Democratic politics were shaken this week after an icon in the party passed away.
According to Reuters, former U.S. senator and Democratic Party vice presidential nominee Joe Lieberman passed away this week at 82.
Reports indicated that his death came in the wake of complications from a fall he took at one point.
Lieberman, who unsuccessfully ran in the 2000 election as the party's vice presidential nominee, was the first Jewish candidate in a major ticket election.
Given his high-profile status within the party, a number of Democrats released statements regarding his passing and many offered their condolences to his family. Al Gore was one of them.
"Joe was a man of deep integrity who dedicated his life to serving his country. He was a truly gifted leader, whose affable personality and strong will made him a force to be reckoned with," Gore said.
He added, "That’s why it came as no surprise to any of us who knew him when he’d start 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 fairness first."
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, 2000 Democratic VP nominee, dead at 82 https://t.co/yVoApRxzFy pic.twitter.com/f9FmlxVl1H
— New York Post (@nypost) March 27, 2024
President Joe Biden released an official statement on the Democrat's passing.
"He was principled, steadfast, and unafraid to stand up for what he thought was right. He was a friend. Joe’s fierce spirit of independence is the essence of the American story," Biden wrote, failing to mention Lieberman's steadfast support of Israel.
He added, "He was principled, steadfast, and unafraid to stand up for what he thought was right. He was a friend. Joe’s fierce spirit of independence is the essence of the American story."
Lieberman was generally well-liked among Democrats, but broke away from the party on several occasions, including supporting the late Sen. John McCain. Lieberman announced his support for McCain during the 2008 Republican National Convention.
Lieberman, who served four six-year terms in the upper chamber, would later back Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
In his most recent political work, Lieberman was heading up the No Labels centrist group, saying of his work, "We're doing something that I think hasn’t been done before. We are on the ground getting on the ballot and going to let a candidate emerge and take on the rest."
