Joe Liebermans Parting Gift

Published

2 years ago

April 1, 2024

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Say what you will about Joe Lieberman, the self-described Independent Democrat senator from Connecticut and onetime Democratic vice-presidential candidate. He was many thingshonorable, devout, sanctimonious, maddening, and unfailingly warm and decentall of which have been unpacked since his death yesterday, at 82. He elicited strong reactions, often from Democrats, over his various apostasies to liberal orthodoxy.

But what Ill miss and remember most about Lieberman was that the man loved to kibitz. It is something of a lost art, at least the in-person version, which has largely given over to quippy faceless mediums (text messages, Twitter). This has been especially true in politics in recent years, as public figures have rightly become hypercautiousor paranoidabout saying anything that could become an instant viral disaster.

Im thankful that most of my encounters with Lieberman came before social media made politicians so suspicious and scared. I ran into him periodically on various campaign trails and Capitol Hill until he concluded his 24-year run in the Senate, in early 2013. He was a first-rate teller of stories and jokes, which, for an observant Jew, could be jarringly bawdy at times.

A serious policy debate with Lieberman could veer sharply into a one-man Borscht Belt on the Potomac. I remember chatting with him during his final weeks in the Senate, in November 2012. It was a few days before that years election, between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Lieberman, in that infuriating (to Democrats) way of his, had declined to endorse either candidate.

Read: Joe Lieberman weighs the Trump risk

This was no great surprise, given that he had endorsed his close friend, Republican John McCain, against Obama in 2008. Many Democrats had rid themselves of Lieberman, and the feeling was quite mutual. Connecticut Democrats had formalized the divorce in 2006, when they opted for liberal Ned Lamont over their incumbent senator in the primary before Lieberman managed to get reelected as an independent.

Lieberman told me that he had been invited to speak at both Obamas and Romneys conventions that summer. No thanks, he said. I explained that I was taking a sabbatical from elective partisan politics, Lieberman told me in his sonorous, almost prayerful tone. And it might be a sabbatical that will go on for the rest of my life.

That sounded final and a bit somber, but our chat rolled on in surprising and cheerful directionsthe essence of a good kibitz. I had my tape recorder going. He didnt mind. I asked Lieberman if he would still get to use the Senate gym after he departed Congress. He wasnt sure, he said, adding that hed set foot there only once, just after he was elected in 1988.

Lo and behold, there was somebody getting a massage, he told me. Lo and behold, it was the late Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, who, like Lieberman, had been a failed Democratic running mate. Was Bentsen dressed? I asked. Lets say he was covered in part, Lieberman said.

Heres a parting gift, he said to me to conclude our exchange. In my experience with Lieberman, that was usually a sign that he was ready to let loose a bit, sometimes after a few glasses of wine. Sure enough, he was:

Theres an older guy on the park bench, cryingtell me if youve heard this one, Lieberman said. Tell me if youve heard this one. You rarely hear those words anymore, especially from senators.

Finally, a jogger stops, sees the guy sobbing, Lieberman proceeded. Whats wrong? My wife of 48 years died, and I was very lonely. I went on Jdate and met a younger Russian woman. We liked each other. So shes moved in with me, and shes wonderful. Shes attractive, she cooks well, she takes care of me, and almost every night we have fabulous sex. So the jogger says: Well, thats a wonderful story. Why are you crying? The old guy says, Im crying because I cant remember where I live.

Mark Leibovich: A politician who loved being courted

Lieberman left meand his legions of kibitzeeswith an abundance of these parting gifts, which I have been recounting to myself since his death. He loved telling stories punctuated by belly laughs. He, in turn, was the subject of many stories himself, often on the theme of his Judaismand often offered up by McCain, another kibitzer of the highest order.

Funny story about Lieberman, McCain said to me in 2013, when I was writing about him for The New York Times Magazine. He described an event where the Israeli ambassador in Washington had honored Lieberman after he left the Senate. Everyone was saying Joes the most wonderful guy, the usual crap you hear, McCain said. So I got upI was the last guyand I say: Im here to announce that Im converting to Judaism. Because for all these years with Joe, Ive had to eat that crappy salmon. I had to ride the damn Shabbat elevator. Ive observed Shabbat to a point where I couldnt even ride in a goddamn car. Ive had all of the bull associated with this religion, and Ive gotten not a single benefit. So Im converting to Judaism.

