Al Gore chose Sen. Joseph Lieberman on Monday to be his runningmate. The Connecticut Democrat will be the first Jew on a major partyticket.
"Miracles happen," Lieberman said.
Gore and Lieberman will appear today in Nashville, Tenn., six daysbefore the Democratic National Convention opens in Los Angeles.
Lieberman, a centrist, has broken from the administration to sidewith Republicans on school vouchers, Social Security and otherissues.
Gore advisers and independent analysts said Lieberman will helpthe campaign shed itself of President Clinton's personal baggage. Hewas the first Democrat to chastise the president for his affair withMonica Lewinsky. From the Senate floor last year, he called the tryst"embarrassing for all of us as Americans."
Lieberman later voted against impeachment.
Clinton on Monday said of Lieberman: "I think he's one of the mostoutstanding people in public life. He's a bold thinker. He is alwaysfull of new ideas.
"I think right now you just need to know that I think he'swonderful and he's been a wonderful friend to me and he's been greatfor America these last eight years, with what he's done in theSenate," Clinton said. "And he's been great for our party with whathe's done with the Democratic Leadership Council. So I'm very happyabout Joe Lieberman."
Polls show that Gore is barely benefiting from Clinton's high job-approval rating, while he is saddled with the residue of the nation'sfirst impeachment trial in nearly 150 years.
"We had to do something about this values stuff," said Democraticconsultant James Carville, who ran Clinton's 1992 campaign. "Clintonfatigue is real, and it hurts."
Republicans, however, said Lieberman's choice only serves toremind voters about the Lewinsky scandal. One senior GOP strategistsaid there is talk about a fall TV ad that would contrast Lieberman'scondemnation of Clinton with Gore's impeachment-era claim that hisboss is one of the "greatest" presidents in history.
Lieberman beat out five other finalists for the vice presidentialnomination: Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana, John Edwards of NorthCarolina, John Kerry of Massachusetts; House Minority Leader DickGephardt of Missouri and New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.
When Lieberman's name surfaced, Democrats questioned whethervoters were willing to break a religious barrier.
"I don't think anyone can calculate the effect of having a Jew onthe ticket," Democratic Party chairman Ed Rendell said last week. "IfJoe Lieberman were Episcopalian it would be a slam dunk."
Rendell, who is Jewish, said Monday that anybody who votes againstLieberman "only because he is Jewish was voting for Bush or (ReformParty candidate Patrick) Buchanan anyhow."
Lieberman's selection could have political implications beyond thepresidential race. If the ticket wins, Lieberman would have to resignhis Senate seat and Republican Gov. John G. Rowland would appointsomeone to fill the seat until 2002. That would dim Democrats'chances of closing the 54-46 Republican advantage in the Senate.
At an AFL-CIO meeting in Hartford, Conn., on Monday, Liebermansaid he was "happy to be here at a convention where working peopleare a priority, not as they were in Philadelphia last week, justprops."
Lieberman has sponsored legislation to set up experimental voucherprograms, letting parents use federal money to send their children topublic, private or religious schools. Gore says vouchers wouldundermine public education.
More recently, he backed education reforms that do not includevouchers.
He voted to expand tax-free education savings accounts to helpparents cover education expenses in all grades and at public, privateand religious schools-an idea promoted by Bush.
And he has spoken in favor of partially privatizing SocialSecurity, as proposed by Bush and opposed by Gore.
Associated Press
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