Joe Lieberman died Wednesday at 82, reportedly following complications from a fall. He was a Stamford native and centrist Democrat who served four terms in the U.S. Senate and was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000 alongside Al Gore.
Lieberman also was the first Jewish candidate to win a spot on the national ticket for either major party. While the 2000 election was marred by a long and difficult recount process in the state of Florida, Lieberman and Gore eventually conceded the election to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
Less than a year later, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed U.S. politics and Lieberman – who espoused support for many of the Democratic Party’s core policies including the environment, gun control, abortion, and LGBTQ rights, among others – broke ranks on foreign policy. He supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003 as well as the long and costly occupation that followed, driving a wedge between him and the Connecticut Democratic Party’s anti-war progressive wing.
Amid that rift, a newcomer from Greenwich named Ned Lamont stunned Connecticut’s electorate when he primaried Lieberman for his Senate seat in 2006 and won. Lieberman, however, scrambled for petition signatures and ran as an independent candidate. He defeated Lamont and Republican nominee Alan Schlesinger, the former mayor of the town of Derby, with the help of unaffiliated voters and Republicans – who were reportedly uninspired by their party’s nominee following allegations of inappropriate gambling activities – to earn a fourth and final term in the Senate as an independent.
Lamont, who went on to become Connecticut’s governor in 2018 and is now serving his second term as the state’s chief executive, released a statement on Lieberman’s death.
“Annie and I send our deepest condolences to Hadassah and the Lieberman family,” Lamont said. “While the senator and I had our political differences, he was a man of integrity and conviction, so our debate about the Iraq War was serious. I believe we agreed to disagree from a position of principle. When the race was over, we stayed in touch as friends in the best traditions of American democracy. He will be missed.”
In 2008, Lieberman supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in his bid for the presidency in a contest against newcomer Barack Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois. Lieberman had developed a friendship with McCain while they served together in the Senate and in 2008 he gave a nominating speech for McCain during the 2008 Republican convention.
McCain died in 2018. His son, Jack McCain, released a statement Wednesday remembering his father’s friendship with Lieberman:
“America has lost a patriot, and our family has lost a dear friend,” McCain wrote. “In a dangerous world, Sen. Lieberman understood the essential role of American leadership. He frequently was my dad’s partner promoting our nation’s values and interests abroad, often as part of the trio known as the ‘Three Amigos.’ Fiercely independent, Sen. Lieberman recognized the need to put country over party. Perhaps no one embodied my father’s belief in service over self-interest more than Sen. Lieberman.”
Obama also offered condolences Wednesday for Lieberman on a social media platform following news of his death:
“Joe Lieberman and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but he had an extraordinary career in public service, including four decades spent fighting for the people of Connecticut,” the former president said. “He also worked hard to repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and helped us pass the Affordable Care Act. In both cases the politics were difficult, but he stuck to his principles because he knew it was the right thing to do. Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to Hadassah and the Lieberman family.”
However, while Lieberman’s support for the Affordable Care Act in 2009 was crucial in that it needed his and every Democratic vote in the chamber in order for it to pass against Republican opposition, it was Lieberman’s negotiation of the ACA’s language that became perhaps the final straw for Connecticut Democrats with respect to his place in the party.
With Connecticut’s insurance industry lobbying heavily against the inclusion of a public option for health insurance in the ACA, Lieberman and a small group of senators refused to support the bill if it included that language and reportedly threatened to filibuster. Based on that, the Obama administration pulled the public option and the ACA passed.
Most recently Lieberman had been working with the No Labels organization and advocating for an end to the politics of polarization.
Gore said he was “profoundly saddened by the loss of Joe Lieberman,” calling his former running mate “a man of devout faith and dedication to his family.”
Lieberman was a “truly gifted leader, whose affable personality and strong will made him a force to be reckoned with,” Gore said. “That’s why it came as no surprise to any of us who knew him when he’d start singing his favorite song: Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way.’ And doing things Joe’s way meant always putting his country and the values of equality and fairness first.”
“His fierce dedication to these values was clear even as a young man. When he was about to travel to the South to join the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, he wrote: ‘I am going because there is much work to be done. I am an American. And this is one nation, or it is nothing.’ Those are the words of a champion of civil rights and a true patriot, which is why I shared that quote when I announced Joe as my running mate,” Gore said. “It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail. I’ll remain forever grateful for his tireless efforts to build a better future for America.”
Connecticut’s current senior delegate in Washington, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, said he and Lieberman had been friends for over 50 years.
“On world and national stages, he helped to define and frame an era of history,” Blumenthal said, calling Lieberman “a fierce advocate, a man of deep conscience and conviction, and a courageous leader who sought to bridge gaps and bring people together. He was dedicated to family and faith, and he was a role model of public service. He never ceased listening to both friends and adversaries. He leaves an enduring legacy as a fighter for consumers, environmental values, civil rights, and other great causes of our time and he was tireless in working for Connecticut no matter how far or high he went. Cynthia and I are with his family in heart and prayer at this difficult time.”
Congressman John Larson, D-1st District, said America has lost a great champion.
“I have known Joe Lieberman all of my political life, from his time as Majority Leader in the Connecticut State Senate, through his tenure as Attorney General, and on to the United State Senate, where he and Chris Dodd were a dynamic force for the State of Connecticut,” Larson said. “While we may have had political differences, I have always had the utmost of respect for Senator Lieberman, someone who cared deeply about his state and this great nation we live in. My heart and prayers go out to Hadassah and the entire Lieberman family. This is a tragic loss for the United States of America.”
Nancy DiNardo, chair of the Connecticut Democratic Party, said she was saddened to hear of Lieberman’s death.
“He was a groundbreaking politician who rose through the ranks of the Democratic Party to become the state’s attorney general, U.S. senator, and our nominee for vice president,” DiNardo said. “Joe was deeply committed to serving the people of Connecticut and our nation. He respected contrarian views, and was unafraid to share his own. I join all those in Connecticut and around the nation in expressing my deepest condolences to Hadassah and the Lieberman family.”
Republicans in the Connecticut General Assembly also offered condolences on Lieberman’s death. Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding and Sen. Ryan Fazio, who represents Lieberman’s hometown of Stamford, highlighted his integrity in a joint statement:
“Fiercely independent. Widely respected. Committed to bipartisan solutions. Unflappable. Sen. Lieberman devoted his life to serving Connecticut and our country. That service was delivered with integrity, and it has positively impacted the lives of countless citizens. We are grateful for Sen. Lieberman’s dedication to improving the quality of life in our state and country. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said she had admired Lieberman’s dedication.
“Today we mourn the loss of one of Connecticut’s political icons,” she said. “Across decades – as a state senator, Connecticut attorney general, and U.S. senator – Joe Lieberman shaped policies that bettered the lives of residents in our state and across the nation. I greatly admired his dedication, and it was his book, ‘The Power Broker,’ which inspired me to write my own biography of Gov. Ella Grasso. Joe was there to impact critical policies during some of the most pivotal moments in our recent history, whether casting the deciding vote to pass the Affordable Care Act, landmark legislation that has provided more than 21 million Americans access to quality, affordable health care, or introducing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. In a post-9/11 era, Joe led legislation that led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security – an effort that is still keeping us safe today. My heart goes out to Joe’s family and all who loved him. He will be greatly missed.”
