Former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman Dead at 82

Believe it or not, there was a time in this country when politicians willfully crossed the aisle and worked with the other side if it was for the good of the people.

Most people who have been following politics for the last four decades or so would probably put Lieberman at the top of that “moderate” list.

Sadly, he has passed away due to complications from a fall.

Last of an Era

Lieberman has been in public life for most of his life.

He started out as a state Senator in Connecticut, eventually winning his Senate seat during the 1988 election cycle.

In 2000, Lieberman found his way onto the presidential ticket of Al Gore, becoming the first practicing Jew to be named as a VP candidate.

Bush went on to win the election, but that did not hurt Lieberman’s career.

In the 2006 cycle, Lieberman lost his primary race, but wound up running as an independent, keeping his seat until he left office in 2013.

Since his retirement from the Senate, Lieberman rejoined the Democrat Party, but that did not stop him from calling out his fellow Democrats or supporting Republicans when he believed they were in the right.

As an example, Lieberman endorsed then-Senator John McCain (R-AZ) for president over the golden boy of the Democratic Party at the time, Barack Obama.

He also stepped way over the line to compliment Donald Trump on relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

More recently, Lieberman was a founding member of No Labels, a party established to find alternatives to traditional Republican and Democrat candidates.

Something tells me that with Lieberman gone, No Labels will merely work to be a spoiler party against Republicans.

While few details about his death were offered, his family did make a statement:

"Former United States Senator Joseph I. Lieberman died this afternoon, March 27, 2024, in New York City due to complications from a fall.

“He was 82 years old. His beloved wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him as he passed.

"Senator Lieberman's love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest.”

Rest in peace, sir, as you are one of the old breed, which has sadly become extinct in DC these days.