Lieberman got up and declared this provision to the room: In order to convert, McCain must first have a bris. As he finished his account, McCain was bent over in laughter, just as he had been when hed told me the exact same story the week before.

Both Lieberman and McCain had an earthy wisdom born of their very different backgrounds: Lieberman was shaped by his deep Jewish faith, McCain by the five and a half years he spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. It allowed them to shrug off nuisances more easily, to cross boundaries (partisan and otherwise), and to see beyond the usual smallness of politics. They were social, rollicking beings who appreciated the fun of cavorting more than most.

Characters like this are missed in politics these days. May their memories be amusing.

Sports

Jeff Kent elected to HOF; Bonds, Clemens still out

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

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Jeff Kent elected to HOF; Bonds, Clemens still out

Bradford DoolittleDec 7, 2025, 09:21 PM ET
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Jeff Kent, who holds the record for home runs by a second baseman, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Kent, 57, was named on 14 of 16 ballots by the contemporary baseball era committee, two more than he needed for induction.

Just as noteworthy as Kent’s selection were the names of those who didn’t garner enough support, which included all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, 354-game winner Roger Clemens, two MVPs from the 1980s, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy, and Gary Sheffield, who slugged 509 career homers.

Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield and Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela were named on fewer than five ballots. According to a new protocol introduced by the Hall of Fame that went into effect with this ballot, players drawing five or fewer votes won’t be eligible the next time their era is considered. They can be nominated again in a subsequent cycle, but if they fall short of five votes again, they will not be eligible for future consideration.

The candidacies of Bonds and Clemens have long been among the most hotly debated among Hall of Fame aficionados because of their association with PEDs. With Sunday’s results, they moved one step closer to what will ostensibly be permanent exclusion from the sport’s highest honor.

If Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield and Valenzuela are nominated when their era comes around in 2031 and fall short of five votes again, it will be their last shot at enshrinement under the current guidelines.

Kent, whose best seasons were with the San Francisco Giants as Bonds’ teammate, continued his longstanding neutral stance on Bonds’ candidacy, declining to offer an opinion on whether or not he believes Bonds should get in.

“Barry was a good teammate of mine,” Kent said. “He was a guy that I motivated and pushed. We knocked heads a little bit. He was a guy that motivated me at times, in frustration, in love, at times both.

“Barry was one of the best players I ever saw play the game, amazing. For me, I’ve always said that. I’ve always avoided the specific answer you’re looking for, because I don’t have one. I don’t. I’m not a voter.”

Kent played 17 seasons in the majors for six different franchises and grew emotional at times as he recollected the different stops in a now-Hall of Fame career that ended in 2008. He remained on the BBWAA ballot for all 10 years of his eligibility after retiring, but topped out at 46.5% in 2023, his last year.

“The time had gone by, and you just leave it alone, and I left it alone,” Kent said. “I loved the game, and everything I gave to the game I left there on the field. This moment today, over the last few days, I was absolutely unprepared. Emotionally unstable.”

A five-time All-Star, Kent was named NL MVP in 2000 as a member of the Giants, who he set a career high with a .334 average while posting 33 homers and 125 RBIs. Kent hit 377 career homers, 351 as a second baseman, a record for the position.

Kent is the 62nd player elected to the Hall who played for the Giants. He also played for Toronto, the New York Mets, Cleveland, Houston and the Dodgers. Now, he’ll play symbolically for baseball’s most exclusive team — those with plaques hanging in Cooperstown, New York.

“I have not walked through the halls of the Hall of Fame,” Kent said. “And that’s going to be overwhelming once I get in there.”

Carlos Delgado was named on nine ballots, the second-highest total among the eight under consideration. Mattingly and Murphy received six votes apiece. All three are eligible to be nominated again when the contemporary era is next considered in 2028.

Next up on the Hall calendar is voting by the BBWAA on this year’s primary Hall of Fame ballot. Those results will be announced on Jan. 20.

Anyone selected through that process will join Kent in being inducted on July 26, 2026, on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown.

Environment

Chinese quality: BYD launches ‘Zero Defects’ as it crosses 113 GWh in Q3

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

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Chinese quality: BYD launches 'Zero Defects' as it crosses 113 GWh in Q3

BYD launches ‘Zero Defects’ initiative as battery production reaches 113 GWh in first three quarters of 2025, report says

This week, BYD crossed a major manufacturing milestone as its battery production crossed 113 GWh in the first three quarters of 2025 – but instead of celebrating, the company is doubling down with a new “Zero Defects” initiative to bring battery quality to an even higher level.

