Lieberman's Legacy
It is hard to imagine Sen. Joseph Lieberman running for re-election when his current term expires. For one, which banner would he run under? Can he possibly make up with Democrats between then and now? If he is making an effort to do so, it’s hard to detect. He is campaigning vigorously for Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. He’s also a supporter of Maine Republican Susan Collins and a sometimes ally of President George Bush.
Would he consider running for re-election as a Republican? The Connecticut GOP would almost certainly take him, having considered cross-endorsing him in the past. But it is hard to imagine Lieberman fully abandoning the party he grew up in.
The third option would be an independent run in 2012. Consider a three-way race six years after 2006; Democrats would be highly organized to take out their old friend and Republicans might actually have a shot too if they could find a candidate capable of winning with less than 50 percent of the vote.
An Independent Run
It is more likely that he will enjoy the freedom he currently has to do what he believes is right, regardless of electoral politics, and retire at the end of his term, which leads us to the Lieberman legacy.
There are those who see Lieberman’s high-profile support of McCain, and his occasional criticism of Democratic policies, as nothing more than a way of getting even. After his defeat of Ned Lamont, Lieberman told the press he could forgive the longtime Democratic allies who abandoned him, but he would never forget. There is no doubt his constant presence on the Straight Talk Express irks Democrats. During January and February, the only person at the candidate’s side more than Lieberman was McCain’s wife Cindy. But the issue that brings Lieberman and McCain together is too big to allow the alliance to be dismissed as mere political spite.
Instead, what we are watching is Sen. Lieberman stake his entire reputation and legacy on the war on terror, the war in Iraq and the current American policy, which says we stay until we win.
Quirky Or Determined
In large part, that is what this presidential election is about. Do we pull out (led by Clinton or Obama), or do we stay true to the policy set in the months after September 11th terrorist attacks? The night of those attacks, President Bush enunciated a very clear doctrine that said we are going after the terrorists responsible and all those who make it possible for terrorists to succeed.
It can be argued that Sen. Lieberman was an adherent of the Bush doctrine before Bush knew he had one. Lieberman had been a longtime proponent of toppling Saddam Hussein.
Sen. Lieberman, the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, cannot be dismissed as an extremist lacking credibility on these issues. Although his views may not be popular, it seems they are formed based on the facts as he knows them and his assessment of what is in the best interest of the country.
For Lieberman, an entire career in public service may be defined by positions he has taken in his last two terms in the U.S. Senate. Will he be judged as an historic figure that helped make the country safer and the world more democratic, or will his final term as an independent place him in the category of notable quirks? A McCain presidency will show our enemies that you can’t wait out American foreign policy and may define Lieberman’s legacy. Spite has nothing to do with it.
Dean Pagani is a former gubernatorial advisor. He is V.P. of Public Affairs for Cashman and Katz Integrated Communications in Glastonbury.
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