Joe Liebermans Parting Gift

Published

1 year 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.

World

Israel and Syria agree to ceasefire, says US ambassador to Turkey

Published

2 hours ago

July 19, 2025

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Israel and Syria agree to ceasefire, says US ambassador to Turkey

Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire, the US ambassador to Turkey has said.

Several hundred people have reportedly been killed this week in the south of Syria in violence involving local fighters, government authorities and Bedouin tribes.

As the violence escalated in the southern province of Sweida, Israel launched airstrikes, including attacks on Wednesday on the defence ministry in Damascus and a target near the presidential palace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said it aimed to protect Syrian Druze – part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel.

In a post on X, the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, said Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkey, Jordan and others.

“We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity,” Mr Barrack said in a post on X.

The Israeli embassy in Washington and Syrian Consulate in Canada did not immediately comment or respond to requests for comment from the Reuters news agency.

The ceasefire announcement came after the US worked to put an end to the conflict, with secretary of state Marco Rubio saying on Wednesday that steps had been agreed to end a “troubling and horrifying situation”.

After Israel warned it would destroy forces attacking Syrian Druze, Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa told the minority group in a televised statement on Thursday that “we reject any attempt to drag you into hands of an external party”.

He then claimed Israel has “consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime”.

It comes after the United Nations’ migration agency said earlier on Friday that nearly 80,000 people had been displaced in the region since violence broke out on Sunday.

It also said that essential services, including water and electricity, had collapsed in Sweida, telecommunications systems were widely disrupted, and health facilities in Sweida and Daraa were under severe strain.

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US

Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for $10bn after Epstein letter report

Published

2 hours ago

July 19, 2025

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Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for bn after Epstein letter report

Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, two Wall Street Journal reporters and the publication’s owner, News Corp.

The US president has accused the named individuals of defamation, claiming they acted with malicious intent and caused him overwhelming financial and reputational harm.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Miami, seeks at least $10bn (£7.5bn) in damages.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump called the lawsuit “historic legal action” which was filed on behalf of himself and all Americans who he said will “no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media”.

“I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case,” he wrote.

It comes after Mr Trump claimed that a letter he allegedly wrote to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was “fake” and said he would sue the “ass off” Rupert Murdoch, who owns the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which first published the story.

The publication had said Mr Trump wrote the letter as part of a collection Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, planned to give him as a 50th birthday present in 2003.

It claimed the message, allegedly from Mr Trump, featured several lines of typewritten text, concluding with: “May every day be another wonderful secret.”

The text was framed by what appeared to be a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, the WSJ claimed. The letter is also said to have featured the signature “Donald”.

Mr Trump immediately denied writing the letter when the WSJ report was published on Thursday night.

“The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.”

Mr Trump ignored questions about Epstein as he signed a cryptocurrency bill at the White House earlier on Friday.

The president’s lawsuit comes as the US government filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein, who took his own life while awaiting trial in 2019.

In a Manhattan federal court filing, the Department of Justice said the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell are a matter of public interest, justifying the release of associated grand jury transcripts.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Trump said attorney general Pam Bondi had been asked to release the transcripts because of “the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein”.

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The justice department previously said it had around 200 documents relating to Epstein and that the FBI had thousands more.

It is unknown how much of this is grand jury testimony, which is typically kept secret under US law.

The president has faced increased scrutiny over his alleged friendship with Epstein since his administration’s U-turn on the so-called ‘Epstein files’.

Mr Trump pledged to release files on Epstein during his presidential campaign, as his MAGA movement accused the Biden administration of suppressing the extent of Epstein’s paedophilia, predatory behaviour and his so-called “client list” – thought to contain names of the rich and famous who conspired with him in his child sex trafficking operation.

But after a review of the evidence the US government has, the Justice Department recently determined that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted”.

Venezuela releases jailed Americans in prisoner swap

The Trump administration said on Friday that it had negotiated an exchange with Venezuela, resulting in the release of 10 jailed Americans.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the prisoners, who had been held in the South American country, were “on their way to freedom”.

In return, 252 Venezuelan migrants being held in El Salvador have been freed, the Venezuelan government said.

They had been held in the notorious maximum security CECOT prison after being deported by the US.

Sports

NASCAR nixes ’26 Chicago race, eyes ’27 return

Published

3 hours ago

July 18, 2025

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NASCAR nixes '26 Chicago race, eyes '27 return

Associated Press

Jul 18, 2025, 06:30 PM ET

CHICAGO — NASCAR is pressing pause on its Chicago Street Race, answering at least one major question about its schedule for next season.

NASCAR raced on a street course in downtown Chicago on the first weekend in July each of the last three years. But it had a three-year contract with the city, leaving the future of the event in question.

Writing to Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday, race president Julie Giese said the plan is to explore the potential of a new event weekend with his office and other community leaders while also working on a more efficient course build and breakdown.

“Our goal is for the Chicago Street Race to return in 2027 with an event that further enhances the experience for residents and visitors alike, as we work together towards a new potential date, shorter build schedule, and additional tourism draws,” Giese wrote in her letter to Johnson.

Giese said NASCAR is keeping its Chicago Street Race office and plans to continue its community partnerships.

“We deeply value our relationship with the City of Chicago and remain steadfast in our commitment to being a good neighbor and partner,” she said in the letter.

NASCAR is replacing its Chicago stop with a street race in San Diego.

A message was left Friday seeking comment from Johnson’s office.

NASCAR’s Chicago weekend featured Xfinity and Cup Series races on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course against the backdrop of Lake Michigan and Grant Park – to go along with a festival-like atmosphere with music and entertainment options.

The goal was an event that appealed to both a new audience in one of NASCAR’s most important regions and the most ardent racing fans. NASCAR used to race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, a 45-mile drive from downtown, but it pulled out after the 2019 season.

Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, was in charge when the three-year contract for the downtown weekend was finalized.

It wasn’t exactly a popular move in Chicago. Local businesses and residents were frustrated by the street closures in a heavily trafficked area for tourists in the summer. But organizers shrunk the construction schedule from 43 days in 2023 to 25 this year, winning over some of the race’s critics.

Drivers and their teams had some concerns about the course ahead of the first weekend. But the setup was widely praised by the time the third year rolled around – both the course and the ability to walk to the circuit from their downtown hotel.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson called Chicago “probably my favorite event in NASCAR each year.”

The racing in downtown Chicago has been dominated by Shane van Gisbergen, who won the Xfinity and Cup races this year from the pole. He also won in Chicago in his Cup debut in 2023 and last year’s Xfinity Series race.

“I love the track,” he said after this year’s Cup win. “It’s a cool place to come to. You feel a nice vibe. You feel a good vibe in the mornings walking to the track with the fans. It’s pretty unique like that.”