WASHINGTON – Joe Lieberman, the former US vice-presidential candidate who infuriated Democrats by backing Republican John McCain for president in 2008, is to retire.
Word of the four-term senator’s decision came hours after North Dakota senator Kent Conrad also announced his retirement, leaving Democrats with two seats to defend in a difficult political environment.
Mr Lieberman (68) will officially announce his decision in Stamford, Connecticut today.
The senator nearly won the vice-presidency on the Democratic ticket with running mate Al Gore in 2000. He was defeated the last time he ran for the Democratic Senate nomination in Connecticut in 2006, but won a new term running as an independent.
There had been speculation about whether Mr Lieberman, who usually votes with Democrats, would run in 2012 as a Democrat, Republican or independent. But Democratic officials said last night he would not run for re-election.
Top Democrats like Senator Christopher Dodd and President Barack Obama, who had supported Mr Lieberman in the 2006 primary, instead backed Democratic nominee Ned Lamont in the autumn election. Mr Lieberman was disappointed that some old friends were not loyal to him.
In the years since, he aligned himself with Democrats in the Senate who permitted him to chair a committee in return. But in 2008 he supported Mr McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, who put the Connecticut politician on his list of potential vice-presidential running mates.
Mr Lieberman’s decision to speak at the 2008 Republican presidential nominating convention angered Democrats and the speech he gave contrasting Mr Obama to Mr McCain infuriated them even more.
“In the Senate, during the 3½ years that Senator Obama has been a member, he has not reached across party lines to accomplish anything significant, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party to get something done,” Mr Lieberman said at the time.
Connecticut Democrats have also criticised Mr Lieberman’s support of the Iraq war, but they were pleased when he led the recent Senate fight to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
Former Connecticut secretary of the state Susan Bysiewicz said she would run for Mr Lieberman’s seat in 2012. Two Connecticut House of Representatives Democrats, Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney are also considering a run. – (AP)