CarNewsChina reports that the new “Zero Defects” plan at BYD was launched internally at the start of Q3, with a focus on minimizing manufacturing defects across all stages of the battery’s life, from the manufacturing line to the end user.

The initiative coincides with BYD’s growing role as a battery supplier to other automakers and its expanding battery energy storage system (BESS) business, which are giving BYD both an international footprint and global benchmarks.

In its ongoing bid to prove itself even further in the global battery market, BYD will reportedly emphasize operational efficiency, error reduction, and standardization across manufacturing, process control, and customer service, with the end goal believed to be, “management practices comparable to those of Toyota.”

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BYD on a charge

BYD-EV-growth — Sealion 7 midsize electric SUV; by BYD.

The Chinese automaker seems to be going from strength to strength in 2025, having overtaken EV sales leader Tesla in China back in June and repeating the trick again by overtaking Tesla sales in Europe in August.

Combine those EV sales with the fact that its domestic traction battery production reached 113.42 GWh in just the first three quarters of the year (with 23.65 GWh, or ~20%, being supplied to outside customers – including Tesla), and you might agree that betting against BYD seems to be a bad idea.

Note that BYD has not released official details regarding performance metrics or milestones for its new Zero Defects goal, but the message is clear: BYD plans to keep getting better.

SOURCE: CarNewsChina; images via BYD.

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Technology

CNBC Daily Open: Everyone’s watching the Netflix deal

Published

3 hours ago

December 8, 2025

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CNBC Daily Open: Everyone's watching the Netflix deal

The Netflix logo is pictured at the company’s offices on Vine in Los Angeles, California on Dec. 5, 2025.

Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images

“Who’s watching?” Netflix asks whenever someone accesses its site. On Friday, it was probably everyone with an interest in business, markets and television.

The key characters that had people hooked were Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, which jointly announced that the streaming giant will acquire the latter’s film studio and streaming service, HBO Max. The equity deal value is pegged at $72 billion.

Netflix investors did not seem too jazzed about the deal, with shares dropping 2.89% on the sheer size of the transaction.

“Look, the math is going to hurt Netflix for a while. There’s no doubt,” Rich Greenfield, co-founder of LightShed Partners, told CNBC. “This is expensive,” he added.

But if one side is paying a lot, that means the other is receiving a bounty. Indeed, investors cheered the potential Warner Bros. Discovery windfall, sending the stock up 6.3% on the news.

It is not a done deal yet, and faces regulatory scrutiny. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be involved in the decision, Reuters reported Monday, after a senior official from the Trump administration told CNBC’s Eamon Javers on Friday that they viewed the deal with “heavy scepticism.”

Despite this initial show of resistance, stranger things have happened in this administration, and the transaction might eventually go through. Should we get ready for Netflix’s next blockbuster: “The K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Song of Ice and Fire”?

What you need to know today

U.S. stocks had a positive Friday. The S&P 500 had its ninth winning session in 10 and rose 0.3% for the week. Europe’s regional Stoxx 600 closed flat. Separately, third-quarter euro zone economic growth was revised upward to 0.3%.

Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and streaming businesses. The total equity value of the deal is $72 billion, announced the two companies Friday. But the transaction could run into regulatory hurdles.

Core inflation in the U.S. cools down. September’s core personal consumption expenditures price index was 2.8% on an annual basis, 0.1 percentage point lower than expectations and August’s figure. Other numbers were in line with expectations.

A Ukraine peace deal is ‘really close.’ That’s according to Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, who reportedly said Saturday that there were two key outstanding issues: the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region and its Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

[PRO] Goldman Sachs unveils its top five global stocks. The picks are from China, Taiwan, India, Germany and the U.K. — and all offer an upside of at least 70%, according to the bank.

And finally…

The Sizewell A and B nuclear power stations, operated by Electricite de France SA (EDF), in Sizewell, UK, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The history of nuclear energy lies on British soil – does its future?

The U.K. once had more nuclear power stations than the U.S., USSR and France combined. It was a global producer until 1970 but hasn’t completed a new reactor since Sizewell B in 1995.

There is ambition to change that. Authorities want a quarter of the U.K.’s power to come from nuclear by 2050. The country is spreading its bets across tried-and-tested large nuclear projects and smaller, next-generation reactors known as small module reactors.

— Tasmin Lockwood