JOE LIEBERMAN CRITICIZES BILL CLINTON

Victor Bloom MD

To those of you who don't recognize the name, Peggy Noonan, she was the top speech writer for president Reagan and Bush, an articulate and eloquent spokesperson for the conservative point of view. It was Peggy who originated the concept of the "thousand points of light." She had a gift for words.

As time went by she became somewhat disenchanted with Ronald Reagan, whom she had previously idolized, because she felt he didn't take her seriously enough. She failed to realize he was beginning to show the signs of Alzheimer's. For a while she continued to write speeches for president Bush and continued to write independently, taking the ideological conservative position, which included criticism of the many pitfalls of the liberal Democrats.

One could only wonder how this committed conservative would view the pick by Gore of Joseph Lieberman, senator from Connecticut, the first Democrat to openly criticize the behavior of president Clinton in the Oval Office. Further knowledge of Joseph Lieberman included the facts that he was a very principled and moral man and respected on both sides of the aisle. He was an outspoken critic of Hollywood and the media, insisting on higher moral standards for the benefit of our children and society at large.

Despite his open criticism of Clinton, which was rare for a Democrat, he voted with the Democrats for acquittal, when it came to the question of impeachment. He decided that bad as Clinton's behavior was, it was not at the level to undo a general election. The voters would have their chance at the polls in the year 2000.

Vice president Al Gore will be having difficulty distancing himself from the disgraced president, but his stunning selection of the first Jew who could conceivably become president was a large step in that direction. Lieberman's moral stance is in direct contrast to that of the sitting president, and is part of a longstanding commitment to Orthodox Judaism, to the point where he refuses to work on the Sabbath, unless absolutely necessary. Rather than set himself apart from his senatorial colleagues, he is viewed as an exceptional politician, in that he is more independent than ideological, one who has proven that he is not a creature who goes with the flow or refuses to rock the boat.

Lieberman is a man of conscience and consistency of moral values, and so although a 'liberal' Democrat, shares similar values to the Christian Religious Right. He may not win many Christian votes, and will not add much to the traditional Jewish vote for the liberals, but he will not be susceptable to attack from the Right, as his voting record includes many votes with the senatorial conservatives.

Most people who have come to know the style of Peggy Noonan would have expected some nuanced curves directed at this 'clever' Democratic choice for vice president, but instead her eloquence was showered on the choice of the Jewish Lieberman, reminding her of the 60's, when this country accepted a Catholic candidate for president for the first time.

Here is what she said soon after the announcement of the candidacy of Senator Joseph Lieberman:

"The choice of Joe Lieberman of Connecticut as Al Gore's running

mate is so smart, so clever, so good, so satisfying, so striking that it

just may turn this election a bit on its head for a while. Certainly its

most immediate effect is going to be a successful Democratic convention

next week in Los Angeles, because now the Democrats, badly hit by their

own form of Clinton fatigue and acutely aware of the particular

charmlessness of their presidential candidate, have something to cheer

about. They respect Joe Lieberman. They think he has a center, a moral

and ethical view of the world. He is experienced and articulate. He is

decent and intelligent. He is independent. The media love him. He is a

regular co-star on Imus, and all of the columnists and reporters for the

elite newspapers, and all of the electronic pundits and anchors, know

him and admire him."

She went on to say:

"If Joe Lieberman had been Joe Lee, and an Episcopalian, Al Gore

would have been smart to pick him. He would have been an obvious choice. The only reason he would have hesitated over Mr. Lieberman is that he's Jewish. Mr. Gore decided that was just fine. I think that I have never seen Al Gore do such an elegant, intelligent and original thing. Well

done, Mr. Gore."

And furthermore:

"A powerful and respected political officeholder told me Monday

that there's "no upside" to the Lieberman choice. I told him there's no

downside. He was surprised and said, "He can't even campaign on

Saturdays!" I said so what, America would love to see a politician who

actually put God first one day a week."

Her coda for this paean is as follows:

"The headline is: "It Is Good for America." It is a wonderful country that does something like this, that takes a good man who is a member of a small ethnic/religious minority to be one of its two major vice presidential candidates, and that greets that choice with resounding hurrahs.

This is really a great day. We should all be happy. We really are a maturing democracy."

Dr Bloom is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and on the editorial board of the Wayne County Medical Society. He welcomes comments at his email address--- vbloom@comcast.net.