Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Lieberman on Today Show: "I'm Less Likely to Appoint Gore to a Position in My Administration!"
The Today Show

Posted on 12/09/2003 4:59:22 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest

It ain't easy being a presidential candidate. Pundits generally agree that Al Gore's endorsement of Howard Dean hurts Lieberman the most of any candidate in the race. Yet the morning after the shocking news of the endorsement emerged, there was Joe Lieberman on The Today Show, smilingly explaining why this doesn't harm his candidacy in the least.

You had to hand it to Lieberman. He whistled past the graveyard with nary a dropped note.

Interviewed by Matt Lauer, Lieberman took the high road. No, Gore wasn't being disloyal. In fact, Lieberman would be "forever grateful" to Gore for giving him the opportunity to run for Vice President.

No, insisted Lieberman, this doesn't hurt his candidacy. "Al Gore only has one vote," and "we've got something going in New Hampshire."

Eventually, though, Lieberman was willing to raise some pointed questions. Lauer showed footage of Gore in 2000 annoucing his selection of Lieberman as his VP candidate and extolling him as fabulously qualified, etc., Lauer asked: "what has changed since then?" Lieberman said he didn't know and that you'd have to ask Gore.

Asked by Lauer how he explains this "shocking announcement," Lieberman said:

"I can't explain it. Al Gore will have to explain why he is endorsing someone who will take our country backward not forward, why he's endorsing someone who's against everything that Al Gore and Bill Clinton stood for: middle class tax cuts, strong foreign policy, values.

Lieberman pointedly mentioned that he spoke with Bill Clinton last night. He said that all his conversations with the ex-Pres. are private, but went out of his way to mention that they've known each for 33 years, that they had a good laugh, perhaps talked about the vicissitudes of campaigns, etc.

The interview ended on a note of humor and candor. Lauer quoted a recent statement from Lieberman to the effect that Al Gore was an "immensely principled, capable person who I would consider him for a high position in my administration." Asked whether he would still be consider Gore for a high post in his adminstration Lieberman admitted with a laugh: "That's less likely now." Lauer congratulated him on his frankness.

Then in was on to an interview by Katie Couric of NBC political analyst and Meet the Press host Tim Russert.

She began by observing that "you live for this," meaning that Russert is a political animal who enjoys dramatic political developments such as Gore's surprise endorsement.

The most telling moment of the interview came when Katie said: "some have called Dean too liberal. Does the endorsement by Gore, who is more centrist, help establish Dean in the mainstream?"

Notably, when Couric pronounced the words "too liberal," she drew quotation marks in the air (a la Chris Farley in some of his trademark Saturday Night Live sketches).

In other words, Couric wanted to disassociate herself from, and even poke fun, at the notion that Dean was in fact too liberal. That kind of thinking, she effectively was making clear, was something held only by (less enlightened) others.

Russert wasn't really buying Couric's notion that Gore's endorsement inoculated Dean against charges that Dean was too liberal. Russert made the case that Gore himself has veered left since 2000. He pointed out that Gore had endorsed the first Gulf War but has been a bitter critic of this war, and even plays footsie with the far-left Moveon.org.

Asked to explain Gore's decision to endorse Dean, Russert did so both in psychological as well as political terms. On the psychological level, Russert asserted that after the 2000 campaign, Gore expressed the wish that he had "let it all rip, and to hell with the pollsters." Dean's in-your-face, internet-based campaign is the kind of approach that Gore wishes he had adopted.

On the political level, Gore is thinking that his endorsement might position himself as the alternate candidate (instead of Hillary) at the 2004 convention should the current crop of candidates falter, and also might make him the standard bearer in 2008.

Then it was on to Gore's frosty relationship with the Clintons. "Is it symbolic that this announcement will be in Harlem, where Clinton has his office?"

Russert: "Dean has a problem with black voters, there are few in Vermont. Also, his statement that he wanted to reach out to southerners with Confederate flag decals on their pick-up trucks hurt Dean with some black voters." Beyond that, yes, Gore's relationship with Clinton can only be described as "formal."

Russert then mentioned that the other Dem candidates are "off the wall" with anger at Gore's endorsement.

He made particular mention of Lieberman and Gephardt. In the past, Gephardt had apparently had gone out of his way to endorse Gore.

As for Gore not giving Lieberman a heads-up that the axe was about to fall: "I'm surprised, yes, yes, as a matter of courtesy that Gore didn't advise Lieberman that he was doing something."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Connecticut; US: Tennessee; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: algore; clinton; dean; gephardt; gore; lieberman
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last
To: governsleastgovernsbest
Lieberman's statement is true on a couple of levels, when you think about it.

...which is unusual, for him, since he sold the last shattered remnants of his soul.

