Joe Lieberman's death leaves a hole at No Labels group
NEW YORK >> When No Labels' critics got the loudest, it was Joe Lieberman who came to the group's defense.
The former Connecticut senator was a founding chairman of the centrist organization that focused, above all, on promoting bipartisanship in national politics. Despite its benign stated mission, No Labels inflamed many people across politics by working to recruit a thirdparty presidential candidate that some fear might tilt the 2024 election in Donald Trump's favor.
At almost every major turn, Lieberman served as the group's chief public defender. He was also a private force in No Labels' presidential recruitment push. He insisted repeatedly in interviews, as recently as last week, that the nation is craving an alternative to Trump and President Joe Biden.
“This is the moment for a bipartisan unity ticket,” Lieberman told Bloomberg Television last Thursday. “Now, we've just got to find a strong bipartisan ticket to recommend to the No Labels delegates in the next couple of weeks. That's not easy.”
Now, Lieberman is gone. He died on Wednesday due to complications from a fall. He was 82.
Lieberman's death not only marks an irreplaceable loss for No Labels, it injects a new level of uncertainty into the organization's 2024 ambitions.
Just hours before news of his death was reported this week, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who twice ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination, announced his decision not to join No Labels' presidential ticket. It was the latest in a string of high-profile rejections for the group, which has nonetheless secured a spot on presidential ballots in more than a dozen states.
Already, No Labels had courted and been denied by would-be White House contenders in both parties including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
On Thursday, a fresh wave of critics called on No Labels to abandon its 2024 election plans.
“At this point I'm not sure what else the No Labels crowd needs to hear. Every serious person who has taken a look at this gambit immediately sees they would just be helping to elect Donald Trump,” Sarah Longwell, who founded Republican Voters Against Trump, wrote on X. “Time for No Labels and its donors to pull the plug.”
No Labels' leadership declined to address its 2024 plans on Thursday given Lieberman's passing. His funeral was scheduled for Friday.
But new details emerged in the group's struggle to peesuade strong candidates to join its presidential ticket.
On Thursday, a fresh wave of critics called on No Labels to abandon its 2024 election plans.
Lieberman was intimately involved in recruitment conversations with potential candidates. He participated in introductory Zoom calls and maintained regular contact with top prospects, including Christie.
The former New Jersey governor's team looked seriously at a potential No Labels' bid. His advisers did polling, modeling and studied the fundraising challenges, according to a person familiar with Christie's thinking, granted anonymity to disclose private conversations.
Ultimately, Christie determined that a No Labels' ticket was not viable, despite the organization's insistence to the contrary.