Capital Scene: New Democratic Faith

BEFORE Sen. Fred Thompson (R., Tenn.) had even begun his campaign-fundraising hearings, the Democrats on his committee were trying to block damaging testimony from reaching the public-with one exception. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D., Conn.) recalls an early meeting with his Democratic colleagues in which “they kind of appealed to me” to help block immunity for the Buddhist nuns Thompson wanted to testify-ostensibly because Thompson wasn’t allowing the Democrats to subpoena GOP-allied groups. “I thought the grant-of-immunity question was so important it ought not be traded [for subpoenas],” says Lieberman. “I made my case, and that was the end of it.”

But if Lieberman broke ranks during the hearings-winning the respect of Republicans with his forthright criticisms of the Clinton Administration—his Democratic colleagues can count on him to vote with them on campaign-finance reform. Which is typical of Lieberman-an independent thinker who is a fairly reliable party-line voter; a thoroughgoing Democrat whose integrity wins him GOP plaudits. In 1993 Lieberman voted with President Clinton 95 per cent of the time-yet the Republican governor of Connecticut briefly floated the idea of the GOP’s endorsing him for re-election. In 1995 he had a rating from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action of 95 per cent-but he still gets high marks from conservative Republicans.

About the Author

Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry is the editor in chief of National Review.

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BEFORE Sen. Fred Thompson (R., Tenn.) had even begun his campaign-fundraising hearings, the Democrats on his committee were trying to block damaging testimony from reaching the public-with one exception. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D., Conn.) recalls an early meeting with his Democratic colleagues in which “they kind of appealed to me” to help block immunity for the Buddhist nuns Thompson wanted to testify-ostensibly because Thompson wasn’t allowing the Democrats to subpoena GOP-allied groups. “I thought the grant-of-immunity question was so important it ought not be traded [for subpoenas],” says Lieberman. “I made my case, and that was the end of it.”

But if Lieberman broke ranks during the hearings-winning the respect of Republicans with his forthright criticisms of the Clinton Administration—his Democratic colleagues can count on him to vote with them on campaign-finance reform. Which is typical of Lieberman-an independent thinker who is a fairly reliable party-line voter; a thoroughgoing Democrat whose integrity wins him GOP plaudits. In 1993 Lieberman voted with President Clinton 95 per cent of the time-yet the Republican governor of Connecticut briefly floated the idea of the GOP’s endorsing him for re-election. In 1995 he had a rating from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action of 95 per cent-but he still gets high marks from conservative Republicans.