PoliticsTop StoryUS

Al Gore remembers Joe Lieberman as ‘mensch’ who bridged political divides

Former Vice President Al Gore and other politician dignitaries remembered the late Joe Lieberman Friday as a “mensch” who both bridged partisan political divides and wasn’t afraid to go against mainstream political currents, during a packed funeral service for the four-term U.S. senator.

Quick Read

  • Tributes to Lieberman: Former Vice President Al Gore and other political figures paid homage to Joe Lieberman, remembering him as a unifier and a man of principle at his funeral in Stamford, Connecticut.
  • Lieberman’s Legacy: Known for his bipartisan approach, Lieberman was celebrated for his ability to bridge political divides and for his willingness to challenge conventional political norms.
  • Record Fundraiser: Lieberman’s passing was marked by reflections on his impactful career, including his role in the historic 2000 election as Al Gore’s running mate, making him the first Jewish candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket.
  • Personal Remembrances: Family members shared personal stories, highlighting Lieberman’s deep faith, commitment to public service, and the values he lived by.
  • Political Journey: Lieberman’s political career was distinguished by his independent streak, notable for his support of key issues like civil rights, environmental causes, and his approach to national security.
  • Impactful Service: His contributions to American politics, including his involvement in forming the Department of Homeland Security and advocating for various rights, were commemorated.
  • Centrist Advocacy: In his later years, Lieberman was involved in the No Labels movement, advocating for centrist policies and bipartisanship in an increasingly polarized political landscape.
  • Family and Faith: Lieberman’s adherence to his Jewish faith and his devotion to his family were central themes in the remembrances, underscoring his character and personal integrity.

The Associated Press has the story:

Al Gore remembers Joe Lieberman as ‘mensch’ who bridged political divides

Newslooks- STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) —

Former Vice President Al Gore and other politician dignitaries remembered the late Joe Lieberman Friday as a “mensch” who both bridged partisan political divides and wasn’t afraid to go against mainstream political currents, during a packed funeral service for the four-term U.S. senator.

Former Vice President Al Gore offers his condolences to Hadassah Lieberman during the funeral for her husband, former Sen. Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Noting there is no English equivalent for the Yiddish term, Gore — who ran for president on a Democratic ticket with Lieberman in the disputed 2000 election — told mourners at a synagogue in Stamford, Connecticut, that they could find its meaning just by looking at his former running mate, who passed away this week at 82.

“Those who seek its definition will not find it in dictionaries so much as they find it in the way Joe Lieberman lived his life: friendship over anger, reconciliation as a form of grace,” Gore said. “We can learn from Joe Lieberman’s life some critical lessons about how we might heal the rancor in our nation today.”

Former Vice President Al Gore offers his condolences to the Lieberman family during the funeral for former Sen. Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Top Connecticut Democrats, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and Gov. Ned Lamont — Lieberman’s one-time rival for the Senate seat — shared similar sentiments.

Lamont said his acquaintance with Lieberman started on “an inauspicious note” when they ran against each other in 2006. After Lamont defeated the incumbent Lieberman in the Democratic primary for his Senate seat, Lieberman ran as an independent and defeated Lamont.

Current and former elected officials including Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and Senator Susan Collins listen to reflections during the funeral for former Senator Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Lamont said Lieberman loved Frank Sinatra songs, especially “My Way.” “He did it his way,” Lamont said. “He never quite fit in that Republican or Democratic box. I think maybe in an odd way I helped liberate him because when he beat me — he beat me pretty good, by the way — he won as an independent.”

Lamont said Lieberman “was always a calming presence” and a “bridge over troubled waters as you see the partisan sniping from both directions.”

Hadassah Lieberman, wife of former Senator Joe Lieberman, and their daughter Hani Lowenstein, arrive for his funeral in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Blumenthal recalled Lieberman’s “tremendous accomplishments,” including helping to form the Department of Homeland Security and championing civil rights, voting rights, women’s reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights. “But the greatest accomplishment of his life was his marriage to Hadassah and their children and grandchildren,” Blumenthal said.

Services were held at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford. For Lieberman, a self-described observant Jew who followed the rules of the Jewish Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the congregation played a key role early on in his life.

