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Lieberman on His Private Chat with Obama, Rev. Wright, and How McCain is Picking Up the Gore-Lieberman Foreign Policy Mantle

June 26, 2008 5:13 PM

In an interview on the ABC News Shuffle Podcast today (listen HERE) Sen. Joe Lieberman, the independent Democrat from Connecticut, made his case for the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., saying, "I’m going to make a provocative statement: in many ways I think John McCain on Foreign Policy is closer to where Al Gore and I were in 2000, then Barack Obama is."

Lieberman made the comment in the midst of acknowledging that on domestic issues ranging from the economy to health care his positions more closely align with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois. "On domestic policy, you’re right. I’m closer on a lot of issues, not all, to Obama," Lieberman said. "But the big difference for me is, McCain will actually get something done. It’s one thing to say where you are on a policy and give a good speech, but McCain as president will actually get something done."

That's because of McCain's willingness to take political risks to hammer out bipartisan compromises, Lieberman argued, saying that and McCain's position on foreign policy/national security issues are why the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee would consider speaking at the 2008 Republican National Convention, a step that might cause the Democratic Senators with whom he caucuses to revoke his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee should they win more seats this November and no longer need his vote.

"It might, I don’t know," Lieberman acknowledged. "Obviously that’s up to my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus, presumably they’ll be more of them next year than there are today. But, of course, I hope that I’m judged on my voting record, on my life-long membership in the Democratic Party, and on the job that I’ve done on all the committees on which I serve, including the Homeland Security Committee, which I chair."

Lieberman elaborated to ABC News on his much-discussed conversation on the Senate floor with Obama, where the presumptive Democratic nominee expressed displeasure that Lieberman hadn't pushed back enough against the false rumors Obama is a Muslim.

"You know originally I thought, this conversation, like all conversations of its kind ought to remain private, cause that’s what it was, and we said that we thought it was private and it was friendly, which it was," Lieberman said. "Unfortunately somebody on his staff leaked this question about my reaction to the rumors, that are really lies, that he’s a Muslim, and he said that he heard that I had not responded well, he thought, well, to it, and I said I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about  .I only remember one time on which I was asked which was during a Florida primary which I was there for Sen. McCain in January. Long before, incidentally, the whole controversy with Rev. Wright. So I answered the question and that was just one part of it."

The first part of the conversation, Lieberman said, was much more upbeat. Lieberman told him that "the fact that the Democratic Party has nominated an African American for the first time as its candidate for president is a very significant event. When I mentioned it to Senator Obama he was kind enough to say to me, look, part of the reason I’m able to do this is, you broke a barrier being the first Jewish American on a national ticket in 2000, and the way you did it, and the way the public reacted to it, in a way, partially cleared, partially cleared a path for me."

Some of their conversation was about "him breaking this barrier, some of it was just plain politics. it began friendly and ended friendly."

And the middle?

"If there was any moment of disagreement it was on the question of his religion and he presented it not in a hostile way," Lieberman said. Obama said, "'I was disappointed when somebody told me that,' and then I said 'I don't know who told you that but that was not the way it was and I would never say that.'"

As a man of faith, an Orthodox Jew, Lieberman said he was "surprised" at "the words that Rev. Wright was saying" since they were so different from the Barack Obama he's come to know.

"In fairness we don't know if Rev. Wright said these inflammatory, anti-American, racial comments every Sunday, but I would not continue to go to a synagogue where that kind of rhetoric was spoken," Lieberman said, adding, "I think it did raise questions in people's minds about why did he stay in the church that long," but he said he would "take (Obama) at his word" and move on.

Lieberman said he wasn't interested in being McCain's vice president and had not been contacted about the job by the McCain campaign. "If he ever asked me I'd urge him to think about that, he can find somebody much better," Lieberman said. "I’m just real happy to be a senator after what I went through in 2006."

You can listen to the ABC News Shuffle Podcast on iTunes or HERE.

The Podcast's executive producer is Julia Hoppock and producer is Natalie Gewargis.

- jpt

June 26, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (60)

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Lieberman is a warmongering opportunist whose day is nearly done.

