Conventional wisdom dictates that if you want to stay out of arguments, steer clear of politics and religion. Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman has made a career out of both, while managing to garner respect and warmth from fractious politicians and religious leaders of all stripes. In this personal and revealing interview, Senator Lieberman shares his feelings on his new book on life as the Senate’s only observant Jew, as well as the role religion may play in next year’s presidential election.
The sun was tipping toward the horizon in the late-afternoon western sky. It would soon be Shabbos.
Earlier that day Al Gore and his running mate Joseph Lieberman had received news that temporarily gladdened their hearts.
It was Friday December 8 2000 — a full month after Election Day. The Florida Supreme Court had just ordered a recount of disputed ballots in the still-undecided presidential race. Nationwide the Gore-Lieberman ticket had outpolled the Bush-Cheney slate by more than 500 000 votes but the all-important Electoral College vote was so tight that whoever won Florida would be the ones to be sworn into the White House. Bush was clinging to a slight lead in the Sunshine State that Gore contended would be reversed in a recount handing him the victory.
Joseph Lieberman a Shabbos-observant Jew and the first and only Jew to run on a national presidential ticket stood a few uncounted votes away from being elected vice president. He and his wife Hadassah were in their Georgetown home getting ready to take in Shabbos when Gore called on the phone.
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