In an interview with Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman said that he feels closer to the Democrats now than he has since the 2006 election. He also backed off of the Obama is a Marxist line, and defended his speech at the Republican convention.
Here is the video:
Couric asked Lieberman if he realized how inappropriate speaking at the Republican convention might seem to some Democrats. Lieberman answered, “I understood that I was doing something different as an Independent Democrat supporting a Republican candidate. But I did it not only because I felt so strongly on behalf of my friend John McCain, but because there is so much partisanship in our politics today that really stops us from getting things done for the American people. And in a speech that I would guess went 15 or 20 minutes, I spoke three sentences, which I believe were respectful, about Sen. Obama.”
He did bring up an interesting point in the video above about feeling close to the party for the first time since 2006, because that is the year that many liberals ditched Lieberman and supported anti-war candidate Ned Lamont in the primary campaign for his seat. I have always had a hunch that Lieberman’s support was driven in part by his friendship with McCain, and also by anger over the 2006 Democratic primary. Lieberman’s ego was bruised when the Party mounted a challenge to him, and he had been going around with a chip on his shoulder since.
Perhaps, Obama’s election can be a turning point where we can start to bury some of the bad feelings and old feuds within the party. Lieberman did say that he never thought that Obama was a Marxist, but he wishes today that he would have expressed himself more clearly. He has earned the scorn of the left, and I don’t believe that Joe Lieberman will ever be completely forgiven for his actions of the last few years, until he casts a critical vote to pass a bill, but even then, I think his name will always leave a bitter taste in some mouths.
Excerpts from the CBS interview
Joe definitely got off so easy! Besides supporting his best friend Sen. McCain during the presidential campaign, it never crossed his mind that a junior senator from Illinois will beat his best friend… a Washington veteran and a war hero at best. In his mind, once Sen. McCain becomes a president he’ll be on his good side and he does not have to worry about his senate seat or dealing with his fellow democrat senators; because he knows McCain will give him an important cabinet post.
Not only his fellow senators that are so angry at his many betrayals, but especially us the average democrats.
Shame on you Joe!
[Reply]