A victorious end in Iraq? That's the dumbest thing I've seen in a long time. The reason for the war did not exist. It was won (or lost) before it started. Saddam is gone so baby Bush has had his revenge for the murder attempt on his daddy. We will never get control of the oil. All that is left is damage control and the equation for that is pretty simple. The longer we stay in at this level of troops, the more damage.

Posted by: Robert Dale | Jun 30, 2008 3:37:36 PM

Lieberman is an amazing individual; intelligent, articulate, and unafraid to break from the norm in order to stand up for what he believes. Lieberman is the kind of 'change' that Obama pretends to be.

Mark: While I understand you're wanting to keep your son out of a war, I disagree with you about republicans not having compassion for life. I am not a republican, I am an independent, but I believe that republicans have much more true compassion than many democrats. Senator McCain is seeking a victorious end to the Iraq war in order to avoid having to return to an even deadlier war in a couple of years that will take the lives of even more of our brave service men and women. Senator McCain has a son who served in Iraq; he only returned very recently - he is very compassionate and very concerned about the casualties America's soldiers face, and on a very personal level. He chooses not to speak about his son because he doesn't want his children to have to bear the burden of his run for presidency.

PC? who me?: I implore you, for the sake of the Civil Rights Movement, to cease claiming racism each time someone disagrees with Senator Obama. It is demeaning to the African-Americans who have worked so hard to reach equality; victimizing a race does not help in any way. If a person truly is voting or not voting for either Senator due to racial issues, the only thing that will change that person's mind is education. I know, and apparently you know, that the color of our skin has nothing to do with anything except melanin. You would be better served to find the people you personally know and explain to them how skin pigmentation works. Then, maybe your friends that you speak of can find real reasons to not vote for Obama, of which there are plenty. In the meantime, consider stop falling back on the issue of racism to explain why people are not supporting your candidate. It is a sad fact that some people are voting against him because of his skin color - it is also sad that there are many voting for him for the same reason.

Posted by: Deidra | Jun 28, 2008 2:56:28 PM

With a son in the Air Force, I have to think about his safety above anything else, and that's one reason I am voting for Obama. Republicans don't have the compassion for human life the way a TRUE Democrat does!

Posted by: Mark | Jun 27, 2008 11:13:49 PM

"Sen. Joe Lieberman, the independent Democrat from Connecticut"


More like the hypocrite democrat Senator from Connecticut!

Posted by: chessmaster | Jun 27, 2008 11:05:33 PM

I hope the Democrats take into consideration Joe Libermann's behavior from 2007 and 2008. His comments about Obama as a foreign policy matter, boggle the mind especially if the Senate wants to gain more Democratic seats.

His wholesale endorsement is not what a loyal Democrat does. If he wants to be Zell Miller circa 2008, so be it.

Posted by: Genna | Jun 27, 2008 10:13:45 PM

BCINFL: What is this crap about not voting for Obama because he is black? I don't care what color, religion or sex someone is, but I am not voting for anyone who is that liberal. He had the most liberal voting record in the Senate. He says he is going to bring us together. HOW when he is the most liberal and not even close to center. He has never reached across to sponsor anything bipartisan.

Posted by: Rich | Jun 27, 2008 3:17:19 PM

It seems like Lieberman is in many wyas jealous of Obama. How sad that a long time Democrat like Lieberman has turned into a Republican attack dog.

Posted by: Coe | Jun 27, 2008 12:55:00 PM

Some folks need to do their homework.

Lieberman and McCain have had long friendship with then Iraqi exile leader Ahmad Chalabi, who drummed up bogus WMD claims and helped lead the United States into war, going all the way back to 1991.

It’s worth remembering that it was Lieberman, along with Trent Lott, who led the effort in the Senate to fund Chalabi and the Iraq National Congress through passage of the Iraqi Liberation Act in 1998, and it was Lieberman and McCain who served as the two “honorary co-chairmen” of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (CLI), the elite group that was put together by the administration and Chalabi’s pals at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), to lobby for invading Iraq in the fall of 2002.

