As Joe Lieberman pushes for John McCain, his stock sinks at home

Lost in the brouhaha over remarks on CBS' "Face the Nation" by retired Gen. Wesley Clark that discounted John McCain's military record as a presidential qualification -- comments that still dominated much of the political discussion today -- was Joe Lieberman continuing to distance himself from the Democratic Party that nominated him for vice president eight years ago.

The senator from Connecticut has become one of McCain's most visible and vocal surrogates, and he played that role to the hilt Sunday in an appearance preceding Clark's. Lieberman -- who still caucuses with Senate Democrats, giving them their one-vote majority in the chamber -- pressed the case he's made before that Barack Obama exemplifies a party that has lost its way on foreign policy.

In a time when it doesn't take much to get mentioned as a vice presidential prospect, Lieberman has been bandied about as a potential McCain running mate. That buzz may grow louder short-term, as Lieberman accompanies McCain on a brief trip that began this evening to Colombia and Mexico.

Still, the Lieberman-as-veep scenario seems a stretch -- his liberal record on a raft of domestic issues, including abortion, would only intensify his friend's problems with the GOP base.

But he is a likely hire for a high-profile post in a McCain administration. And, based on a poll of voters in his homestate released today, it may be time for a career move on his part.

The survey by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute found his job approval/disapproval rating basically a wash -- 45% gave him good marks, 43% gave him negative ones (the poll's margin of error is plus-or-minus 2 percentage points).

Lieberman's standing is down from the ratings he received in a March poll, when 52% expressed approval and 35% disapproval.

The new figures also represent the first time his approval rating has dropped below 50% in 14 years of polling by the institute and, overall, his lowest score ever, said the survey's director, Douglas Schwartz.

Most dramatic is the breakdown in party attitudes toward a man who, if Al Gore had won the White House in 2000, presumably would have been next in line as a Democratic presidential nominee.

Among Connecticut Republicans, 70% give him favorable job ratings, 26% were unfavorable. Among the state's Democrats -- who bounced him as their Senate nominee in the 2006 primary, only to see him win re-election as an independent -- 62% rated him unfavorably, 18% favorably.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

Yes, Joe for VP would be very interesting. But if the Senate stays 49 to 49 with 2 independents (Joe is one of the two) and McCain wins Joe could then sit with the Republicans or take a post in the cabinet and the Republican Governor would appoint a Republican who then would sit with the Republicans, and then the senate would be Republican again

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[Andrew]

If the Senate stays 49+2 to 49?

And what are the odds of that?

VA is gone for the GOP - Warner's lead is well over 20%.
NM is gone for the GOP - Udal's lead is near 30%.
CO & NH are in dire shape for the GOP - Democrats lead outside the margin of error.
Then you've got a whole slew of other states where Republicans are tied or barely clinging to small margins while incumbents - OR, NC, AK, MS.

And the Democrats? The only real 'close' races are LA (two-time Landrieu leads by 7% in a bright red state) and SD (hard-to-run-against stroke victim Johnson leads by double-digits in an even brighter red state).

Sorry, if the Republicans somehow hold even 47 Senate seats after November, the GOP will be astonished and thrilled. 49+2 to 49? Pfffft, pay attention! That has *no* chance of happening.

[Michael OBrien]

To those who are versed in the history of the Neo-Con movement (founded by Irving Kristol and further advanced by his son, William Kristol), Lieberman's apparent philosophical/idealogical confusion is actually both entirely understandable and predictable. The reason for the apparent contradiction is a lack of historical knowledge by the media that the Neo-Con movement developed quickly and directly from a Leftist cabal who's raison d' etre is Israel First...at any price. Lieberman's chief alliance is to this founding Neo-Con principle and whichever party will advance it and keep it salient politically.

[maz hess]

An enemy is much better then a friend who betrayed you.

[George Levine]

I was stupid - I voted for Lieberman. My only excuse is that there were a lot of us in the same boat. Sorry, Mr Lamont; sorry, Connecticut; sorry, America.
I just had no idea what a dangerous embarrassment he would be. I'd thought he was a mensch. But when I saw his introduction of John Hagee at the CUFI conference, I finally realized that there were no limits to his toadying in the pursuit of power. He makes me ashamed to be a Zionist.

[rich]

What will happen after he becomes Mccain's running mate?