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Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is expanding his role as a key supporter of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), launching a group that seeks to get non-Republicans to campaign for the presumptive GOP nominee. Lieberman, a former Democrat, this week launched Citizens for McCain, a grassroots group that he says is “for people who put country before political party and support the candidate for president who has a proven record of bipartisanship.” The Connecticut senator, who was on the 2000 Democratic ticket with Al Gore, lost in the 2006 primary after his hawkish positions on national security led businessman Ned Lamont to run. Lieberman won the general election as an independent and has continued to caucus with the Democrats. “I am confident we will find many Democrats and Independents who, like John McCain and me, put country before political party and will support a leader with a real record of bipartisanship,” Lieberman said in a letter to McCain backers. He appears to target supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), who lost the Democratic nomination in a long and often contentious fight to Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.). “Sen. McCain has had a very good working relationship with Sen. Clinton and will continue to do so in the future,” Lieberman said before quoting a McCain speech in which he heaped praise on the former first lady. Following his endorsement of the Arizona senator, Lieberman has already been active in the McCain campaign. Apart from campaigning with the presumptive GOP nominee, he has also publicly criticized Obama for some of his foreign policy positions and said he would continue to do so. “If Sen. Obama says some things I take issue with, I will very respectfully and not personally, explain why, as I’ve done not just this week but before,” Lieberman told reporters on Friday. “I have great respect for Sen. Obama. We have developed a friendship here.” Lieberman also said he has not talked to McCain yet about the possibility of speaking at the Republican Convention. Important McCain backers from key general election states strongly supported Lieberman’s effort to unite non-Republicans behind the GOP nominee. “Now that we are beginning the general election, I would like to welcome every person, whether they are Democrat, independent or supporters of Sens. Clinton and Obama, to join the McCain campaign,” said Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R). Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney also appealed to citizens in their states to give McCain a look. “I know Michigan voters want a president who is willing to reach across the political aisle to accomplish the goals of protecting our country, growing our economy and reforming our government,” said Romney, who grew up in the state where his father was governor. “John McCain has proven that, as president, he will put our nation’s interests first.” |
