Lieberman to endorse McCain

So says the Weekly Standard. (Hat tip: InstaPundit.)

McCain-Lieberman '08!

(Previous McCain-Lieberman posts here, here, here and here.)

UPDATE: This shouldn't be seen as a huge surprise. Lieberman has stated repeatedly that he would back whoever he felt to be the best candidate in 2008, regardless of party.

More from CNN:

An aide to Lieberman tells CNN he decided to endorse McCain because he considers him "the most capable to be commander in chief on day one of his administration, and the most capable of uniting the country so that we can prevail against Islamic extremism."

The Lieberman aide insists the senator does not see this as a "commentary on or an endorsement of the Republican party, only the person."

Lieberman had not planned to endorse anyone until after the primary season, but McCain asked Lieberman for his endorsement a few days after the two men returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq together, and Lieberman decided to do it, according to the same Lieberman aide.

Lieberman will continue to caucus with the Democrats.

Quoth Harry Reid: "I have the greatest respect for Joe, but I simply have to disagree with his decision to endorse Senator McCain."

According to HuffPost, McCain and Lieberman "will appear together on NBC's 'Today' show tomorrow, then at an 8 a.m. town hall in Hillsborough, N.H. They will talk with reporters after the town hall meeting."

Marc Ambinder:

The endorsement is further evidence of Lieberman's slow drift to the right in American politics and is bound to generate intense anger among Democrats who support him. But Lieberman and McCain have often walked in lockstep together on the prosecution of the war, have traveled to Iraq together, and have worked together on domestic issues like climate change.

The move will heighten speculation that McCain might ask Lieberman to join his ticket.

P.S. Daily Kos diarist JeremiahFP:

Both [McCain and Lieberman] are good men and members of the Beltway club of Very. Smart. People. Who. Are. Always. Wrong. About. Everything (Iraq, Iran, Whether Fred Thompson is sexy. Everything). Those very smart people will faun all over this. David Brodeur's head may explode with pride.

As for the rest of us, well, the battle lines are drawn once again. Joe Lieberman is not a Democrat. He may be a good person, but, on matters of life and death and war and peace, Joe Lieberman is fundamentally wrong. Ou[r] party should stand up to him strongly.

Andrew Sullivan has more.

UPDATE 2: According to Fox News, a Lieberman aide said this does not mean we'll be seeing a McCain-Lieberman ticket:

[T]he aide said... that McCain did not ask Lieberman to join his ticket in the vice presidential slot.

Lieberman "just wants to serve as a U.S. senator, nothing more," the aide said.

Of course, that is what they'd say now, regardless of what might actually happen later. Personally, I can't see Lieberman turning McCain down if McCain begs him to join the ticket for the sake of national unity and national security. The question is, will McCain ask?

In other McCain-related news, I had somehow missed this before, but the conservative New Hampshire Union Leader endorsed McCain earlier this month. That's far more significant, it seems to me, than the endorsements from the liberal Boston Globe and Des Moines Register, which are unlikely to influence many Republican voters. Anyway, here's what the Leader had to say, in part:

On Jan. 8, New Hampshire Republicans will make one of the most important choices for their party and nation in the history of our presidential primary. Their choice ought to be John McCain.

We don't agree with him on every issue. We disagree with him strongly on campaign finance reform. What is most compelling about McCain, however, is that his record, his character, and his courage show him to be the most trustworthy, competent, and conservative of all those seeking the nomination. Simply put, McCain can be trusted to make informed decisions based on the best interests of his country, come hell or high water.

Competence, courage, and conviction are enormously important for our next President to possess. No one has a better understanding of U.S. interests and dangers right now than does McCain. He was right on the mistakes made by the Bush administration in prosecuting the Islamic terrorist war in Iraq and he is being proved right on the way forward both there and worldwide.

McCain is pro-life. Always has been. He fights against special-interest and pork-barrel spending, and high spending in general, which ticks off liberals and many in the GOP who have wallowed at the public trough. Yet he also has the proven ability, unique among the contenders, to work across the political divide that has led our government into petty bickering when important problems need to be solved.

If you can't tell, I'm strongly leaning toward McCain as my preferred choice for the GOP nomination. Whether that means I'll vote for him in November is a separate question, but I think he's the best Republican in the field. Lieberman's endorsement sort of sealed it.

Comments

[Drive-By Media]

Oh, I do love a good hand-holding.

Seriously though, I will vote for whomever will re-write this damn Tax code.

[Condor]

I'm sure Lieberman's a great guy, but his endorsement doesn't mean jack. Republicans don't care because he's a Democrat, and Democrats don't care because he's a Republican.

[Joe Mama]

While Lieberman may be "an island of sanity in a sea of Democratic Party madness", a cursory inspection of his views shows that he is definitely not a Republican.

[Brian Foster]

"Republicans don't care because he's a Democrat, and Democrats don't care because he's a Republican. "

Independents.

[yea]

thank goodness the democratic majority will be so big after the election we wont have to kiss this guys ass anymore.

[Joe Mama]

thank goodness the democratic majority will be so big after the election we wont have to kiss this guys ass anymore.

