Biography of Joseph Lieberman

August 9, 2000
Web posted at: 5:32 p.m. EDT (2132 GMT)

WASHINGTON -- As Al Gore's pick for a running mate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut offers a variety of skills -- the ability to work with broad constituencies, a strong voting record supporting abortion rights and his public criticism of President Clinton's role in the Monica Lewinsky scandal being among them.

Lieberman was born February 24, 1942 in Stamford, Connecticut. He attended public schools there and received his bachelor's degree from Yale College in 1964 and his law degree from Yale in 1967.

Lieberman is the first Jewish vice presidential nominee on a major party ticket

He won his first election in 1970 when he was elected to the Connecticut state Senate, and spent six years as majority leader. He served there until 1980 when he lost a bid for the U.S. Congress during the first Reagan landslide.

He rebounded from defeat in 1982 when he was elected to the state attorney general post; he was reelected in 1986.

In 1988, Lieberman challenged three-term liberal GOP U.S. Sen. Lowell Weicker, whom he defeated in a close race with conservative support. He was easily reelected in 1994 and is running for a third term this November. State law allows him to run for both positions.

A self-described “New Democrat,” Lieberman is chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. He has been an advocate of free trade, including PNTR for China, capital gains tax cuts, and education IRA’s for public or private school expenses. He supported the Gulf War. He is an abortion-rights advocate and has voted against bans on a late-term abortion procedure opponents refer to as "partial-birth" abortion.

In 1998, Lieberman strongly rebuked President Clinton on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, saying that Clinton’s “behavior is not only inappropriate, it is immoral and it is harmful.” However, he voted against both articles of impeachment the following year.

Lieberman lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife, Hadassah. They have four children. An Orthodox Jew, he refrains from working or campaigning on Saturdays, and he becomes the first Jewish vice presidential nominee of the two major parties.

He is the author of five books.