Former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman passed away due to a fall. He was the chair of the “No Labels” Party. Many in the media have described Lieberman as a centrist. There certainly is a lot of rhetoric that seems to support such an argument. But there’s another way to evaluate that. We could also look at Lieberman’s voting record, as rated by a series of interest groups.
kAmx? E9:D 2?2=JD:D[ x =@@< 2E H96E96C @C ?@E E96 A@=:E:4:2? :? BF6DE:@? FD6D 46?EC:DE =2?8F286] p55:E:@?2==J[ x 2?2=JK65 9@H @E96CD :? E96 >65:2 56D4C:365 E9:D A2CE:4F=2C A@=:E:4:2?[ 3J :56@=@8J] %96?[ x H:== 6I2>:?6 E96 G@E:?8 C64@C5 @7 E96 A@=:E:42= 7:8FC6 :? BF6DE:@?[ 2D C2E65 3J :?E6C6DE 8C@FAD @? 2 ?F>36C @7 :DDF6D] %9:D H:== 96=A FD 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C @C ?@E E96 C96E@C:4 >2E496D E96 C62=:EJ]k^Am
kAmx? a_a`[ $6?2E@C y@6 {:636C>2? HC@E6 %96 r6?EC:DE $@=FE:@?i w@H H6 >256 8@G6C?>6?E H@C< 2?5 42? >2<6 :E H@C< 282:?] x? E96 3@@<’D 56D4C:AE:@? “x? E96 E6==:?8[ $6?2E@C {:636C>2? 6IEC24ED 4=62C =6DD@?D 2?5 AC@G6? >6E9@5D @7 46?EC:DE 4@==23@C2E:@? E92E 42? 42CCJ FD 7@CH2C5 27E6C J62CD @7 A2CE:D2? H2C72C6 2?5 =68:D=2E:G6 :?24E:@?] %96 46?EC:DE D@=FE:@? =625D E@ 8@G6C?>6?E ECF=J @7 E96 A6@A=6[ 3J E96 A6@A=6[ 2?5 7@C E96 A6@A=6―2 4:E:K6?CJ =@@<:?8 7@C D@=FE:@?D[ ?@E 6IEC6>:DE DE2?5@77D]”k^Am
kAmx? 56D4C:3:?8 E96 =2E6 $6?2E@C {:636C>2?[ E96C6 H6C6 afh[___ v@@8=6 9:ED @? E96 =236= “{:636C>2? Zr6?EC:DE]” }6HD D:E6D 4=2:>:?8 {:636C>2? H2D 2 46?EC:DE :?4=F56 E96 q@DE@? v=@36[ }!#[ r}}[ !@=:E:4@[ 2?5 rq$] %92E 4@?EC2DED H:E9 v@@8=6 >6?E:@?D @7 “{:636C>2? Z{:36C2=” H9:49 H6C6 b`e :? ?F>36C[ DF49 2D q=@@>36C8 }6HD[ H9:49 4=2:>65 {:636C>2? D9:7E65 7C@> 36:?8 =:36C2= E@ 46?EC:DE] p?5 {:636C>2? H6?E @? E@ D6CG6 2D E96 492:C @7 E96 “}@ {236=D” A2CEJ[ D66<:?8 2 “46?EC:DE” 42?5:52E6 @C A2:C @7 E96> E@ CF? 7@C AC6D:56?E 2?5 G:46\AC6D:56?E[ 2D p?5C6H $@=6?56C H:E9 pI:@D C6A@CED]k^Am
kAm~E96CD 36=:6G6 {:636C>2? H2D 2 46?EC:DE 3642FD6 96 =@DE E96 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ ?@>:?2E:@? 7@C E96 &]$] $6?2E6 :? 9:D a__e C66=64E:@? 3:5 3J 2 AC@8C6DD:G6 42?5:52E6[ }65 {2>@?E W4FCC6?E=J E96 r@??64E:4FE v@G6C?@CX] *6E {:636C>2? H@? 2?@E96C E6C> E92E J62C[ 2D 2? :?56A6?56?E 42?5:52E6[ 7F6=:?8 E96 A6C46AE:@? @7 9:> 2D 2 46?EC:DE[ 2D !q$ 5@4F>6?ED] *6E :E :D E6==:?8 E92E {:636C>2? DE:== 49@D6 E@ 42F4FD H:E9 E96 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ 7@C E96 C6DE @7 9:D 42C66C :? E96 $6?2E6[ 2=D@ ?@E65 3J !q$]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE A2CE @7 E96 6BF2E:@? :D E@ 6G2=F2E6 {:636C>2?’D G@E:?8 C64@C5] pD %@> rFCCJ HC@E6 :? }qr }6HD “(9:=6 D@>6 s6>@4C2ED D66 {:636C>2? 2D 2 4@?D6CG2E:G6[ E96 4@?D6CG2E:G6D E96>D6=G6D 5@?’E] p7E6C 2==[ {:636C>2? :D 564:565=J =:36C2= @? 82J C:89ED — 86EE:?8 2? gg @FE @7 `__ C2E:?8 7C@> E96 wF>2? #:89ED r2>A2:8?[ E96 82J C:89ED 25G@424J 8C@FA[ 2?5 2? 