That kind of attitude doesn't help your chances.

[yea]

my attitude has nothing to do with the democratic parties' chances.

a gigantic advantage in fund-raising and the simple logistics of this election bolster the democrats chances.

[Condor]

I think Ron Paul has the funding advantage. Supposedly he's raised more than 4.5 million so far today in commemoration of the Boston Tea Party.

[yea]

paul has raised closer to 3.8 today i think. while paul is kind of crazy, i think he has a ton of good ideas too and any momentum he makes this primary season brings the republican party a step closer to being seriously considered by people like me.

[Andrew]

yea, if advantages in fundraising mattered as much as you think they do, the incumbent party would never ever lose their majority.

[Condor]

Actually, Paul has raised 4.75 million today, and it's only 8:00. If he doesn't slow down, then according to this graph, he'll hit 6 million for the day:
http://www.ronpaulgraphs.com/dec_16_extended_total.html

[Joe Mama]

Whether Paul can turn his fundraising success into polling success remains to be seen.

[yea]

Paul is over 5 million today. Regardless of the candidate, i think whenver a candidate raises this kind of money through the internet its good for democracy and america. anything that we can do to free democracy from the huge corporations and special interests is great.

[Mad Max, Esquire]

Lieberman joins the company of Zell Miller. That should make him proud.

[Condor]

Ron Paul: 5.25 million today, and still 2.25 hours left.

[Condor]

Ron Paul's about to crack 6 million for the day.

Lieberman is pissing off all the right people. That should make him proud.

[Sandy Underpants]

Maybe Ron Paul can buy a real billboard after this success instead of depending on nuts propping something on the side of the freeway. Not that there's anything wrong with that. He'll still be the first Republican I vote for since Ross Perot.

[Alasdair]

Sandy Underpants - you seem more like Nader voter ...

(innocent smile)

[Angrier and Angrier]

I like McCain, but he isn't going to get the nomination. That will be Suckabee. Short of nominating Gravel, the Dems should run away with the general election next year.

Huckabee will get the nomination as sure as Dean did.

[Joe Mama]

From NR's The Corner on why Lieberman's endorsement matters:

Start with the fact that you have the former Democratic VP candidate and a former Democratic candidate for president endorsing a Republican.

Then move to the fact that this Independent Democrat is pro-choice and anti-tax cut and is endorsing a pro-life, supply-sider Republican.

Then move to the fact that this Senator is probably the most paid-attention-to Senator in the whole 100-member club, his vote and voice receive the most attention and usually make the most press. On a poll question of 'Who is the most credible (or honorable) Senator in the country?' I'm guessing Lieberman's name comes on top or in second place. I think that might also be true of the question: 'Who is the most credible (or honorable) politician in the country?'

Finally, this traditional Democrat is saying "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are not the best choices to lead this country."

[Angrier and Angrier]

Finally, this traditional Democrat is saying "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are not the best choices to lead this country."

The Republicans aren't going to nominate McCain, despite their own best interests, so the point is moot.

[Joe Mama]

How would McCain not getting the Republican nomination render moot Lieberman's assertion that "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are not the best choices to lead this country"?

[Angrier and Angrier]

How would McCain not getting the Republican nomination render moot Lieberman's assertion that "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are not the best choices to lead this country"?

It's like me saying the Miami Dolphins are the best team to play in the Super Bowl. It is a moot point.

[Brendan Loy]

It's a moo point. It's like a cow's opinion. It doesn't matter. It's moo.

Ron Paul's about to crack 6 million for the day.

The last time so much money was put toward so little results was the advertising campaign for Windows Vista.

[Condor]

Hey anonymous (if that is your real name), I don't really blame your general ignorance since you seem suffer from status quo syndrome. But as for how you can make such a statement only 14 hours after the fundraising took place is beyond me. The only explanation I can think of is that your real name is Miss Cleo. Please sign it next time.

[Joe Mama]

Test

[Joe Mama]

My comments keep getting flagged by the spam filter.

[Joe Mama]

Part I:

A&A,

The only way your analogy makes sense is if you are claiming that Lieberman's assertion that "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are not the best choices to lead this country" is moot because Lieberman won't be a nominee in the general election, just as the Dolphins won't be playing in the SuperBowl.

[Joe Mama]

Part II:

In addition to being logically flawed (Lieberman's opinion of the Dem frontrunners stands or falls regardless of whether Lieberman himself is the nominee), that isn't at all what you said before, which was that Lieberman's point was moot because "the Republicans aren't going to nominate McCain."

So if your analogy is that Lieberman's assertion is moot because McCain won't be the Republican nominee -- just as the Dolphins won't be playing in the SuperBowl -- then you didn't at all answer the question, which was how would the candidate Lieberman endorsed (McCain) not getting the nomination render moot Lieberman's assertion that "Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards are not the best choices to lead this country"?

[Condor]

"My comments keep getting flagged by the spam filter."

That wasn't the spam filter, Joe Mama. It was the Joe Mama filter.

[Joe Mama]

Heh. Unforunately for you and your arguments, Condor, the "Joe Mama filter" doesn't work very well.