Political insider: Lieberman To Join McCain In Israel
Posted By Adam Dickter
Political insider: Lieberman To Join McCain In Israel
In a further cementing of their close ties, Republican presidential nominee John McCain and former Democrat Sen. Joe Lieberman will travel briefly to Israel together on March 18.
Lieberman, who was elected in 2006 as an independent after losing the Democratic primary for re-election in Connecticut, has repeatedly insisted he is not interested in the Republican vice presidential nomination, despite his endorsement of McCain and persistent campaigning for him.
But photos of McCain in Jerusalem with Lieberman, who in 2000 was the first Jewish vice presidential candidate of a major party, are bound to be a major piece of his outreach to Jewish voters. The Israel trip will be brief, only one day, followed by visits to London and Paris.
Also joining McCain will be Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican.
Ira Forman of the National Jewish Democratic Council said the Israel visit would be viewed as overtly political.
"They are certainly not going there for policy reasons," said Forman. "Joe is an asset to John McCain, but at the margins. He's not going to take a lot of votes away [from the Democrats.]"
Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition said the trip was "an incredibly important gesture on Senator McCain's part. It reflects his understanding of how important the issue of Israel's security is for him to take the time out in the middle of a campaign to show his support and solidarity."