by Jill Zuckman
Hillsborough, N.H. – Inside a packed American Legion Post this morning in this tiny town on the Vermont border, Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned Independent, put his support behind Republican Sen. John McCain for president.
“I know that it is unusual for someone who is not a Republican to endorse a Republican candidate for President,” Lieberman said. “And if this were an ordinary time and an ordinary election, I probably would not be here today. But this is no ordinary time — and this is no ordinary election — and John McCain is no ordinary candidate.”
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Lieberman was the 2000 Democratic nominee for vice president, and he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004. Last year, he lost the Democratic primary for Senate in Connecticut and ran in the general election as an Independent. Now back in the Senate, Lieberman still caucuses with the Democrats.”In this critical election, no one should let party lines be a barrier to choosing the person we believe is best qualified to lead our nation forward,” he said. “The problems that confront us are too great, the threats we face too real, and the opportunities we have too exciting for us to play partisan politics with the Presidency.”
Lieberman and McCain are longtime friends who have frequently co-sponsored legislation, as well as joined forces to rally support for the war in Iraq.
The pair arrived on the Straight Talk Express, accompanied by Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor and former director of Homeland Security.
“I am deeply honored by Joe Lieberman’s endorsement,” McCain said, calling it an act of courage. “In an era when politicians so often put political expediency ahead of conviction, Joe Lieberman has stood up for what he believes is in America’s interest. He has stood tall against the prevailing winds on national security and understands why we must succeed in Iraq and in the broader war against radical Islamic extremism. He is a principled leader, a good friend, and I am proud to have his support.”