Fresh off victory, Lieberman looks to the future
Published November 8 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Sen. Joe Lieberman, who defied Democrats and ran as an independent to hang onto his seat, said Wednesday there is nothing Republicans could do to convince him to switch to the GOP.
"See, there's a little playfulness in me that wants to make a joke about that, but it's too serious," Lieberman said one day after winning election to a fourth term.
With Democrats and Republicans jockeying for control of the closely divided Senate, both parties will need Lieberman's vote.
Things were still up in the air Wednesday, but Democrats were assured of 50 votes with the defeat of GOP Sen. Conrad Burns in Montana. They led in Virginia over GOP Sen. George Allen, setting the stage for a possible 51-49 majority that would include two Democrat-voting independents, Lieberman and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Lieberman reiterated his pledge to remain with the Democrats.
"When I give my word, I stick to it, and I'm definitely going to organize with the Senate Democratic caucus," Lieberman said.
Lieberman won decisively Tuesday with roughly 50 percent of the vote to anti-war Democrat Ned Lamont's 40 percent. Republican Alan Schlesinger trailed far behind with 10 percent.
Lieberman, who just six years ago was the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said he was "tested like never before" in the acrimonious campaign where both sides spent heavily on TV attack ads.
Lamont, a wealthy businessman and political unknown who put $16 million of his own money into the race, including a $2 million loan, upset Lieberman in August's primary in a contest widely seen as a referendum on Iraq and a sharp rebuke of Lieberman's pro-war views.
