|
|
|
|
|
|
Gore Names Lieberman as Running Mate August 7, 2000 Vice President Al Gore has selected Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, sources say. Lieberman was one of the first senators to chastise U.S. President Bill Clinton for his conduct in the Monica Lewinsky affair and is someone known for his moral rectitude. "Joe Lieberman represents a new guard of leadership," said one Gore source. "Senator Lieberman has a national reputation of integrity and independence. Lieberman and Gore share the same values." Lieberman, 58, is a two-term senator and former Connecticut attorney general. He is currently running for re-election to his Senate seat. The vice president and his running mate will appear together at a noon rally August 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. Sources said Gore made his decision after discussions on August 6 with top advisers, including former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who headed up his vice presidential search team; his brother-in-law, Frank Hunger; his wife, Tipper; and campaign chairman Bill Daley. Lieberman beat out five others on Gore's "short list": Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana, John Edwards of North Carolina and John Kerry of Massachusetts; House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri; and New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. The Gore campaign hoped Lieberman's selection would be a bold stroke heading into next week's Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Gore trails rival George W. Bush in polls after last week's GOP convention. Lieberman would be the first Jewish candidate for vice president from a major party. One Democratic ally said Gore was driven in part by a need to make a pre-convention splash, which Lieberman's religion provides. The source said the vice president has been disturbed by polls giving Bush a double-digit edge and that he fears the election will slip away unless he uses this critical two-week period to gain significant ground, particularly among independents and women. A Democratic centrist, Lieberman would amplify Gore support of fiscal discipline and middle-class tax cuts, the sources said. Gore considers his pick a respected voice of independence and integrity, and the Democratic sources drew a contrast to what they called the GOP ticket's ties to special interests. Gore will also contrast the tickets as New Guard vs. Old Guard politics, the sources said. Lieberman was an outspoken critic of Clinton's conduct during the impeachment controversy. One of the sources said the choice of Lieberman is intended to help make the ticket more appealing to independents and swing voters who favor Clinton's policies but were turned off by his personal conduct. Polls show Bush benefiting from so-called "Clinton fatigue." Lieberman voted against convicting Clinton on the two impeachment articles that he faced in the Senate in 1999. Lieberman may have galvanized his role as the conscience of Congress two years ago when he was one of the first senators to criticize Clinton for his tryst with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. "Having criticized Clinton gets him points from the other side," said Howard Reiter, a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. His colleagues agree. "A lot of problems Gore is having in attracting white men and suburban women come from the connection to the Lewinsky situation," said Democratic Sen. John Breaux of Louisiana. But Lieberman's condemnation of Clinton's behavior may have been more of a personal move than a political one; he was criticizing a friend. Lieberman and Clinton are Yale Law School graduates, and Clinton worked on Lieberman's state Senate campaign. In 1992, Lieberman returned the favor by being the first politician in the Northeast to endorse the Arkansas native's presidential bid. In 1998, Lieberman and conservative former Education Secretary William Bennett began handing out "Silver Sewer Awards" to single out and shame producers of sexually explicit and violent films, music, television programs and video games. However, in his most recent financial disclosure forms, Lieberman listed holdings of Fox and CBS stocks -- two companies awarded "Silver Sewer" status. Picking the moderate Democrat and self-styled moral crusader as his running mate signals an effort by Gore to win over independent and Republican voters and distance himself from Clinton's controversies. While critics brand Lieberman as a liberal who votes for abortion rights, gun control and tax hikes, Democrats say he's more conservative when it comes to issues such as defense spending and family values. "This election is a battle for who wins the American middle," Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle said before Gore made his choice. "With the Gore-Lieberman ticket, you see a real opportunity for Democrats to pick it up." Lieberman has at times been a harsh critic of the Clinton-Gore Middle East policy. He wrote to Clinton in 1997 that "our government's Mideast policy of evenhandedness, in contradiction with reality, continues. It is wrong. Evenhandedness has not been earned." The same letter, which Lieberman signed with four Republican senators, called Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat "the villain who is unwilling to stop the terror," and it called for "no more concessions." Lieberman has also broken with the Democrats in his support for school vouchers that could be used by parents to help pay tuition at Jewish day schools and other private schools. The teachers unions, a core Democratic constituency, oppose such plans, and Gore harshly attacked his primary opponent, Bill Bradley, for once favoring experimentation with school vouchers. Another area where Lieberman has broken with the Democrats is his willingness to cooperate with conservative Christian political leaders. He is the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Center for Jewish and Christian Values, a group that, according to the center's Web site, also includes Ralph Reed, a political consultant to the Bush campaign, who was the executive director of the Christian Coalition. The advisory board also includes Gary Bauer, a Christian conservative who ran for the Republican presidential nomination this year on a platform that stressed family values and opposition to abortion rights. Although he carved a niche for himself as a liberal reformer during his 10 years as a state senator, Lieberman's move to the middle gives him appeal among Republican voters and politicians, some say. In Connecticut, Lieberman has gained admiration from Republican Gov. John G. Rowland, who recently called the senator "a great friend of mine" while endorsing Lieberman's Senate rival. As state attorney general in the 1970s, Lieberman focused on consumer rights issues. His Senate record on the environment, education, defense, foreign affairs and economic development are cited by his advocates in Gore's inner circle. While Lieberman is allowed to continue his Senate race while campaigning with Gore, a promotion to vice president would require resignation from the Senate -- assuming he is re-elected -- and mean Rowland would be able to appoint Lieberman's successor. The Democratic sources said Lieberman satisfies Gore's criteria for vice president: He can assume the presidency at a moment's notice; Gore trusts him; and he shares Gore's commitment to fight for American families.
© 2000 TruthNews. All Rights Reserved. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
|
|
