Editing Joe Lieberman (section)

===2008===
{{Further|2008 United States presidential election}}
[[File:Mccainliebermann.JPG|thumb|Lieberman with Presidential Candidate [[John McCain]] at an event in [[Derry, New Hampshire]] ]]
On December 17, 2007, Lieberman endorsed [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Senator [[John McCain]] for president in 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/17/521481.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221161437/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/17/521481.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 21, 2007 |title=LIEBERMAN, MCCAIN ENDORSEMENT |publisher=[[MSNBC]]|access-date=November 6, 2008}}</ref> going against his party and going back on his stance in July 2006 when he stated "I want Democrats to be back in the majority in Washington and elect a Democratic president in 2008."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVcL8KFDetU| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618162013/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVcL8KFDetU| archive-date=June 18, 2008 | url-status=dead|title=Lieberman: "I want to elect a Democratic president in 2008"|via=YouTube|access-date=August 5, 2008}}</ref> Lieberman cited his agreement with McCain's stance on the [[War on Terrorism]] as the primary reason for the endorsement.<ref>
{{cite news|url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/16/lieberman_to_cross_aisle_for_m.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704144524/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/16/lieberman_to_cross_aisle_for_m.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 4, 2008|title=Lieberman to Cross Aisle to Endorse McCain|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=December 16, 2007}}</ref>

On June 5, 2008, Lieberman launched "Citizens for McCain", hosted on the McCain campaign website, to recruit Democratic support for John McCain's candidacy. He emphasized the group's outreach to supporters of [[Hillary Clinton]], who was at that time broadly expected to lose the Democratic presidential nomination to [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Rhee |first=Foon |title=Lieberman leads new pro-McCain group |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=June 5, 2008 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/06/lieberman_leads.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607185447/http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/06/lieberman_leads.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 7, 2008 |access-date=January 4, 2009}}</ref> Citizens for McCain was prominently featured in McCain team efforts to attract disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters such as [[Debra Bartoshevich]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Wheaton |first=Sarah |title=McCain Courts Democrats, Independents |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 14, 2008 |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/mccain-courts-democrats-independents/?scp=1&sq=%22citizens%20for%20mccain%22&st=cse |access-date=January 4, 2009 |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714223126/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/mccain-courts-democrats-independents/?scp=1&sq=%22citizens%20for%20mccain%22&st=cse |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Falcone |first=Michael |title=Republicans Unveil War Room in Denver |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 24, 2008 |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/republicans-unveil-war-room-in-denver/?scp=2&sq=%22citizens%20for%20mccain%22&st=cse |access-date=January 4, 2009 |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714223139/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/republicans-unveil-war-room-in-denver/?scp=2&sq=%22citizens%20for%20mccain%22&st=cse |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lieberman spoke at the [[2008 Republican National Convention]] on behalf of McCain and his running mate, [[Governor of Alaska|Alaska Governor]] [[Sarah Palin]].<ref>{{cite news| last=Meckler| first=Laura| title=McCain Gets Boost from Senate Buddy| work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]| date=February 13, 2008| url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/02/13/mccain-gets-boost-from-senate-buddy/| access-date=February 13, 2008| archive-date=February 13, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213210837/http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/02/13/mccain-gets-boost-from-senate-buddy/| url-status=live}}</ref> Lieberman was alongside McCain and Senator [[Lindsey Graham]] during a visit to French president [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] on March 21, 2008.<ref>{{cite web |last=J.C. |title=McCain loue l'ère "d'amitié franco-américaine" |work=Le Figaro |date=March 22, 2008 |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/elections-americaines-2008/2008/03/21/01017-20080321ARTFIG00760-mccain-loue-l-ere-d-amitie-franco-americaine.php |access-date=March 21, 2008 |language=fr |archive-date=March 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324233311/http://www.lefigaro.fr/elections-americaines-2008/2008/03/21/01017-20080321ARTFIG00760-mccain-loue-l-ere-d-amitie-franco-americaine.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Lieberman was mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee on a McCain ticket.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chooseourpresident2008.com/gop.html |title=The 2008 GOP Field or It's the Tenacity, Stupid |access-date=January 27, 2008 |last=Christensen |first=Alex |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213064400/http://www.chooseourpresident2008.com/gop.html |archive-date=February 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/NewsDetail.html?NewsID=44260|title=Say It's So, Joe&nbsp;– Vice President Lieberman?|access-date=January 27, 2008|last=Kristol|first=William|date=November 19, 2007|archive-date=January 14, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080114031546/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/NewsDetail.html?NewsID=44260|url-status=live}}</ref> [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] reported that Lieberman was McCain's first choice for vice president until several days before the selection, when McCain had decided that picking Lieberman would alienate the conservative base of the Republican Party.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hunter|first=Duncan|title=How Palin Came to the Top of the List|url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/how-palin-came.html|access-date=October 3, 2010|newspaper=Political Radar&nbsp;– ABC News|date=August 29, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323133341/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/how-palin-came.html|archive-date=March 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Topic A: Assessing Sarah Palin|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082901777.html?hpid=opinionsbox1|access-date=October 3, 2010|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 30, 2008|archive-date=June 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628231653/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/29/AR2008082901777.html?hpid=opinionsbox1|url-status=live}}</ref> Lieberman had been mentioned as a possible [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] under a McCain administration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28478 |title=Gizzi on Politics: Convention Diary |newspaper=Human Events |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524120800/http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28478 |archive-date=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many Democrats wanted Lieberman to be stripped of his chairmanship of the [[Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]] due to his support for John McCain which went against the party's wishes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sen.-lieberman-likely-to-lose-his-gavel--in-massive-reshuffle-being-discussed-2008-10-28.html|title=Sen. Lieberman likely to lose his gavel in massive reshuffle being discussed|last=Rushing|first=J. Taylor|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=October 29, 2008|archive-date=October 29, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029145217/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sen.-lieberman-likely-to-lose-his-gavel--in-massive-reshuffle-being-discussed-2008-10-28.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Republican Minority Leader [[Mitch McConnell]] reached out to Lieberman, asking him to caucus with the Republicans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15401.html|title=McConnell Reaches Out To Lieberman|last=Grim|first=Ryan|date=November 7, 2008|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=November 7, 2008|archive-date=November 10, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081110100808/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15401.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Ultimately, the [[Senate Democratic Caucus]] voted 42 to 13 to allow Lieberman to keep chairmanship (although he did lose his membership for the [[United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works|Environment and Public Works Committee]]). Subsequently, Lieberman announced that he would continue to caucus with the Democrats.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> Lieberman credited [[President-elect of the United States|President-elect]] [[Barack Obama]] for helping him keep his chairmanship. Obama had privately urged Democratic [[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Harry Reid]] not to remove Lieberman from his position. Reid stated that Lieberman's criticism of Obama during the election angered him, but that "if you look at the problems we face as a nation, is this a time we walk out of here saying, 'Boy did we get even'?" Senator [[Tom Carper]] of [[Delaware]] also credited the Democrats' decision on Lieberman to Obama's support, stating that "If Barack can move on, so can we."<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/17/lieberman.senate/index.html?iref=newssearch Sources: Lieberman likely to keep top Democratic post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208193035/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/17/lieberman.senate/index.html?iref=newssearch |date=December 8, 2008 }}, CNN, November 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=Lobama>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/18/lieberman.senate/index.html?iref=newssearch Lieberman credits Obama after Dems let him keep post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422134017/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/18/lieberman.senate/index.html?iref=newssearch |date=April 22, 2009 }}, CNN, November 18, 2008.</ref>

