Friends, allies and former opponents of Joseph I. Lieberman, who died Wednesday, offered condolences and praise for the four-term Connecticut senator who was once a standard-bearer for the Democratic Party.
Mr. Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s running mate in the 2000 presidential election, had made his presence felt in politics long after losing that race. It was the Senate’s decisive vote that led to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, allowing him to veto certain provisions, such as a public health insurance option.
He had also recently helped the centrist organization No Labels in its search for a 2024 presidential candidate.
“Senator Lieberman leaves behind a void that cannot be filled,” the group said in a statement. “But we are honored to have met him and hope his family can find comfort in the difficult days ahead knowing the huge impact he had.”
Mr. Gore, the former vice president who picked Mr. Lieberman as his running mate in the 2000 election, said it was “an honor to stand side by side with him on the campaign trail.”
He added: “I will forever remain grateful for his tireless efforts to build a better future for America.”
Mr Gore continued: “He was a truly gifted leader whose gentle personality and strong will made him a force to be reckoned with. So it was no surprise to any of us who knew him when he started singing his favorite song: Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’. And doing things Joe’s way meant always putting his country and the values of equality and justice above all else.”
Former President George W. Bush, the winner — with Dick Cheney — on the Gore-Lieberman ticket in 2000, said: “In defeat and in victory, Joe Lieberman was always a gentleman. I am grateful for Joe’s principled service to our country and the dignity and patriotism he brought to public life.”
Mr. Bush added: “Joe was as good an American as he was one of the most decent people I met during my time in Washington.”
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who had developed a close friendship with Mr Lieberman and Senator John McCain of Arizona – the men referred to themselves as “the three friends” – said the news of Mr Lieberman’s death was “devastatingly sad”.
“The good news is in the hands of a loving God,” Mr. Graham he said. “The bad news, John McCain is giving him an earful about how messed up things are.” Mr Graham signed his statement as ‘The Last Amigo’.
Mr. Lieberman cast the 60th and deciding vote under Senate rules to pass the Affordable Care Act in 2010, a signature achievement of President Barack Obama’s administration. “Joe Lieberman and I have not always seen eye to eye,” Mr. Obama said in a statement, “but he has had an outstanding career in public service, including four decades spent fighting for the people of Connecticut.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had spoken to Mr. Lieberman as he considered running for president on the No Labels ticket, offered his condolences hours after he publicly rejected the group’s offer. Mr Lieberman was the founding chairman of the centrist organization and had recently served as its co-chairman.
“I am sorry to lose him as a friend and as an example of how to conduct yourself in public life,” Mr Christie said, adding that “the country is greater for his example and less today without his fearless leadership”.