6?5@CD6>6?E 7C@> E96 {628F6 @7 r@?D6CG2E:@? '@E6CD[ H9@ 42==65 9:> “2 E@A 6?G:C@?>6?E2= =6256C :? r@?8C6DD[ 7:89E:?8 6G6CJ 52J 7@C E96 6?G:C@?>6?E[ 962=E9[ 2?5 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 @7 r@??64E:4FE 72>:=:6D]” %96 p>6C:42? r@?D6CG2E:G6 &?:@? Wpr&X[ 2 =625:?8 C:89E\H:?8 G6EE:?8 8C@FA[ 8:G6D {:636C>2? 2 =@H `f @FE @7 `__ =:76E:>6 4@?D6CG2E:G6 C2E:?8[ AFEE:?8 9:> :? E96 D2>6 pr& 32D6>6?E 2D $6?] y@6 q:56?[ s\ s6=] 2?5 $6?2E6 s6>@4C2E:4 {6256C w2CCJ #6:5 @7 }6G252]”k^Am
kAmxE’D H@CE9 ?@E:?8 E92E E9:D 2CE:4=6 H2D HC:EE6? :? a__e[ 367@C6 q:56? H2D ?@>:?2E65 7@C ':46\!C6D:56?E :? a__g[ @C 6=64E65 AC6D:56?E :? a_a_] |J @H? C6D62C49 :? E96 >282K:?6 %96 ~3D6CG6C :? a_`h D9@HD E92E q:56?’D G@E:?8 C64@C5 H2D ?@E E@@ 5:776C6?E 7C@> {:636C>2?’D =:76E:>6 pr& G@E:?8 C2E:?8]k^Am
kAm%@ 7FCE96C 6I2>:?6 7@C>6C $6?2E@C {:636C>2?’D G@E:?8 C64@C5[ x =@@<65 2E E96 r@?8C6DD:@?2= G@E:?8 D4@C6D 7C@> @E96C 8C@FAD[ 2D C6D62C4965 3J AC@8C6DD:G6 3=@886C |2EE $>:E9 :? a__e] {:36C2= 8C@FAD =:<6 E96 p>6C:42?D 7@C s6>@4C2E:4 p4E:@? Wg_X[ E96 p>6C:42? u656C2E:@? @7 $E2E6[ r@F?EJ 2?5 |F?:4:A2= t>A=@J66D WgeX[ E96 p>6C:42? r:G:= {:36CE:6D &?:@? WgbX[ E96 }2E:@?2= ~C82?:K2E:@? @7 (@>6? WfdX[ }ppr! WggX[ E96 {628F6 @7 &?:E65 {2E:? p>6C:42? r:E:K6?D W`__X[ }p#p{ WfdX[ !=2??65 !2C6?E9@@5[ 2?5 E96 qC25J r2>A2:8? E@ !C6G6?E vF? ':@=6?46 Wh_X] r@?D6CG2E:G6 8C@FAD =:<6 E96 r9C:DE:2? r@2=:E:@? W_X[ }2E:@?2= #:89E\E@\{:76 W_X[ 2?5 E96 }#p WuX[ 82G6 {:636C>2? G6CJ =@H C2E:?8D 7@C 9:D G@E6D]k^Am
kAm(2D $6?2E@C {:636C>2? =J:?8 :? 9:D a_a` 3@@<n }@] ~? 2 ?F>36C @7 @442D:@?D[ H9:49 $6?2E@C {:636C>2? HC:E6D 23@FE :? 9:D 3@@<[ 96 5:5 H@C< 24C@DD A2CEJ =:?6D[ H:E9 76==@H s6>@4C2ED 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D[ E@ D965 EC25:E:@?2= :56@=@8:42= =236=D 2?5 7@C86 2 4@>AC@>:D6] %96D6 42>6 @? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 :DDF6D[ C2?8:?8 7C@> %96 r=62? p:C p4E @7 `hh_[ %96 q2=2?465 qF586E p4E @7 `hhf 2?5 E96 C6A62= @7 E96 2?E:\82J “s@?’E pD<[ s@?’E %6==” A@=:4J]k^Am
kAm%96 724E E92E $6?2E@C {:636C>2? 2?5 @E96C r@?8C6DD:@?2= s6>@4C2ED H@C<65 H:E9 w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 #6AF3=:42?D[ 2?5 E96 724E E92E 96 H2D s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ ?@>:?66 p= v@C6’D CF??:?8 >2E6 :? a___ 2?5 H2D D6C:@FD=J 4@?D:56C65 7@C G:46\AC6D:56?E 3J E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ ?@>:?66 y@9? |4r2:? :? a__g[ =65 >2?J :? E96 >65:2 E@ E9:?< @7 9:> 2D 2 46?EC:DE] qFE 6G:56?46 7C@> 9:D G@E:?8 C64@C5 D9@HD 96 H2D 2 >2:?DEC62> s6>@4C2E[ H9@ AFE 2D:56 9:D =:36C2= :56@=@8J E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 v~! @? 2 3:==]k^Am
kAmy@9? p] %FC6D :D 2 AC@76DD@C @7 A@=:E:42= D4:6?46 2E {2vC2?86 r@==686 :? {2vC2?86[ v6@C8:2] w:D G:6HD 2C6 9:D @H?] w6 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i;EFC6Do=28C2?86]65FQm;EFC6Do=28C2?86]65Fk^2m] w:D %H:EE6C 244@F?E :D y@9?%FC6Da]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us.