Dan
41 posted on 12/09/2003 6:39:06 AM PST by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
I am dying to hear what Zell Miller has to say about this low class move.
42 posted on 12/09/2003 6:39:46 AM PST by SpinyNorman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
"....someone who's against everything that Al Gore and Bill Clinton stood for: middle class tax cuts, strong foreign policy, values."

That's it, Joe. Al is trying his best to disassociate himself with those Clinton VALUES.

43 posted on 12/09/2003 6:40:48 AM PST by azhenfud ("He who is always looking up seldom finds others' lost change...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool
Super LOL!
44 posted on 12/09/2003 6:53:40 AM PST by sr4402
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
Lieberman pointedly mentioned that he spoke with Bill Clinton last night. He said that all his conversations with the ex-Pres. are private, but went out of his way to mention that they've known each for 33 years, that they had a good laugh, perhaps talked about the vicissitudes of campaigns, etc.

Another Dwarf biting the poisoned apple.

45 posted on 12/09/2003 6:55:37 AM PST by sr4402
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: azhenfud
I was struck by that too. The ultimate oxymoron: Clinton values.
46 posted on 12/09/2003 6:58:39 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: SpinyNorman
Interesting point - Zell should have a good zinger to offer!
47 posted on 12/09/2003 6:59:09 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: All
Who will be the next Dem contender to drop out of the race?

Well, since no one else is jumping in, let me see if I can prime the pump. I predict Kerry will be the next to drop out, perhaps even before the NH primary. Doing so at that point would permit him to avoid humiliation in his backyard state.

I think pretty soon it will dawn on Kerry, and that his friends and advisors will tell him, that he has no chance, and that he has already sacrificed much of his dignity. Time to end the bleeding.

48 posted on 12/09/2003 7:02:44 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
What you didn't see in the Green room after the interview.


49 posted on 12/09/2003 7:05:25 AM PST by McGruff (It's great to hear Rush's voice back on the golden EIB microphone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
Gore is trying to get behind a winning horse. He is also looking for payback. Gore wanted very badly to run 2004 but the Democrat (Hillary & Bill show) establishment would not support him $$$.

This is payback. It is the Democrat establishment vs. Howard Dean. Gore is bitter and he is doing the opposite of what the Democrat machine would want him to do.

It will be interesting when the Clintons will put the pressure on Dean. It will probably be after the nomination and will pull the rug ($$$) out from Dean.
50 posted on 12/09/2003 7:07:06 AM PST by truthandlife ("Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Ps 20:7))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
I couldn't believe Joe attributed any positive values to Clinton. When I heard that remark, I told my wife "values" and "Clinton" don't belong intertwined favorably within the same sentence. She laughed about it too.
51 posted on 12/09/2003 7:24:46 AM PST by azhenfud ("He who is always looking up seldom finds others' lost change...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
The most telling moment of the interview came when Katie said: "some have called Dean too liberal. Does the endorsement by Gore, who is more centrist, help establish Dean in the mainstream?"

algor a centrist? He's moved so far left he's more liberal than the peacenicks.

52 posted on 12/09/2003 7:27:18 AM PST by 1Old Pro (Gore as Sec'ty of Interior in Dean's administration? Algor needs a job.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff
LOL - you have to figure that was Joe's reaction when he got the news.
53 posted on 12/09/2003 7:30:09 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: truthandlife
Gore is trying to get behind a winning horse.

And you know what you get if you get behind a horse!

54 posted on 12/09/2003 7:31:09 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro
Exactly, and Russert called Katie on that, pointing out Gore's leftward drift and his affiliation with the hard-left Moveon.org.
55 posted on 12/09/2003 7:32:04 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
He pointed out that Gore had endorsed the first Gulf War

Oh, please. He did NOT support the war. What HE supported was face time for himself! Alan Simpson said that right up to the very last minute, Gore managed to produce a bidding war between the Dems and the GOP for FACE TIME on TV for his speech; the ONLY reason he supported that war was because the Republicans gave him the 8 P.M. EST time slot during the debate.

He is, was, and always will be a political WHORE.

56 posted on 12/09/2003 7:34:49 AM PST by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool
All smoke and mirrors.

Always has been.

57 posted on 12/09/2003 7:36:52 AM PST by lonestar (Don't mess with Texas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: azhenfud
I couldn't believe Joe attributed any positive values to Clinton.

I was waiting for the bolt of lightning to strike at that moment.

58 posted on 12/09/2003 7:38:33 AM PST by budwiesest (Unlike her hubby, Hillary will gladly serve if/when she is drafted.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: budwiesest
Yeah, I could almost see Ol Joe's political ship sinking with that remark. The response to Al Gore's having a position on his admin staff was appropriately answered by, "I'm less likely..."
59 posted on 12/09/2003 7:51:27 AM PST by azhenfud ("He who is always looking up seldom finds others' lost change...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: governsleastgovernsbest
I am praying and hoping that he has no administration.
60 posted on 12/09/2003 7:53:42 AM PST by sport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson