Joe Lieberman on the Campaign Trail

— -- ABCNEWS' Talesha Reynolds was on the campaign trail with the Connecticut senator and 2000 vice presidential nominee during his run for the presidency. For the latest report, scroll down.

He did it his way …

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 3 — The lucky burgundy and gold striped tie was absent when Senator Lieberman hit his campaign stops in Wilmington Delaware Tuesday morning. He had forgotten it at home in DC. He said he would put it on later but never did. Good luck charms may not have been powerful enough to change the inevitable.

After returning to D.C. from Delaware, Lieberman spent most of the day in private with his family and took time to nap in the afternoon before having dinner and watching returns.

Shortly after 8 pm Senator Lieberman went to his Arlington headquarters with Hadassah and his children to thank his senior staff and tell them of his decision to drop out of the race. He then placed calls to Senators Kerry and Edwards before heading to the Hyatt hotel to give the speech he had written on a yellow legal pad.

There was little visible emotion from Senator Lieberman or his family as they stood on the stage in the small ballroom with Connecticut elected officials including Chris Dodd, John Larson and Rosa DeLauro. Whatever they were feeling was tucked away for a moment out of the spotlight.

With a smile on his face, Lieberman got in what may be his final dig at Howard Dean. "In this campaign, I may not have shouted the loudest," (he paused here) "but I am proud that I took the toughest positions in support of what I believed was right for my country."

There were groans of disappointment from the audience when Lieberman told them "Today the voters have rendered their verdict and I accept it." But the prevailing mood seemed to be pride and resignation.

Sources close to the campaign were in agreement that 2004 just wasn't Lieberman's year. His friend and DLC head Al From told ABC News that Lieberman's critiques were instrumental in Howard Dean's collapse, but he was not the beneficiary of his own efforts. Nevertheless, From said, he "ran a good and honorable campaign."

Lieberman didn't linger long to shake hands. He exited through the same door he entered as music piped into the room. Gone was the ubiquitous "Can't Stop this Thing We Started" and in it's place was a melancholy version of his favorite tune, Frank Sinatra's "My Way."

Wednesday afternoon Lieberman will speak at Hartford's City Hall to thank Connecticut residents for their support and then make the transition back from presidential candidate to junior senator.

Stranger Things Have Happened

TULSA, Okla., Feb. 1 — Sen. Lieberman learned of his New England Patriots' victory from the flight crew of his charter plane from Oklahoma to New Mexico Sunday night. Despite having visited two Super Bowl parties in Oklahoma City, he didn't see much of the game, and spent most of half time speechifying at a house party.

There was one event he didn't miss, though, and it was a doozey. At the Tulsa Boat Show, Sen. Lieberman and a few hundred others watched Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel do her thing. Outfitted in a rodent-sized Stars and Stripes lifejacket, Twiggy glided across a wading pool pulled by a remote control boat while the crowd looked on in amazement.

Sen. Lieberman called the performance "thrilling" and said it was evidence that "anything is possible in America." And just like Twiggy, Lieberman is managing to stay afloat in the rough waters of the presidential race and hanging on for dear life. He was thrown a rope early in the day in the form of endorsements from two of the largest papers in South Carolina, The State and the Greenville News, and from the Seattle Times. The Senator called the editorials a sign of his nationwide support.

As reporters tried to pin him down on how well he needed to do in the next set of primaries to stay in the race, Lieberman said he plans to do well and is looking beyond Feb. 3 to the next week of contests. Despite having just $350,000 on hand after debts at the end of 2003, Lieberman says his campaign has a "nest egg" sufficient to carry him through Feb. 10.

With just one day of campaigning left before what he once called "Tidal Wave" Tuesday, the day he said he would break out of the pack, Lieberman will spend time in New Mexico and Arizona before heading back Oklahoma and Delaware. He will spend primary night in Arlington, Va. The campaign says the location was chosen to indicate where Lieberman will focus his attention next and not because he may withdraw if he doesn't do well on the 3rd.

Ads: Lieberman is airing "President" in Arizona and Delaware and "Clear" in Oklahoma.

The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 28 — There are certain things you just don't see in New Hampshire, cowboys being one example. But in Oklahoma, of course, they are out in abundance. One audience member at the Oklahoma Democratic Party's presidential forum in Oklahoma City was straight out of Gunsmoke, wearing a tall ten gallon hat, shiny black boots and a thick mustache that curled up at the ends.

At The Oklahoma Store in McAlester, an homage to the general store of the Wild West with one cent candy in jars and empty Van Camp's Pork and Beans cans serving as condiment containers, another man in a less obvious rumpled leather hat, declared himself a "real cowboy" before asking Lieberman about the estate tax's effect on farmers like himself.

For the most part, though the attire and landscape are drastically different, and the askers have decidedly un-New England accents, the questions are the same: health care, the future of the Supreme Court, Iraq exit strategies. And Senator Lieberman's answers are the same too, a fact he prides himself on.

The Senator is now banking on the hope that his answers gel with the people of this state and others with Feb. 3 primaries. But the day got off to a rocky start when Senator Lieberman mispronounced Muskogee when talking to reporters before his first event. His staff cringed in the corner, as a local journalist corrected him. Gaffe aside, Lieberman is upbeat, if not post-Iowa Dean-like in his energy level. No matter who was doing the asking, he insisted all day that he did in fact do better than expected in New Hampshire (if you close one eye and squint with the other) and that his campaign still has some life in it.

Thursday Lieberman brings his Cup of Joe to Tulsa and campaigns in Oklahoma before heading to South Carolina for another make or break debate. The campaign is in agreement that he needs a repeat of his Jan. 22 performance to regain momentum.

A 30 second bio spot called "Great Country" is running in South Carolina, Delaware, Arizona and Oklahoma. In Arizona the minute long bio ad "I Love America" is also in rotation. And in Oklahoma the "Bold" ad on middle class tax cuts is playing as well.

Staying Positive: Hey, it worked for Edwards…

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan 22 — At the last debate, JIL bungled the moment that was intended to make him look good - his invitation to the other candidates to sign a letter in support of the Help America Vote Act, a reminder that he (and Al Gore and all Democrats) were wronged in Florida in 2000. At Thursday night's debate there were no gimmicks. No letters to sign, just his own message that avoided slighting anyone else on the stage. Thursday night, the attack dog rolled over and played nice.

During the two hour debate, Peter Jennings gave Lieberman a few opportunities to criticize his competitors, but the Senator never took the bait. Every answer was about himself and he even managed to get in a few jokes and earn some applause. During the event and at appearances in recent days his speech has been littered with the words "affirmative" and "positive," perhaps to try to counteract his high unfavorability ratings in polls.

At his after party in a smoky pool hall adjacent to his Manchester headquarters, Lieberman told supporters, "Praise be to God, this was a great night. And you know what, we all needed it. This was the best debate I've had." He added that he hopes "that here in NH, it's going to lead to just the same kind of popular uprising that happened last week in Iowa."

Lieberman was so happy he grabbed Hadassah and cut a rug in the middle of the crowd of supporters. The song they danced to was one that often plays at Lieberman's events, Bryan Adams' "Can't Stop this Thing We Started."

Could Integrity One Beat the Real Deal Express in a Drag Race?

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan 21 — The Lieberman campaign got a much-longed-for addition Wednesday when Integrity One rolled into Manchester. The charter bus was supposed to arrive in time for Lieberman's afternoon walk along Elm Street, but it was stuck in traffic. By the time it got to town, the sun was mostly set, but the Senator's silver hair and huge smile was still clearly visible along its side. Next to Lieberman's photo, giving the thumbs up, are the words "Integrity" and "Independence."ABC News, thrilled to escape the cramped quarters of the press van cum ice box cum trash receptacle, took her seat in time to witness the ceremonial laying down of duct tape to separate staff and press. (It should be Noted that the duct tape was provided by a reporter.) When the Senator boarded he took a beeline to the back to chat up reporters.

Earlier in the day, Senator Lieberman indicated he was preparing to challenge John Kerry as the primary approaches, something he has often been reluctant to do before now, as he was focused on Dean and Clark. Lieberman cited an RNC report that Republicans had a thick book of potential arguments against Kerry, while they did not have the same for himself, and he mentioned Kerry's position on the war and trade as possible targets.

Lieberman continues to be optimistic about his chances in New Hampshire. He told reporters, "They got a wonderful way here in New Hampshire of picking an underdog and sending a message that that underdog should be - if I can continue this metaphor - the big dog."

Seeking Clyburn

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan 20 — While Sen. Lieberman had kind words for Dick Gephardt the day after his disappointing finish in Iowa, he admitted before the Congressman's official withdrawal from the race that he is seeking the backing of former Gephardt supporters like South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. "There's no question I'm reaching out through other members of Congress who are supporting me to the members of Congress who supported Dick Gephardt," he said. "I don't expect them to make quick decisions, but I have a lot of good friends there and I'm hopeful as this goes on that I will enjoy their support."

Lieberman and Clyburn worked together in 2002 to secure federal funding to rehabilitate black colleges and before Clyburn endorsed Gephardt, Lieberman asked Clyburn to make him his "second choice," preparing for the possibility of Gephardt dropping out. Last week Lieberman started running a series of ads in South Carolina last week that include a line about working with Clyburn on education and funding black colleges.

Lieberman said he spoke to Gephardt on caucus night and he had glowing praise for him on the day he announced he was leaving public life. "This is one of those cases that though we in one sense we are running against each other, the more this campaign went on, the more respect and admiration and affection that I developed for Dick Gephardt. He is a stand up guy, a straight talking guy a strong core to him and he's got a lot to be proud of."

Late in the day, the Lieberman campaign announced that four New Hampshire public officials who had been Gephardt supporters were now backing Lieberman. The campaign's announcement concluded with this line: "Internal Lieberman polls show that Lieberman is the high second choice of many Gephardt voters. To take advantage of this, the Lieberman campaign is actively reaching out to Gephardt supporters."

A New Stump for a New Ballgame

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan 19 — Sen. Lieberman was at a forum at Phillips Exeter Academy getting heckled by Lyndon Larouche supporters when early reports from Iowa started coming in. The campaign staff waiting in the wings was eagerly tracking the news via cell phone and Blackberry: Gephardt was tanking and Kerry was in first place.

Lieberman returned to Manchester for a series of live interviews around 9:30 pm and was cheerful about receiving the endorsement of the Union Leader and about the "whole new ballgame" that the race had become. The campaign had counted on Gephardt being knocked out, but it had not anticipated the Kerry surprise. They had been totally focused on staging a Dean-Lieberman-Clark war. No worries, though. The list of possible anti-Kerry arguments was not hard for them to figure out, the most important one being their claim that he flip-flopped on the war.

The result of the Iowa caucus was confirmation of everything the Lieberman campaign has been pushing for weeks. It is a wide open race. Voters are indeed taking a "second look" at all the candidates. And Lieberman hopes to benefit from that re-evaluation.

After telling voters about their Clear Choices and the Third and Better Way he represents, an energized Lieberman unveiled a stump Monday that the campaign is sure will resonate with New Hampshire voters who may be having second thoughts about others in the race. It's simple idea: "I can beat George Bush." Karl Rove, Lieberman now says, has a strategy to defeat all the other Democratic candidates but has no playbook on him.

In making that case, Lieberman took an out of character pot shot at POTUS. He told a group gathered for a rally in his Keene campaign office, "I supported the Gulf War, I supported the Gulf War. I supported the war on terrorism. I wrote the Homeland Security Department bill. I knew who Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were and was fighting them before George W. Bush could pronounce their names."

Lieberman repeated the comment later in the day to applause and the line appeared in the day's campaign press release as "before George Bush even learned to spell their names."

When ABC News asked Lieberman whether the comment qualified as a personal attack, the kind Mr. Integrity says he shuns and the kind he has criticized Howard Dean for making, Lieberman said it was "more like good humor in the midst of a campaign rally."

And then there were 8

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Jan 15 — A Drudge Report "world exclusive" on Wesley Clark's seemingly pro-war testimony to the House Armed Services Committee in September of 2002 fueled the second day's worth of renewed questioning from Senator Lieberman on the General's stance on the Iraq war.

In just one day's time the Lieberman camp's tally of Clark "flip flops" on the war jumped from 6 to 8, providing the Senator another opportunity to attempt to plant doubt in the minds of voters who may be considering him. "Why does Wes Clark consistently deny that he's changed positions when the record clearly shows that he has?" Lieberman asked. "I think it begins to raise questions in people's minds about what he would do as president."

Playing the doubt card has replaced Lieberman's "clear choice" mantra in recent days. Instead of railing against Howard Dean's "extremism" at every turn, he is now insisting that the race is "totally undecided" and that people are taking a "second look" at Dean and Clark. The scenario leaves Lieberman poised to inherit the voters who change their minds.

Sen. Lieberman has been keeping a grueling schedule since the New Year, with his shivering six-pack of traveling press dragging behind him. Everyday starts with a Cup o' Joe at a New Hampshire diner, where Lieberman greets the handful of locals brave enough or crazy enough to go outside, and ends late evening with a house party.On Friday, Lieberman will greet the dawn at the Portsmouth naval yard, shaking hands with shipyard workers and touting his middle class tax cut plan. He'll spend the weekend in DC and campaigning in South Carolina before returning to New Hampshire for the final lurch toward the primary.

Hate the sin, love the sinner

DOVER, N.H., Jan. 13 —On the anniversary of his entrance into the presidential race, Senator Lieberman tried to reenact the moment in 1992 when Bill Clinton tried to salvage his presidential bid. The speech Lieberman gave at the same spot where Clinton stood that day more than a decade ago gave his marks an elevation in the blatant appeal to the nostalgia of New Hampshire voters.

Like many Americans, when it comes to Bill Clinton, Joe Lieberman hates the sin but loves the sinner. Almost daily, he praises Clinton for the policies that brought prosperity to the nation during his tenure, and he loves to tell people that Clinton volunteered for his first campaign for public office in Connecticut in 1970. Lieberman only mentions if asked that his claim to fame -- the thing that helped garner him a VP nod -- is that he was the first Democrat to publicly ridicule Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal.

Lieberman doesn't acknowledge any contradiction in that, and says he has separated Clinton's moral wrongdoing from his extraordinary political record. "I'm trying now to take that legacy and apply it to this moment in our history," he told reporters following the speech.

The theme of Wednesday's events is "The Clinton Legacy," but Lieberman will end the day with another nod to "Independents and disgruntled moderate Republicans at a house party in the home of Don Byrne, a former McCain supporter who is now backing the Senator. Also on Wednesday, the campaign will release its first ads on television and radio in Delaware, the little state that could be a win for Lieberman on February 3. The campaign is also in the air in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arizona.

The ghosts of Florida 2000

DES MOINES, IOWA, Jan. 11—

Sen. Lieberman used to say you couldn't find anyone angrier about the 2000 election than Al Gore and himself -- two guesses as to when he stopped saying that -- but in this race, he rarely capitalizes on what most Democrats felt was a huge injustice, much to the chagrin of some of his supporters.

Sunday night was to be different, though. In perhaps the strangest of many strange moments in the Brown and Black forum, Sen. Lieberman used hisquestion to the other candidates to remind people of the wrong he and hundreds of disenfranchised Floridians suffered four years ago, and called on them tosign a letter in support of funding the Help America Vote Act. It was supposed to be a rallying cry, and perhaps an effort to boost his sagging national poll numbers, but it ended in a whimper -- or a chuckle -- not a bang.

Lieberman took an eternity on the wind up, and was interrupted several times by moderator Lester Holt: "And Senator, your question is to whom?""Senator, we'd like to get to the question if we could." "Is your question whether they will sign it?" After several minutes, Lieberman finally came to his question, "Will you join me in this letter to make sure that in this year's voting in November there are no more Floridas?"

Sen. Edwards was the first to respond, or rather not respond, saying, "I don't need a response. It was a great speech by Joe, but what did the letter say that he's asking me to sign?"

For that rambling monologue, Lieberman was the butt of several jokes for the rest of the night, including his own. In the spin room Lieberman mused, "If you thought my remarks were long in posing the question, wait 'til you hear my first state of the union address. It's gonna be memorable." Lieberman Noted that Rep. Kucinich signed the copy of the letter he'd brought to the stage and said he looked forward to the rest ofthe candidates doing the same.

"It's the Tax Cuts, Stupid"

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., Jan. 8 — The rookies are getting to Sen. Lieberman. In the last month, drawing distinctions between himself and the fresh faces of Dean and Clark has been the name of the survival game. Lieberman has even added a new line to his stump in recent days that is a clear reference to what he sees as his opponents' relative inexperience. "I didn't just spring up yesterday," he says. "I've been doing this for thirty years."

Even though Lieberman says health insurance is the number one problem facing New Hampshire voters, he is using the issue of middle class tax cuts to try to erode support from Clark and Dean before the primary. To drive the message home, the campaign released a new ad on the subject titled "Bold." The 30-second spot touts Lieberman's plan as "fiscally sound and fair," but doesn't mention his Democratic competitors.

The campaign also sent out a tongue-in-cheek e-mail request to help Clark find a "tax calculator that works for more than 25 percent of taxpayers" to replace the existing one on his website.

Lieberman usually condemns Dean's pitch to repeal all the Bush tax cuts because, he says, Democrats in Congress fought for some of them and the middle class needs them, but news of Dean's plan for a plan for middle class tax cuts added a new layer to the debate. Lieberman said he was surprised by Dean's turnaround. "I suppose I should be encouraged and gratified, since I was the first to talk about more tax cuts for the middle class and I'm still the only one to propose tax cuts for 98 percent of the middle class," he said. The senator maintains that Dean should reveal his plan to voters before the Iowa and New Hampshire face offs.

"A Third and Better Way"

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan. 7 — The TelePrompTer placed on either side of the podium at BAE in Nashua were a sign that Sen. Lieberman meant business. He rarely uses them, even when making "major" speeches. This time there was no page to look down at, so he could connect to the audience.

Lieberman took a page and a couple of verbatim lines from the Clinton playbook in his appeal to centrist voters. "We cannot replace one set of extremes with the extreme anger of our own," he said. "We must instead be repairers of the great breach in this country." Lieberman declared himself the "third and better way," the alternative to Howard Dean and George Bush.

But there was also mention of Wesley Clark, whose economic plan and position(s) on the war Lieberman assailed. The General was not originally part of the speech, but the campaign says the recent back and forth between the two camps over taxes -- and not Clark's alleged surge in recent polls -- made his inclusion important. In an attempt to stop the tide from turning in Clark's direction, the Lieberman campaign has dubbed Clark "Dean lite."

Following the speech, Sen. Lieberman changed from his pinstriped suit into a red sweater, blue button-down shirt and khaki trousers for an evening of New Hampshire politics. At a house party in Windham, Lieberman announced that he had received the endorsement of The New Republic, making him the first presidential candidate to get the support of a national publication.

The magazine endorsement certainly boosted Lieberman's mood, but there nevertheless is a cloud of uncertainty looming over both campaign and candidate. Deputy Political Director and New Hampshire transplant Brian Hardwick thinks that uncertainty is a good thing. He cites Wesley Clark's rise in polls as evidence of the fluidity of the electorate in New Hampshire and asserts that "the way things are today is not how they'll end up." In football, he said, you never want to make your winning touchdown too early in the final quarter and allow the other team time to score.

Part of the campaign's 4th quarter play will include Jim Kennedy and Kiki McClean, who will join the communications team in New Hampshire next week. Kennedy is former president Clinton's communications director and also worked for Vice President Gore. McClean is a Lieberman adviser and was his spokesperson during his vice presidential bid. The two will be responsible for "body politics," traveling with the Senator through primary day.

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan. 6 — The Lieberman campaign launched a two front battle on Tuesday. The Senator was deployed to Des Moines for the NPR radio debate where he continued his dogged critique of Howard Dean. And the forces at home engaged in a back and forth with the Clark campaign over Clark's new tax plan.Since December, Lieberman has focused his criticisms on Howard Dean, almost completely to the exclusion of the other Dems, to bolster his "Clear Choice" rhetoric. When it comes to the Democratic candidates, Lieberman wants the conversation to be about himself and Dean. Period.

But in the battle to become the Dean alternative, Gen. Clark poses the biggest threat to Lieberman. Since both Clark and Lieberman have opted out of Iowa, the stakes in New Hampshire are very high. So there have been some fierce attacks on Clark in recent days, like the release of Clark's "complete resume" that included his Republican voting record since 1972.

Now that Clark is overtaking the Senator in some New Hampshire polls here, and may be positioned to finish second, the Clark attacks have increased. The campaign issued a release calling Clark's plan a "phantom" and claimed that it would leave out "close to 100 million middle class tax payers -- all of whom would get a tax cut under the Lieberman Tax Fairness Plan."

Lieberman will go to Nashua on Wednesday to deliver a speech aimed at framing the race as a choice between himself, Howard Dean and the current administration. This time around the focus is more on George Bush than Howard Dean, but Lieberman will continue his assertion that they each represent the extremist wings of their parties, while he is the "man in the mainstream."

Oops, He Did It Again

Jan. 5 — Another day, another endorsement…for Howard Dean. Former presidential candidate Bill Bradley is set to give his support to the good doctor and Senator Lieberman has no choice but to remain optimistic. He downplayed the news, insisting that endorsements just don't mean that much. "Politicians don't pick presidents, the people do," he said.

Lieberman asserted, as he has with renewed vigor since Al Gore's endorsement of Dean, that he is the Democrat who can defeat George Bush. The Senator has made a complete transition from his integrity themed stump speech to a message that echoes Kucinich's line from the Iowa debate, "I can win, if you vote for me."

Senator Lieberman has said for weeks that he feels "something happening" in New Hampshire. A "Joementum," if you will. And he was not pleased when a reporter asked, if Lieberman was really gathering support, why there weren't more people at the day's events, which by then had included a diner stop where Lieberman shook a few hands, two sparsely populated healthcare events, and a high school event full of students not yet voting age.

"What a negative question to ask," Lieberman said, and then explained that retail campaigning meant reaching out to people one by one. "The crowds that you see that matter are on primary day or election day," he said. "That's what it's all about."

Tuesday, the campaign will unveil a new television ad for New Hampshire markets, and it will release its first radio ad. The television spot touts Lieberman's centrism and electability, claiming that he is the "only one" in the race who is sufficiently tough on terrorism and kind to the middle class.

"Deep Fried Dean"

JOHNSTON, Iowa, Jan. 4 — Even though Sen. Lieberman hasn't been to Iowa since well before his October decision not to compete in the caucus, he still has "fond memories" of the Hawkeye State. Following Sunday's debate Lieberman told reporters, "I can still taste the deep fried Twinkie that I had at the Iowa State Fair. It continues to come back regularly, and it's a marvelous experience."

But seriously folks. Lieberman bypassed crucial New Hampshire campaigning time to attend the Des Moines debate because it provided a vital moment in the national spotlight just when potential voters are tuning in to the campaign. Lieberman used the platform to tear into Howard Dean on taxes, terrorism and his sealed Vermont records.

Lieberman used his favorite ammunition, the Governor's own words, against him saying, "Howard Dean, every day you tell people across America they have the power and you're right. You have the power, with one stroke of the pen, to open up your records to public view. You have the power; I'm prepared to give you the pen." Dean didn't take the pen.

Lieberman's attacks on Dean's policies and record will only intensify as the campaign advances. As one campaign source put it, the only way to become the anti-Dean is by talking about him.

But the new Lieberman ad out Monday, like the one before it, only hints at Dean. This time an announcer says it will take more than a campaign of "extreme anger" to "defeat George Bush's extreme agenda." The spot is Lieberman's first advertising foray into the Feb. 3 primary states, where his moderate -- read right in between Bush and Dean -- politics play well. At least that's what the campaign is banking on.

When this reporter asked Lieberman why he hasn't attacked Dean in his ads aggressively as he does on the stump, the Senator replied. "It's not over."

Lieberman offers vision, puts hold on paychecks

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 17 — The ad the campaign released Wednesday is decidedly tame compared to the rhetoric Lieberman himself has been spewing in person for the past nine days, perhaps an attempt to keep the attack dog/nice guy scale balanced. In the ad Lieberman says, "I know how to unite America again — and take us forward, not backward." The comment is a thinly veiled dig at Dean, as opposed to Lieberman's outright lambasting on the trail.

Staff members of the Lieberman campaign have volunteered to take a deferment in pay during the month of January to alleviate financial burdens of the operation. Lieberman spokesman Adam Kovacevich says this is "a cash flow situation." The deferment will affect only "higher paid" staffers in offices nationwide. They will receive their first January paycheck at the end of the month instead of Jan. 15.

The decision to offer a pay deferment was made prior to the Gore endorsement, but the resulting fundraising boost was not enough to prevent the need for the pay deferments. The campaign says there was never any discussion of layoffs.

Lieberman presents "doctored" speech

MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 16 — Lieberman's Tuesday speech was originally billed as an economic address, but following the capture of Saddam Hussein, a foreign policy section was added. It was always, however, intended to be an indictment of Howard Dean. Today's new catch phrase: "Dr. Dean has become Dr. No." Lieberman mentioned Dean by name 21 times in his 20 minute address, citing a laundry list of reasons why Dean would take the party backward.

Judging from the swarm of press assembled for the speech, the line of attack is getting Lieberman the attention he's shooting for. On Wednesday, the campaign unveils another ad, focusing on the choice to take the Democratic Party forward or backwards, another not so subtle reference to the Doctor.

Playing Hardball with Matthews (and Clark and Dean)

CAMBRIDGE, MASS, Dec. 15 — Sen. Lieberman was at Harvard today for an appearance on "Hardball with Chris Matthews," but he was playing a little hardball of his own with Howard Dean and Wesley Clark, blasting them for being soft on defense, a line of attack that has particular significance following Saddam Hussein's capture and the precariousness it has created for the Dems.

On the eve of his own "major policy speech" that will focus on the "clear choice" between himself and Dean, Lieberman went after the doctor for his claim that Hussein's capture has not made America safer. Calling the comment "provocative and profoundly disappointing," Lieberman said if Dean believes that, "he has climbed into his own spider hole of denial."

On a conference call with reporters, Lieberman added Gen. Clark to his assertion that if Howard Dean were president, Saddam Hussein would be in power today and not in prison. Clark's communications strategist Chris Lehane was not amused.

Lehane shot back at Lieberman, saying that if Lieberman had attacked Bush and Cheney in 2000 "the way he attacks fellow Democrats in 2003, George Bush would not be president today and the world would be a better place." The real zinger was Lehane's claim that Lieberman was "buddy-buddy with Bush and Cheney" in the last election and might be "running in the wrong primary."

When ABC News relayed the response to Lieberman Minister of Information Jano Cabrera, he laughed and then said, "We welcome any opportunity any day of the week to compare and contrast Joe Lieberman's Democratic credentials to Wesley Clark's. It is laughable to suggest that Joe Lieberman, who's been a Democrat for 30 years, his entire political life, should be criticized by Wes Clark, who actually raised money and voted for the following Republicans: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Ronald Reagan's re-election and George Bush." Cabrera added that Clark never spoke out against the recount and it is unclear whether he voted for Al Gore. "We will win this fight every time," he said.

Lieberman praises Saddam capture

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 14 — Sen. Lieberman was alerted to Saddam Hussein's capture by a phone call from a staffer at about 6:45 Sunday morning. The senator turned on the television and watched Paul Bremer's press conference before heading off to the NBC studios for a scheduled appearance on "Meet the Press." Lieberman told Tim Russert that his immediate reaction to the news was "Hallelujah, praise the Lord."

Lieberman said he had been "advocating and praying for" the ousting of Hussein for 12 years because Hussein is a "homicidal maniac." While Lieberman asserted that the day was not a time for partisan politics, it was a time to attack Howard Dean. Lieberman has previously criticized Dean for being weak on defense, but following Gore's endorsement, Lieberman used his support for the Iraq war as an example of the "clear choice" between himself and Dean.

Medical Marijuana

MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 11 — Aaron Houston has been looking for months for a clear position from Lieberman on the prosecution of users of medicinal marijuana. Houston, campaign coordinator for Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, has dogged Lieberman at his public events and on call-in radio and television shows in an effort to get the senator on record.

Every time Houston or one of his surrogates, planted in audiences at Lieberman town halls, asked the question, Lieberman gave the same response. Lieberman repeatedly said that D.E.A. raids on sick people using marijuana to relieve pain was something he just didn't know enough about and he was having his staff look into it.

On Dec. 3, Houston issues a release blasting Lieberman for stalling on this issue. Then days later, he issued an ultimatum for all the Democratic candidates. They had to denounce the raids by Jan. 1 or receive a failing grade in GSMM's voter guide.

At the taping of Lieberman's town hall in Manchester today, Linda Macia asked Lieberman about the issue and he was ready with an answer. Lieberman said that while he opposes the legalization of marijuana, he would support the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes by patients for whom other methods of pain relief have not worked provided there is doctor supervision. As for the raids, "cracking down on sick people … would not be a priority" for Lieberman.

Houston, who watched the taping with members of the press in another room, was pleased. "He's really come full circle around back to a dialogue with us," he said and called Lieberman's statement "a start."

Reverse Bossism: Power to the People

MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec.10 — The Lieberman campaign is gearing up for a town hall meeting in Manchester Thursday, which will air Saturday evening on WMUR. Leading up to the event, a new ad is running statewide.

The promo features Lieberman talking straight to camera in a bowling alley and footage from his first New Hampshire town hall in September. With bowling pins crashing behind him, Lieberman says, "For years, New Hampshire primary voters have been knocking down the predictions of the pundits, because you make up your own mind." Get it?

The spot was taped last Thursday, days before news of the Gore endorsement broke, but it is especially timely now. Since Tuesday, Lieberman has been trying to corral Granite Staters by playing up their independent spirits and implying that Gore's endorsement of Dean is an attempt to tell voters what to do.

On Wednesday, Lieberman told restaurant patrons, reporters, and the students of Concord High School that "the New Hampshire primary is not about political endorsements or polls, it's about the people."

Lieberman seemed unruffled by another big -- if not quite as big -- endorsement, that of South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn for Dick Gephardt. "What endorsements mean is that one person has decided to support another person," Lieberman said. "Very few people can really deliver." Lieberman added that while he and Clyburn are friends, "I certainly expected, based on their longtime relationship, that Jim Clyburn would support Dick Gephardt."

Gore-less Joe feels energized

DURHAM, N.H., Dec. 10 — Overnight Sen. Lieberman's mood went from pure shock over Vice President Gore's endorsement of Howard Dean to pure energy. Lieberman told ABC News he was "taciturn" Monday night, but today he was, at least outwardly, upbeat.

When asked how he planned to get even with Gore, Lieberman thought a moment and said, "I'm going to get even by winning the nomination."

Late in the day, reports began to circulate that Vice President Gore actually did attempt to call Senator Lieberman after the news was leaked but never reached the candidate. Following the Durham debate, Lieberman confirmed that "a call was placed from Al Gore's office" Monday evening, but Lieberman was at an event. Regardless of prior attempts, Lieberman maintained that the call was too late.

Expect the Lieberman camp to continue to work the victim/victorious plotline for as long as possible. On a media blitz Tuesday, Lieberman asserted that "No pundits or political endorsements are gonna decide who gets this nomination. It's the people that have the power to do that, and I'm taking my case to them."