Posted by: BCINFL | Jun 27, 2008 12:45:30 PM

Listen folks, lets put the cards on the table. If Obama was white, you wouldn't have the promblem of voting for him. You would be saying "...he's the the next JFK!" Take that African blood out of him, and he would be POTUS with over 70% of the vote. You know why? Because everyone I know...all of my friends and family have said so! I say so. Get your heads out of the sand, and be honest with yourselfs and each other. The truth will set you free!

Posted by: PC? who me? | Jun 27, 2008 12:18:40 PM

Obama blasted Hillary's campaign, stating it the same old Washington of the 1990's, but yet he carries policies of McGovern, Carter and Clinton in his campaign. McCain is not Bush and his administration will not be Bush's. Obama's , he never speaks about his father , who was African and a Muslim. The blood of his father flows through him , just like the blood of his white activist, atheist mother. Obama acquired so called Christianity ( black liberation theology type) in 1990 when it proved to be political correct.

Posted by: jp,michigan | Jun 27, 2008 10:48:38 AM

20 years.

That's how long Barry was in that church, and what a shock to see that he left the church ONLY after people found out about it. That's principle???

Who is Barry Obama?

Posted by: Rev Dr. E Buzz Miller | Jun 27, 2008 9:20:45 AM

McSame and the Repoublicians can have LIEbermann....He lsot his Dem primary and only won his seat back because the Republicians voted for him as their candidate was so weak.

Come Nov, when Dem have 60 seats and McSame & Bush is HISTORY, LIEbermann will be all alone

Posted by: MCCain=BUSH III | Jun 27, 2008 8:03:09 AM

Lieberman is as unAmerican as they come he needs to cover his head and move to Israel now. If McCain is smart the last thing he should do is not pick Lieberman for VP. I would have a hard time trying to decide between Obama for president and Liebrman for vp, based on McCains age.
Which would would I want a big fat ego who just wants to be president or a Judas? What a mess after what we have been through for eight years. The US is really in trouble, when will we get back on pride in are self? It keeps looking farther and farther away. God help us.

Posted by: victoria l trenne | Jun 27, 2008 6:53:04 AM

1percenter....

Most Democrats voted for Lieberman as VP in 2000 not against him...the against votes were for Bush!

Posted by: Jackie | Jun 27, 2008 2:08:45 AM

Molly,
I agree with your sentiments. Obama has been knocking McCain as running for Bush's third term but I believe that Obama is running for McGovern's first term. Clinton would be the sane choice.
=======================================
Obama, the chief architect of BitterGate!
=======================================

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Jun 27, 2008 1:52:04 AM

Lieberman's policies are a total nightmare. Spend tons of money fighting in Iraq/Iran, spends tons of money on health care, spying, and a number of social issues. If he ever got to a position of power we'd be screwed. Where out of the 14 trillion dollar debt is he thinking of pulling the money from?

Posted by: Eric | Jun 27, 2008 1:29:54 AM

How is it possible that the Republican nominee is cozying up to the guy we voted against 8 years ago? And McCain is going to put him in the Cabinet?

Posted by: 1percenter | Jun 27, 2008 1:13:26 AM

Here's another quote:

Fools are made, not born.

The media driven obamarama is all an illusion friends.

Obama is simply not qualified to be President of the U.S. Obama is not qualified to be a U.S. Senator either.

Obama is a fraud.

Wake up America! Let the long overdue vetting of Obama finally begin....

Let's raise a glass to what will hopefully be the total political implosion of Barack Obama BEFORE the Dems foolishly nominate this arrogant PRESUMPTIVE nominee at the DNC convention in late August. A day is an eternity in politics, anything can and most likely will happen..........

Posted by: AJ | Jun 27, 2008 12:43:44 AM

Sounds like most Demos dislike Sen. Lieberman...Why? He supports the war just like 90% of all Demo Congressmen. They just voted today to fund the war with another 185 billion. Wake Up Fools.

Posted by: roger king | Jun 27, 2008 12:19:58 AM

If you love your country, you'll vote for McCain.

If you loathe it, you'll vote Obama.

It's fairly simple.

Posted by: Jo | Jun 26, 2008 11:48:51 PM

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