Joe Lieberman Campaigns For McCain
Politico:
Stumping with John McCain today in conservative central Florida were two of his colleagues: Mel Martinez and Joe Lieberman.
The first, of course, is Florida’s Republican senator and the former RNC chairman. Except among the most conservative elements of the party here — folks McCain was never going to get in the first place — there is only upside in being seen with Martinez, whose political base is in Orlando’s Orange County.
But that McCain had Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-Independent, stump with him is more puzzling.
The Connecticut senator raised cash and did some seperate surrogate events in Florida last week. But, a few days before a Republican-only primary and when McCain is trying to convince his own party of his conservative credentials, why would he want to draw attention to his support among non-Republicans in a key part of the state?
Perhaps it drives the electability message, but Lieberman himself had his own explanation when I caught up with him after their final appearance of the day at an Orlando pizza joint.
“I feel more welcome among Republicans,” he said, only half-joking when I asked what it felt like on the GOP trail.
To be sure, Lieberman is seen as a pariah among his party’s liberal base.
But they key question as it relates to McCain is how he’s viewed among Florida Republican activists.
Is he Al Gore’s running mate and a Democrat who ran against President Bush in 2004? Or is he a brave voice of conscience who stood up to his own party and supported the war when it threatened his political career?
For the typical red-blooded, W-loving, Fox News-watching Sunshine Stater, I suspect it’s somewhere in between.
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This is no surprise, of coarse halfway sane liberals would support McCain.
Tim Palenty, the governor of MN. That is the governor of my state is taking some time off right now to campaign for McCain in Florida!! It is very frustrating to live in a state that never even gave Reagan a single electorate.
January 28th, 2008 at 4:04 am