Joseph Lieberman in The Los Angeles Times
On Education:
Lieberman's view on vouchers closer to Bush's than Gore's?
Bush's campaign overstated the case when it asserted in a statement Monday that Gore "has chosen a man whose positions are more similar to Gov. Bush's than his own."
But Lieberman does echo Bush in supporting private-school vouchers for low-income parents whose children are stuck in poorly performing schools. (Gore staunchly opposes the idea.)
Source: Ronald Brownstein, LA Times
Aug 8, 2000
On Government Reform:
Preserve the independent counsel law, with limits
An independent counsel law is most effective when used for significant investigations and least effective when used to pursue flimsy charges. To limit use of the law, Congress might raise the evidentiary threshold for appointing an independent counsel
and reduce the number of executive branch officials - which now numbers 240 - who fall under its jurisdiction. I have no doubt that if we fail to craft a workable substitute to the independent counsel, down the road, we'll find ourselves in a crisis
similar to Watergate or Iran-Contra or Whitewater, with a public skeptical of the legitimacy of the criminal process, and, possibly, with a president or attorney general more interested in their own careers, than in getting to the facts. Then, we will
wish that in 1999 we had done more to preserve the bedrock democratic principle of the rule of law, that is the ability to independently prosecute even our most powerful officeholders.
Source: Op-Ed for the Los Angeles Times by Lieberman
Mar 2, 1999
On Principles & Values:
Nominated for V.P. because of faith, not despite faith
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Lieberman's rise, however, is that he was chosen not despite his faith, but because of it. It was Lieberman's no-apologies assertion of moral values that attracted Gore to him. Lieberman displayed those
values Tuesday in a speech that cited God almost a dozen times in language more devout than any similarly prominent Christian political figure-and certainly any Democrat--had used in recent memory.
Source: Geraldine Baum, LA Times
Aug 9, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion
Lieberman made a passionate call for Americans to bring faith more prominently into public life, arguing that the nation needs to draw values and strength from religious beliefs "While so much of our economic life is thriving, too much of our moral life
is still stagnating. As a people, we need to reaffirm our faith and renew the dedication of our nation and ourselves to God and God's purposes." "Let us reach out to those who may neither believe nor observe, and reassure them that we share with them
the core values of America, that our faith is not inconsistent with their freedom, and that our mission is not one of intolerance, but of love. We know that the Constitution wisely separates church from state. But remember, the Constitution guarantees
freedom of religion. Not freedom from religion. So let us break through some of the inhibitions that have existed to talk together across the flimsy line of separation of faith: to talk together, to study together, and to pray together."
Source: Matea Gold, LA Times
Aug 28, 2000
On Principles & Values:
Hollywood deserves reprimands at times, but not censorship
After threatening Hollywood with sanctions, Lieberman softened his tone. "Al and I have tremendous regard for this industry. We're both fans of the products that come out of the entertainment industry -not all of them but a lot of them. From time to time
we will have been -and will be -critics or nudges. But I promise you this, that we will never, never put the government in the position of telling you by law, through law, what to make. We will nudge you but we will never become censors."
Source: Terence Hunt, LA Times
Sep 19, 2000
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