Senator Chris Murphy, D-CT, speaks at the funeral for former Senator Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo / Bryan Woolston)

He once recalled how the congregation’s former synagogue building was “a place that gave me the first sense of religion; a very special uplift,” according to a posting on the congregation’s website.

“I feel very lucky — my adherence to the Jewish tradition is really an asset,” he said. “Religious Catholics and Protestants find a bond of common value with my beliefs and stand. It is this that makes me so proud of being an American.”

Lieberman’s youngest daughter, Hana Lowenstein, who moved to Israel in 2018 with her family, said tearfully that she had prayed, “Please God, give my father many more years. Let him see all of my kids’ bar mitzvahs, their weddings, his great-grandchildren.” But she said God “had other plans.”

Former Senator Chris Dodd speaks at the funeral for former Senator Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo / Bryan Woolston)

Lowenstein said that observing the Jewish Sabbath was “very dear” to her father and he would walk 5 miles (8 kilometers) in order to abide by the Sabbath prohibition on riding in a motor vehicle. “You were literally someone who was sanctifying God’s name by everything you did,” she said.

Matthew Lieberman, the former senator’s son from his first marriage, said Lieberman “was a blessing for all of us” but “a solid slice of people” nevertheless developed a hate for him.

The casket of former Senator Joe Lieberman is shown in the sanctuary of Congregation Agudath Sholom, before his funeral in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo / Bryan Woolston)

Despite that animosity, Matthew Lieberman said his father encouraged others to not let those disagreements devolve into hatred. “We’re not the Hatfields and McCoys here,” Matthew Lieberman said. “We’re Americans, we’re fellow citizens in the greatest country in the history of the world. We’re all humans and we’re all we’ve got.”

The casket of former Sen. Joe Lieberman in the sanctuary of Congregation Agudath Sholom, during his funeral in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Lieberman, a former state Senate leader and attorney general, was long known for his pragmatic, independent streak. After losing the chance to serve as vice president with the Democrat Gore, he came close to becoming Republican John McCain’s running mate in 2008. However, conservatives balked at the idea of tapping Lieberman, who was known for supporting gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes while taking a hawkish stand on military and national security matters.

Former Vice President Al Gore speaks at the funeral for former Sen. Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

President Joe Biden on Thursday called Lieberman a friend, someone who was “principled, steadfast and unafraid to stand up for what he thought was right.”

“Joe believed in a shared purpose of serving something bigger than ourselves,” Biden, who served 20 years in the Senate with Lieberman, said in his statement. “He lived the values of his faith as he worked to repair the wounds of the world.”

Former Vice President Al Gore speaks at the funeral for former Sen. Joe Lieberman in Stamford, Conn., Friday, March. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Lieberman came tantalizingly close to winning the vice presidency in the contentious 2000 presidential contest that was decided by a 537-vote margin victory for George W. Bush over Gore in Florida after a drawn-out recount, legal challenges and a Supreme Court decision. He was the first Jewish candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket.

FILE – Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Al Gore, left, and his running mate, vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman, of Connecticut, wave to supporters at a campaign rally in Jackson, Tenn., Oct. 25, 2000. A funeral for Lieberman will be held Friday, March 29, 2024, in his hometown of Stamford, Conn. Lieberman died in New York City on Wednesday, March 27, at age 82. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

Over the last decade, Lieberman helped lead No Labels, a centrist third-party movement that has said it will offer as-yet-unnamed candidates for president and vice president this year. Some groups aligned with Democrats oppose the effort, fearing it will help presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump win the White House.

FILE – Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman waves to members of the media as he leaves the West Wing of the White House in Washington, May 17, 2017. A funeral for Lieberman will be held Friday, March 29, 2024, in his hometown of Stamford, Conn. Lieberman died in New York City on Wednesday, March 27, at age 82. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah, have four children.

Read more political news

Previous Article
Clemson reaches Elite Eight for 1st time since 1980, beating Arizona 77-72
Next Article
Top-seeded UConn beat San Diego State 82-52 to reach Elite Eight

How useful was this article?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this article.

Latest News

Menu