Lieberman's Farewell Remarks

In his farewell address to the Senate earlier this month, Lieberman said he is convinced that the greatest obstacle the nation faces in addressing its problems is the partisan polarization of our policies which prevents us from making the principled compromises on which progress in democracy depends and which right now prevents us from restoring our fiscal solvency as a nation. That is what is going on — no doubt about it.

Writing in The New York Times, Peter Applesome said this: “To his defenders, who are likely to be Republicans and Democrats, Mr. Lieberman has been a rare and admirable political figure who has risen above party in a polarized time.”

Lieberman was a rare politician. He represented Connecticut in the Senate for 24 years. Along his political path, he was defeated for re-election as a Democrat, but ran as an Independent and won. He was the first Jewish vice presidential candidate and once was a presidential candidate. In the Senate, he was a power broker. The Times’ columnist wrote that Lieberman “leaves the Senate a master at playing by his own rules, with the praise and disdain that come with forging a path like few, if any, in American politics.”

That leaves us with the question: Do we need more Joe Liebermans in Congress?