration.[176]
On July 17, 2018, Lieberman published an opinion piece inThe Wall Street Journal imploring people to vote forJoe Crowley, who was defeated in the Democratic primary byAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crowley would run on theWorking Families Party line, without support of a major party, similar to how Lieberman defeated Lamont in 2006. Lieberman continued to remain critical of Ocasio-Cortez, stating that "With all respect, I certainly hope she's not the future, and I don't believe she is."[177] In January 2019 Lieberman officially registered as a lobbyist working forZTE but stated that his work for the corporation will be limited to assess national security concerns and will not include actual lobbying.[178] In July 2022, Lieberman became one of the founding members of a group of U.S. business and policy leaders which shares the goal of engaging constructively with China and improving U.S.-China relations.[179]
A founding co-chairman ofNo Labels since its inception in 2010, Lieberman had helped to lead the group's efforts to promote bipartisanship in Congress.[180][181] According to No Labels, Lieberman was "called upon to weigh in on key internal decisions" and serve as "one of its primary spokespeople". Reflecting on why he joined the group and subscribed to its mission of bipartisan problem-solving, Lieberman said, "Early on, I learned that, in most all cases, you have to work across party lines to make things happen."[182] In 2023, Lieberman wrote two opinion pieces inThe Wall Street Journal asking people to consider supporting a No Labels unity presidential ticket in the 2024 presidential election.[183] No Labels did surveys of thousands of voters to understand what they care about, concluding that most Americans are dissatisfied with both major political parties and that most of them supported having additional choices for president beyond the two major party nominees.[183] No Labels secured ballot access in 24 states before ending its effort to find a unity ticket in April 2024 after the group could not find a candidate willing to lead the ticket.[184]
Lieberman met his first wife, Betty Haas, at the congressional office of SenatorAbraham Ribicoff (D-CT), where they worked as summer student interns. They married in 1965 while Joe Lieberman was in law school. They had two children – Matt and Rebecca. Betty, who is also Jewish, later worked as a psychiatric social worker. In 1981, the couple divorced. When asked about the divorce in an interview withNew York Magazine, Lieberman said, "one of the differences we had was in levels of religious observance", adding, "I'm convinced if that was the only difference, we wouldn't have gotten divorced."[185]
In 1982, Lieberman met his second wife,Hadassah Freilich Tucker, while he was running forAttorney General of Connecticut. Hadassah Tucker's parents wereHolocaust survivors.[14] According toWashington Jewish Week, Lieberman called her for a date because he thought it would be interesting to go out with someone named Hadassah. (Hadassah is the Hebrew name ofEsther in the biblicalBook of Esther, and subsequently also the name of theWomen's Zionist Organization of America).[186] From March 2005, Hadassah Lieberman worked forHill & Knowlton, a lobbying firm based in New York City, as a senior counselor in its health and pharmaceuticals practice. She held senior positions at theHospital of Saint Raphael inNew Haven, theAmerican Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center inJerusalem,Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO),Pfizer,National Research Council,Hoffmann-La Roche, andLehman Brothers.[187]
Joe and Hadassah Lieberman had a daughter, Hana. In 2018, sheimmigrated to Israel with her family.[188] Lieberman also had a stepson from Hadassah's previous marriage withGordon Tucker,Ethan Tucker. Lieberman's son, Matt, graduated fromYale University and fromYale Law School.[189] Matt is the former head of the school ofGreenfield Hebrew Academy inAtlanta[190] and was an unsuccessful candidate in the2020 United States Senate special election in Georgia.[191] Rebecca, Lieberman's daughter, graduated fromBarnard College in 1991, and from theUniversity of Pennsylvania Law School in 1997.[192] Lieberman's stepson Ethan graduated fromHarvard College in 1997 and received his rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.[193][194]
Lieberman described himself as anobservant Jew.[2] His first wife, Betty Haas, is aReform Jew. After the death of his grandmother, a deeply religious immigrant, in 1967, he found a renewed interest in religious observance. His second wife, Hadassah, is also an observantModern Orthodox Jew. "Hadassah calls herself my right wing", said Lieberman.[185] In Lieberman's 1988 upset ofRepublican Party incumbent SenatorLowell Weicker, Lieberman's religious observance was mostly viewed in terms of refusal to campaign on theShabbat. This changed whenAl Gore chose Lieberman as the running mate; a Lieberman press officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "He refers to himself as observant, as opposed to Orthodox, because he doesn't follow the strict Orthodox code and doesn't want to offend the Orthodox, and his wife feels the same way."[195]
