Posted on 01/13/2003 11:14:49 AM PST by NativeNewYorker
The 1980 House race for Connecticut's 3rd District was a turning
point in the political career of Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman. He
lost.
''That was a race he should have won,'' said Sam Gejdenson, a
longtime Democratic congressman from Connecticut. ''But (losing) made
him a better politician.''
The 1980 congressional race matched Lieberman against Republican
Larry DeNardis, a colleague from the state Senate.
''He was running against a friend of his,'' former Connecticut
state Sen. Jerry Murphy said of Lieberman. ''One of his problems back
then was that he basically was a nice guy.''
Lieberman is still a nice guy, those who know him say, but over
time he became a more aggressive campaigner.
In 1988, midway through a second term as Connecticut's attorney
general, he pulled off a major upset by defeating popular Republican
incumbent Sen. Lowell P. Weicker in a fiercely fought campaign.
''He's very aggressive but without looking negative,'' Gejdenson
said. ''He told me his mother always said it's a good thing to be
calm.''
Lieberman, 60, has spent 32 years in public life. Democrats,
Republicans and unaffiliated voters consistently have given him high
marks in polls.
''He's always had great crossover appeal with Republican and
unaffiliated voters because of his moderate views on issues,'' said
Douglas Schwartz, poll director at Quinnipiac University in Hamden,
Conn.
Lieberman's job approval ratings have fallen since the 2000
presidential campaign, when he was former Vice President Al Gore's
running mate. But he remains one of the most respected politicians
among Connecticut voters, Schwartz said.
''I don't think there's a mean bone in that body,'' said Republican
Gov. John G. Rowland. ''I think he's a very compassionate guy who
really enjoys public service.''
Lieberman lives in New Haven and Washington with his wife,
Hadassah, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. The Liebermans have
four children.
An Orthodox Jew, Lieberman is deeply committed to his religion,
which has been a guiding point in his life and career. Murphy
remembered the close 1978 contest for lieutenant governor in
Connecticut. Lieberman, who lost his bid for the Democratic
nomination, chose not to attend the state convention because it was
held on the Sabbath.
''Not coming to the convention said a lot about the guy and how
deeply he believes in the things he believes in,'' Murphy said. ''That
has earned him a lot of respect.''
For more than a year, Lieberman has been under the protection of
the Capitol Police Force. He has declined to discuss the reasons for
the added security, but he told the Norwich Bulletin last September
there were ''a couple of incidents'' that arose where he appreciated
having the security detail.
Lieberman is generally perceived as a quiet, thoughtful man,
sincerely committed to his ideals and beliefs. But he is also equally
committed to climbing the political ladder.
''From that first day in the state Senate it was obvious that he
didn't want to be a state senator all his life,'' said Murphy, who
served with Lieberman for 10 years in the General Assembly. ''He's
ambitious but it's an ambition that stems from a sincere desire to
serve.''
Did he follow that same discipline every Sabbath during the 2000 campaign? I highly doubt it.
He's religious when it suits him.
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