With Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) retiring in 2012, he’s already positioning himself to be as independent as he’s ever been. In an interview with the right-wing NewsMax site, the former Democrat said that it’s “too early” to decide whether he would support President Obama’s re-election bid in 2012.
“I haven’t agreed with everything he’s done, but I think he’s building a decent record,” said Lieberman, who endorsed and campaigned aggressively for Republican nominee John McCain in 2008. “The reason I said it’s too early is because we’re only halfway through the Obama administration and we don’t know who the Republicans will put up, so I’ll watch it with real interest.”
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Goodbye, Joe: Lieberman Announces He’ll Retire In 2012]
Is it conceivable that he could back a Republican, NewsMax asked? “It’s conceivable, but I wouldn’t want to overstate that,” Lieberman responded, “because I think in many ways President Obama, particularly in the past several months, has heard the voice of the American people in the election last November, and I think he’s followed that course.”
That said, Lieberman did offer clear praise for Obama — including on foreign policy, the principal issue area that alienated him from the Democratic Party and its voter base.
“He’s stuck with the Iraq war,” Lieberman said. “He hasn’t precipitously pulled out as a lot of people hoped he would the day after he got elected. And in Afghanistan he’s increased our troop presence by over 30,000. He’s committed to winning the war there. He’s been very tough on Iran. So overall I’m very pleased and happy to work with him.”
