Breaking News: Lieberman will endorse John McCain

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, who was the Democrats' vice presidential candidate in 2000, has decided to endorse Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona for president tomorrow morning.

The news was broken this afternoon on the website of William Kristol, publisher of the conservative Weekly Standard and longtime McCain supporter.

The McCain campaign would not confirm the report but did say it would hold a "newsworthy" town hall meeting involving an endorsement in New Hampshire Monday morning at 8, weather permitting. Wintry conditions there, which forced McCain to cancel a Sunday night event, may force the pair to appear together in Washington instead.

This would make it a very good weekend indeed for the once-faltering McCain campaign, now running second to Mitt Romney in New Hampshire GOP polls where he won in 2000. McCain received the endorsements Sunday of the Boston Globe and Des Moines Register and had already captured the endorsement of New Hampshire's only statewide newspaper and staunch conservative voice, the Manchester Union-Leader.

The endorsement of a Republican by Democrat Al Gore's 2000 running mate is bound to rattle...

and anger some Democratic circles but could provide a significant boost of credibility to McCain among New Hampshire independents, who can vote in the Republican primary and were a significant part of his 19-point drubbing of George W. Bush there in 2000.

Last year Lieberman lost the Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut to Ned Lamont, a political neophyte backed by well-financed anti-war segments of the Democratic party. Lieberman, a former state attorney general, went on to win the general election easily as an independent but still caucuses with Senate Democrats.

Lieberman and McCain have been longtime friends and colleagues, working together on issues of national security for decades. They recently visited Iraq together for Thanksgiving with the troops.

Trying to head off further political speculation, a Lieberman aide told Fox News that Lieberman had no intention of joining a McCain ticket. He said McCain approached Lieberman about an endorsement two weeks ago and Lieberman made his decision a week ago. Lieberman had previously indicated he would hold off on endorsing any candidate.

But when McCain asked, the senior aide said, "Lieberman just thought McCain was clearly the most qualified candidate (of the entire '08 line-up) to be commander in chief from day one so rather than just observe from the sidelines, the senator now hopes to actually influence the process."

Connecticut's other Democratic senator, Chris Dodd, has moved his family to Iowa to campaign there fulltime in hopes of gaining some traction in his presidential bid, which has done pooorly in polls.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Nugster]

Lieberman, is a Democract, Republican, and Independent for the Unted Statea of Israel.....

[DavidW in SF]

Correction needed: It's NED Lamont, not NEIL Lamont, and it becomes increasingly obvious over time that he was the right candidate to vote for in the Connecticut Senate race. Joe Lieberman is NOT a Democrat.

(Right, got it.)

[J Baustian]

Joe Lieberman impresses more and more, every day that the Democratic candidates argue about which is more acceptable to the far-left loonies.

I've disagreed with John McCain so many times over the years, but I'd be fairly satisfied to have him as my president. He's solid on the issues I care about.

[Michael Alan Vadnais]

Its about time a Democrat that knows the threat this nation faces tells it like it is. There is NO one from the Democrat Presidential candidates that has a clue about National Security. All they are is a bunch of anti-Americans who do not care about the many times we have been attacked by extremists for many years. All they can run on is that they hate Bush. Which is not a great platform to run on. Senator Lieberman is no Conservitive but he does not join the exreme left that has taken over the party. I believe he is ashamed of his party, as well he should be.

[Douglas Rosenbrock]

Wow!!! What an important story. A fading Presidential Candidate is endorsed by an inconsequential Senator.

Meanwhile back in the real world, in a single day, 40,000 plus individuals have donated over $5,000,000.00 to the
Ron Paul Presidential campaign. And nary a word from you proud professionals.

Memo to the mainstream media: Now is the time to get on board with the revolution. It is happening
in spite of your attempts to ignore it. If you don't start reporting on it now, when Dr. Paul actually
wins the Republican nomination, people will wonder why they never heard about him and your credibility
may be damaged.

P.S. My Heartfelt congratulations to Senator McCain.

[tucanofulano]

One loser embracing another loser.

[Keith]

McCain is definitely the strongest Democrat vying for the Republican nomination.

[ABE]

Senator LIEberman is no Democrat, but an Independent.
Furthermore, he has been maneuvering several years now,
to join hands together with Conservative Republican McCain
in his 2008 presidential bid.
LIEberman has both written and announced publicly strong
support for an immediate U.S. pre-emptive bombing of Iran.
Ongoing Sub-Prime Loan Crises: LIEberman was instrumental
early on in working hand-in-glove with Republican Congressional
leaders and lobbyists to create such corrupt lending practices,
and further block any semblance of required oversight.
LIEberman is no friend of the people. He IS a trusted ally, and
compatriot of Bush-Cheney-et al, Inc.

[Ronald Loui]

Oy vey, as we say. Running as a third-party independent with McCain and splitting the conservative vote is now the only thing Lieberman can do to repair the damage he has done to the party and the country (I blame Gore-Lieberman-00 on Lieberman).

I certainly would rather have McCain than Reverend Huck, Giu9ian11, or lazy Fred. No hate for Romney here, but what's to love? Ron Paul supporters should go home and think about how libertarian they would be if they lost their job and their kid needed a spleen, or if their neighboring business decided to put a toxic waste dump next to their small business, or if the Sacto valley decided to go French Quartier on us (as every geologist I know has warned -- hope you guys are listening). Libertarian speech always sounds good until the world stops going your way.

At least Jumpin Joe endorsed the right Republican... though I would always think "There's the Admiral's boy" whenever I would see John McCain, even if he were riding around in Air Force One.

[PulSamsara]

Lieberman made his bed with the Iraq War. It takes a man to admit you're wrong. Joe has gone the other way ...entrenched stupidity. Don't hold your breath waiting for America to 'unite' behind your mistake Joe.
Bush League.

[DOUG WARD]

Joe Lieberman will endorse McCain for one reason - Lieberman wants a President who will send Americans to the Middle East to protect Israel and that is his only focus.

[Dorothy]

Joe is an Israel firster. That's where the bucks are.