Some members of the Democratic caucus were reportedly angry at the decision not to punish Lieberman more severely. The independent Senator [[Bernie Sanders]] of [[Vermont]] stated that he voted to punish Lieberman "because while millions of people worked hard for Obama, Lieberman actively worked for four more years of President Bush's policies."<ref name=Lobama/> Lieberman's embrace of certain conservative policies and in particular his endorsement of John McCain have been cited as factors for his high approval rating among Republicans in Connecticut with 66% of Republicans approving of him along with 52% of independents also approving of his job performance; this is also cited for his mediocre approval rating among Democrats: 44% approving and 46% disapproving.<ref name="hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com">{{cite news|last1=Sullivan|first1=Sean|title=Lieberman Praising Connecticut Republicans|url=http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/10/lieberman-prais.php|access-date=May 18, 2017|work=National Journal|date=October 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025070740/http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/10/lieberman-prais.php|archive-date=October 25, 2011}}</ref> In September 2018, Lieberman gave a eulogy at the funeral of John McCain, in which he stated that he had turned down a request to serve as McCain's 2008 running mate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a22892540/joe-lieberman-john-mccain-memorial-speech-full-transcript/|title=Read the Full Transcript of Former Senator Joe Lieberman's Speech at John McCain's Memorial Service|first=Lauren|last=Hubbard|date=September 1, 2018|website=Town & Country|access-date=March 28, 2024|archive-date=June 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611022250/https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a22892540/joe-lieberman-john-mccain-memorial-speech-full-transcript/|url-status=live}}</ref>