by Jerry Gordon, Israpundit, May 17, 2008

There was a good interview with Senator Joe Lieberman in the current edition of US News and World Report. He tells about his friendship and endorsement of his Senate colleague, John McCain, the unease among Senate and Connecticut Democrats about his ‘independent’ views. His comments about his other Senate Colleague, Obama are ’spot on’, as are his statements about Hamas, Iran and appeasement. But the question remains, where will Senator Lieberman go, should McCain possibly win in November?

Here are my insights and speculations drawn from my experience as a campaign worker in his successful re-election to the US Senate in 2006.

I got to know him well during the 2006 Senate Campaign and have periodically exchanged correspondence with him since his return to the Senate.

Lieberman has an amazing following across the US, and even here on the Gulf Coast.

When you mention his name people respond by telling you that he’s a truth speaker, a man of principles with integrity. There are others who suggest that a McCain Lieberman team would be a ‘dream ticket’. But such will not happen in my opinion.

Lieberman’s comments in the US News and World Report article about the senior Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd are spot on. A number of us were none too happy on the morning of August 9, 2006 to see Sen. Dodd in a photo tableau with Democratic primary winner, Greenwich Selectman Ned Lamont framed by Revs. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and others of the same ilk.

I remember standing with journalist/author Ken Timmerman in the East Hall of Union Station in DC on the evening of Jan. 4, 2007 for a Lieberman ‘Victory Lap’ celebration when Dodd popped in the door. I reached over and extended my hand to him and said: “Why Senator how kind of you to come”. Clearly, as Lieberman said, there are some ‘issues’ between them.

I had written the Senator after his endorsement of his friend and Senate colleague John McCain, last December. He was kind enough to send me a hand written note.

What disturbed me most was reading the virulent sentiments against both McCain and Lieberman in the thread of comments to this US News and World Report interview. They were downright nasty and reflective of the crazed anti-War and anti-Israel activists who demanded and got a primary vote for the Connecticut US Senate post held by Lieberman in 2006. They were the same folks who called me ‘traitor” when I handed out leaflets and wore those famous sandwich boards with the message of “where to find Joe” on the bottom of the ballot. But what personally pleased me were the comments of those Republicans and Democrats who called me asking for lawn signs. When I delivered them, especially to Republicans in tony sections of the Town of Fairfield , where I resided, I asked them why they were voting for Joe. They uniformly praised him for his truth speaking, principles, and bi-partisanship on national and local issues important to Nutmeggers. The ‘lunch bucket’ Democrats with whom I worked with knew him well when he saved 30,000 jobs at the US Navy Sub Base in Groton . Then there were the funding programs after 9/11 enhancing first responders, fire, police and emergency service personnel in the state and nationally. Lest we not forget both he and Senator McCain were co-sponsors of the 9/11 Commission legislation.

There’s one anecdote I can relate about my experience as a Lieberman campaign worker in 2006. It was cold that November morning just prior to the election. I was handing out leaflets and wearing my ” where to find Joe” sandwich board at the Fairfield Metro North Commuter train station. Up pulled a black Caddy and out jumped two burly Connecticut State cops in mufti and Republican Governor Jody Rell popped out. She gave me a thumbs up sign, smiled broadly and proceeded to go up on to the commuter train platform and politic for local GOP Assembly and Senate candidates. When she came back, she paused to speak with me and told me she was voting for Joe. When I asked her why? She said they had worked effectively on a bi-partisan basis and shared common values of service to Connecticut , and in Joe’s case, many Americans, too. I thanked her. That made my day when I kept getting called ‘traitor’ and some unmentionable scatological words, by some nasty commuters headed for New York . Joe won in 2006 backed by two-thirds of registered Republicans the mahjority of the Independent voters and over a third of the Democrats. He chose to caucus with the Senate Democrats because if he had changed party affiliations, the Republicans would have controlled the Senate, but he would have lost seniority for committee assignments. Besides, at the time he was the literal ‘800 pound gorilla’ in the Capitol building.

Lieberman’s comments about Obama are spot on. Bright, articulate, but as the Senator points out he hasn’t seen much from the junior Illinois Senator in 3.5 years, nor any bi-partisan efforts to cross the aisle to get things done.

As for Israel and the threats in the Middle East, especially Iran and the rising shia crescent with Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollahs in Tehran . Lieberman has their number, and knows you don’t sit down with people who want to “wipe you off the map of the world’. The same is true for palavering with Hamas and Hezbollah as has been suggested by Democratic ‘icons’ like ex-President Carter and his former NSC advisor Zbigniew Brezizinski to say nothing of former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer. Kurzter and Lieberman share one aspect. They are both Orthodox Jews. But that’s the only thing. It is not lost on many of us that Lieberman and McCain went to Sderot to show solidarity with the beleaguered citizens there who face the daily onslaught of Kassem and Katyusha rocket fire from Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad across the line in Gaza . While the Olmert Kadima government in Jerusalem has been indifferent, at best to the fate of beleaguered citizens both in the Western Negev, and, as was shown during the Bush visit, in Ashkelon .

I know another thing. Lieberman is not about to throw Christian Zionists here in the US , ‘under a bus’ as was done last week with Pastor John Hagee. I witnessed first hand at an awards dinner in September 2005, Lieberman present at a Washington , DC awards dinner for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, headed by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who the Senator holds in high regard.

As to Lieberman’s future? I can only speculate. Should McCain win in the fall, but the Democrats overwhelmingly win a majority in Senate seats, then perhaps McCain may reach out to his Senate colleague and ask him to join his administration in a senior cabinet post capacity. That would be a loss for Connecticut , despite the nay saying of the Democratic ‘activists’. If that were to occur, then perhaps Connecticut Governor Rell, the Senator’s good friend, might reach out for a mutual friend, nationally recognized GOP House Representative Chris Shays in my former district (4th Connecticut ) to replace Lieberman.

But that’s all speculation.

We have yet to have a Presidential campaign and an election in 2008. One thing for sure. Senator Lieberman will be out on the hustings supporting McCain. A good thing for the nation and his Connecticut constituents.