Candidates from both sides of aisle mull run for Lieberman seat

Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I-Conn.) retirement announcement is partially a relief for Democrats eager to move past the man who has been a perennial irritant for the party of late.

And, given Connecticut’s blue tinge, plus the fact President Obama will be on top of the ticket next year, Democrats are hopeful Lieberman’s decision paves the way for a more reliable Democrat to capture the seat in 2012. 

{mosads}Political insiders in Connecticut, however, predict there will be spirited primaries on both sides of the aisle next year.

Lieberman told supporters Wednesday that he will not run for reelection, officially shutting the door on a Senate career that has spanned more than two decades.

He pushed back against the notion he’s bowing out because the odds are against him winning a fifth term. While he acknowledged a 2012 race would be an uphill battle, he said, “I’ve never shied from a good fight, and I never will.” 

The Independent would have faced a tough road, with the math in a three-way contest stacked heavily against him.

Running as an Independent, Lieberman likely would have had to win more than 70 percent of the Republican vote to be competitive. That would have been next to impossible given that Republicans showed no intention of rolling over for Lieberman, as they did in 2006. 

The latest campaign filing for his Senate committee showed Lieberman sitting on $1.2 million cash on hand.

Flanked by his wife and three children, the senator said at an event in Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday that he has no intention of ending his career in public service, and that he’s looking forward to “new opportunities.”

“I have decided it is time to turn the page to a new chapter, and so I will not be a candidate for reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate in 2012,” Lieberman said. “This was not an easy decision for me to make, because I have loved serving in the Senate and I feel good about what I have accomplished. But I know it is the right decision and, I must say, I am excited about beginning a new chapter of life with new opportunities.” 

His exit sets up another open-seat Senate contest in a cycle where a small margin could hand the GOP the majority — Republicans need at least three seats to win control of the upper chamber.

Democrats are already jumping at the opportunity. Former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz got into the race even before the news of Lieberman’s decision to bow out broke Tuesday night.

Most observers expect Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to run, too. Fellow Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) is also considering a run. 

One Democratic operative, who isn’t aligned with any potential Senate contenders, said the greatest unknown on the Democratic side is Ted Kennedy Jr., whose name has likewise been floated for the seat. 

Republicans are warning Democrats not to be overconfident in their 2012 chances just because of Democrat Richard Blumenthal’s Senate win in 2010. 

“We see this as a great opportunity for Republicans to win a seat in 2012,” said state GOP Chairman Chris Healy, who warned Democrats could find a more hostile climate in the state next year given Connecticut’s budget woes. 

On the Republican side, self-funder Linda McMahon, the party’s 2010 nominee against Blumenthal, is still the first name being uttered.

She posted a statement on her Facebook page Wednesday that kept her options open.

“While running for the U.S. Senate in 2012 remains an option for me, I will spend the next few months focusing on how I can best serve the people of Connecticut,” she wrote.

Another option for the GOP is former ambassador Tom Foley, who lost the 2010 race for governor in Connecticut by a razor-thin margin to Democrat Dan Malloy. 

Also on the list is former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.), who lost a primary to McMahon in 2010. It’s no secret Simmons still harbors Senate ambitions after being tossed aside in favor of McMahon by party insiders last cycle. The former representative told the Norwich Bulletin he remains interested but isn’t ready to announce anything just yet.

Reflecting on his time in the Senate, Lieberman said he has “not always fit comfortably into conventional political boxes” but that he has no regrets about working with Republicans, particularly on foreign policy.

Lieberman said he was proud to have served under — and worked with — four presidents on “policies which ousted the invading Iraqi military from Kuwait, ended the genocide of Muslims in the Balkans and liberated Iraq, Afghanistan and the world from brutally repressive, anti-American dictatorships.” 

Despite caucusing with Democrats in the Senate, the gulf between Lieberman and his former party only grew following his reelection in 2006 as an Independent and after he endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president in 2008.

In a statement, Obama congratulated Lieberman on an “extraordinary career in public service.”

“Even if we don’t always see eye to eye, I always know Joe is coming from a place of principle. I know he will carry with him that integrity and dedication to his remaining work in the Senate and to whatever he chooses to do next,” the president said.

Lieberman was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee under Al Gore. Gore’s office did not respond to a request for comment about Lieberman’s retirement.

Lieberman is the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, a position he kept despite grumbling from Democrats about his endorsement of McCain. Sen. Tom Carper (Del.) is the Democrat on the committee with the highest seniority who does not already have a chairmanship.

As for Lieberman’s future options, McCain said Wednesday that Obama should consider Lieberman for his next secretary of Defense.

Robert Gates, the current Defense secretary, has said he wants to leave his post by the end of the year.

“You know, it’s funny you mention it,” McCain told CNN when asked about the possibility of Lieberman replacing Gates. “I really hope that the president would consider him. I hadn’t thought about it, but I sure hope, whatever happens, he will play a major role on national-security issues.”

McCain, who is a close friend of Lieberman’s, tweeted Wednesday: “I’m going to miss you Joe.”

Jordan Fabian contributed.