Joe Lieberman, the U.S. senator representing Connecticut is in his fourth term in the U.S senate. He is respected in the senate as a principled, thoughtful, and effective leader. His works are according to his conscience for the improvement of Connecticut and the country. He was the Democrat candidate for the vice-president along with the presidential candidate Al Gore in the controversial election of 2000, where they won the popular votes. (Lieberman and Hadassah, p. 36).
Joseph Isadore “Joe” Lieberman was born on February 24, 1942, to Marcia and Henry Lieberman. He was born Jewish and was the first in his family to graduate from college. He received his graduation in politics and economics from Yale University in 1964 where he was the editor of the Yale Daily News. He completed his LLB from Yale Law School in 1967 (Lieberman, p. 15). In 1970, Lieberman joined the Connecticut Senate as a reform Democrat. During his tenure of ten years till 1980, he also served as the Majority Leader in the last six years. In 1982, Lieberman was elected as the Connecticut Attorney General, which he served till 1988 (Lieberman and Hadassah, p. 112). During his tenure, Lieberman was a leader of consumer protection rights and environmental enforcement. In 1988 he won the election to the United States Senate as a Democrat for the first time defeating republican Lowell Weiker by a margin of 1000 votes. During his campaign, he won the support of Connecticut’s Cuban-American community for his anti-Castro policy. In 1994, he created history by winning the Connecticut Senate race by drawing 67 percent of the vote by a margin of more than 350,000 votes more than his competitor (Lieberman, p. 76). He won the senate seat for the third team in 2000 when he raced for the vice-presidential seat as a Democrat. In 2006, he was elected to the Senate for the fourth term as an Independent Democrat. This was strengthened by his record and his accomplishments for the state.
Like the Senator, Lieberman championed the cause of Homeland Security by creating the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. He chaired the committee which emphasizes the importance of protecting the nation from the threats of the 21st century. He advocated the use of the military to protect the nation’s interests and values. He is also the chairman of the Sub-Committee on Air Land Forces and the Sub-committee on Emerging threats and capabilities. Lieberman is also a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship which directs jurisdiction over the Small Business Administration and researches problems of small business enterprises of America. He supported the cause for increasing subsidies for women-owned non-profit businesses and setting aside funds for supporting companies owned by minorities and women (Lieberman and Hadassah, p. 104).
Lieberman championed the cause for education in the country by sketching out plans which would redirect education funds to the parents which would enable them to pay for their child’s education. He along with four others founded the American Council of Trustees and Alumni which stands “to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus” (McClennen, 1). On the environment front, Lieberman introduced legislation to make the consumers more aware of the dangers of pesticides and the need to limit global warming, by sponsoring the Clean Air Act in 1990. Lately, he passed the Climate Security Act which proposed to curtail carbon emissions in the United States. Lieberman is widely respected in the Senate for his strong leadership abilities and his works for the achievements of Connecticut. He is considered as a man of his own conscience, who defies party lines for supporting causes which he considers as right.
Works Cited
- McClennen, Sophia A. “Geopolitical War on U.S. Higher Education”. The College Literature. 2006. CBS Interactive Inc.
- Lieberman, Joseph and Hadassah. An Amazing Adventure: Joe and Hadassah’s Personal Notes on the 2000 Campaign. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.
- Lieberman, Joseph. In Praise of Public Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.