Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Wednesday he would not seek a fifth term in 2012, signaling an end to a political career that spanned both a Democratic vice-presidential nomination (2000) and an appearance at the Republican National Convention (2008) to drum up support for Sen. John McCain's presidential run. Lieberman became a pariah within the Democratic Party for his enthusiastic support for the invasion of Iraq, and won re-election as an independent candidate in 2006. But, faced with the likelihood of defeat in 2012, Lieberman has now chosen to retire from the Senate. How will Lieberman be remembered by his critics, and supporters? (Watch an AP report about Lieberman's announcement)
For his embrace of neo-conservatism: Lieberman will be remembered for his "post-9/11 rightward lurch on national security," says Michael Crowley in Time, which made him a "bete noire for liberals." Not even championing the end of "Don't ask, don't tell" or advocating for climate-change regulation could redeem him "in the eyes of some of his fiercest liberal critics."
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