Newsmaker

Every Friday, we choose an alum who has been making headlines—for better or for worse.
Ico print Print | Ico email Email | Facebook | | RSS

Joe Lieberman ’64, ’67LLB: end of an era

By Carole Bass ’83, ’97MSL | 10:39am January 03 2013

The US Senate convened on January 3 and, for the first time in 24 years, Joe Lieberman ’64, ’67LLB, was not sworn in. The senior senator from Connecticut has retired, perhaps the end of the line for the political genus once known as Cold War liberals.

A lifelong Democrat, Lieberman at Yale showed equal devotion to Yankee Republican (and Yale president) Kingman Brewster Jr. ’41 and to conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. ’50 (who helped Lieberman in his first Senate campaign, against "maverick" Republican Lowell Weicker in 1988).

Lieberman turned independent in 2006, after losing a primary to anti-Iraq War Democrat Ned Lamont ’80MBA. That was two years after serving as Al Gore’s vice presidential choice and two years before endorsing Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin in the 2008 election.

“Ever independent,” the New York Times says of Lieberman’s farewell. “Nothing less than a giant,” says the New York Post.

One of Lieberman’s last acts in office: endorsing term limits for members of Congress.

Filed under Joe Lieberman, US Senate, KIngman Brewter Jr., William F. Buckley Jr.
The comment period has expired.