The Liebermans kept akosher home and observed theSabbath.[195] In one notable instance, then-Senator Lieberman walked to the Capitol after Sabbath services to block a Republicanfilibuster.[196] Lieberman said that there was currently "a constitutional place for faith in our public life", and that the Constitution does not provide for "freedom from religion".[197] He attendedKesher Israel Congregation inGeorgetown, Washington, D.C., and Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol – B'nai Israel, The Westville Synagogue,New Haven, Connecticut.[198] He also attended Congregation Agudath Sholom in his hometown of Stamford. Lieberman was an admirer of the lastLubavitcherRebbe,Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He said of Schneerson, "I was impressed by this man, by his obvious spirituality, by his soaring intellect, by the extent to which he was involved in the world."[199] He said he had studied the commentaries of RabbisJoseph Ber Soloveitchik and Abraham Isaac Kook.[14]
Lieberman was the first person of Jewish background or faith to run on a major party presidential ticket.[200] Lieberman said that he liked to sing and was a fan ofFrank Sinatra, whose song "My Way" was the theme of his first Senate campaign.[14] He chanted the classic section of Proverbs "Eshet Hayil" to his wife every Friday night.[14] On March 27, 2024, Lieberman died atNewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, aged 82, from injuries that he sustained in a fall at his home in the Bronx.[201][202] He received tributes from many, including from PresidentsJoe Biden,Barack Obama,George W. Bush andBill Clinton, Vice PresidentsKamala Harris,Mike Pence and Gore, SenatorsTom Cotton andLindsey Graham, and Israeli politiciansIsaac Herzog andBenjamin Netanyahu.[203][204][205][206][207][208] Lieberman is entombed in the cemetery atCongregation Agudath Sholom.[209]
In 2008, Lieberman received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an award given out annually byJefferson Awards.[210]
In 2011, theNational Defense University foundation honored Senators Lieberman andJohn McCain the American Patriot Award for their lifetimes of public service. They were recognized for their outstanding record of contributions toAmerica's national security,armed forces andveterans throughout their impressive careers in government.[211]
In 2011, Lieberman was awardedSt. George Order of Victory byPresident of GeorgiaMikheil Saakashvili for his support of Georgia following their2008 war with Russia.[212]
Lieberman authored at least 10 books, includingThe Power Broker (1966), a biography of the late Democratic Party chairmanJohn M. Bailey;[213][214]The Scorpion and the Tarantula (1970), a study of early efforts to controlnuclear proliferation;[215][216]The Legacy (1981), a history ofConnecticut politics from 1930 to 1980;[217][218]Child Support in America: Practical Advice on Negotiating and Collecting a Fair Settlement (1986), a guidebook on methods to increase the collection ofchild support from delinquent fathers;[219][220]In Praise of Public Life (2000);[221][222]An Amazing Adventure: Joe and Hadassah's Personal Notes on the 2000 Campaign (2003), reflecting on his 2000 vice presidential run;[223][224]The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath (2011), written withDavid Klinghoffer,[225][226]With Liberty and Justice: The Fifty-Day Journey from Egypt to Sinai (2018), on a trip with Rabbi Ari D. Kahn,[227][228] andThe Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work Again (2021).[229][230][231]In his bookTicking Time Bomb: Counter-Terrorism Lessons from the U.S. Government's Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood Attack (2011), he described Australian Muslim preacherFeiz Mohammad, American-Yemeni imamAnwar al-Awlaki, Muslim clericAbdullah el-Faisal, and Pakistani-AmericanSamir Khan as "virtual spiritual sanctioners" who use the internet to offer religious justification for Islamist terrorism.[232]
Officially he'd ended his 24 years in the Senate as an independent, but when he moved to the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale, Lieberman registered to vote with the party he'd joined amid heady idealism of the Kennedy years.
At Yale, Sugarman roomed with another future U.S. senator: Joe Lieberman, whose mother encouraged Sugarman's religious observances.
sat on the Personnel and Seapower Subcommittee
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)In the new book, "An Amazing Adventure: Joe and Hadassah's Personal Notes on the 2000 Campaign," Lieberman and his wife reflect on how faith played a role not just in the candidate's policy statements, but the logistics of the campaign.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Connecticut 1983–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forConnecticut Attorney General 1982,1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromConnecticut (Class 1) 1988,1994,2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theDemocratic Leadership Council 1995–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democraticnominee forVice President of the United States 2000 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Connecticut 1989–2013 Served alongside:Chris Dodd,Richard Blumenthal | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee 1999–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee 2001–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Ranking Member of theSenate Governmental Affairs Committee 2003–2007 | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Homeland Security Committee 2007–2013 | Succeeded by |
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