Embattled Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele dropped out of the race today after the fourth round of balloting in a hotly contested race.
After three more rounds, Reince Preibus of Wisconsin was eventually elected as the new chairman.
Connecticut's state chairman, Christopher Healy, had considered running but later dropped out.
Democrat Susan Bysiewicz is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by longtime incumbent Joseph Lieberman - almost two years before the 2012 election.
Bysiewicz announced her intentions Tuesday morning in an e-mail that was sent to reporters.
"We need a senator who is 100 percent focused on helping our state, and Senator Joe Lieberman has been focused on everything but Connecticut,'' Bysiewicz said in a statement. "I will only work for the people of Connecticut so we can create jobs that keep our children and grandchildren here in Connecticut for generations to come.''
Bysiewicz, 49, whose term as Secretary of the State ended Jan. 5, was not immediately available to comment Tuesday morning at her Middletown home. Her campaign also could not immediately be reached.
Democrat Susan Bysiewicz jumped into the 2012 U.S. Senate race today, saying she wants to focus on job-creation and efforts to keep young people from leaving Connecticut.
"After careful consideration decided to file my papers today with the Secretary of the Senate,'' Bysiewicz said in a phone interview this morning. "I have spoken to constituents across the state and have been heartened by their encouragement."
Bysiewicz, 49, is the first to enter what surely will be a crowded and contentious campaign for the seat currently occupied by Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has not yet revealed his intentions.
Lieberman, Bysiewicz said, has lost touch with the people of the state. She says he was travelling across the nation in the fall of 2008, campaigning with Republican presidential candidate John McCain coaching his running mate Sarah Palin for debates instead of tending to the needs of Connecticut residents coping with the economic crisis.
Lieberman isn't the only potential opponent for Bysiewicz. Republican Linda McMahon, who lost her Senate bid in 2010 to Richard Blumenthal, has left the door open for another run. U.S. Reps. Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney, both Democrats, have also expressed interest in running.
"My interest in running for Senate in 2012 is well known in the state, and I expect to announce my decision very soon. All I can say now is that this is going to be a pretty busy few weeks," Murphy said via email.
Republicans, for whom Bysiewicz has long been a favorite target, could scarcely contain their glee. They have always cast her as an ambitious climber and continued on that theme today.
"After being declared unqualified to serve as Attorney General by the State Supreme Court and a disastrous display of incompetence as Secretary of the State on Election Day 2010, private attorney Bysiewicz has decided the U.S. Senate will be the next stop on her political fantasy tour," state Republican chairman Chris Healy said in a sharply worded press release.
"In 2010. Susan Bysiewicz showed Connecticut voters it's all about Susan...Voters will...see this for what it is - another career politico in search of greater glory."
Susan Bysiewicz' Senate candidacy is only a few hours old but she wasted no time in laying out the themes she intends to strike over the next 22 months.
Among them: Ending U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, helping small businesses, reducing electricity costs, ending our dependence on oil from the Middle East and, above all, creating jobs and helping young people remain in the state.
"I am running because I have three teenagers...and I am extremely concerned that our state leads the nation in young people leaving,'' she said during a phone interview this morning.
Lieberman to Announce 2012 Decision in Stamford
STAMFORD, CT - U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will announce his plans for 2012 at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut.
WHO: U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
WHAT: 2012 Decision Announcement
WHEN: Wednesday, January 19, 2011
12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Stamford Marriott - Salon F
243 Tresser Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901
Amid growing speculation that he will not seek re-election in 2012, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's office said Tuesday afternoon that the Democrat-turned-independent will announce his intentions in Stamford Wednesday.
"You can bet the farm" that Lieberman won't seek a fifth term in 2012, said a Democratic insider who is close to the 22-year Senate veteran. But neither Lieberman nor his Senate office would confirm that.
"U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will announce his plans for 2012 at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut.at 12:30 p.m.," went the cryptic e-mail advisory sent to the media by his Senate office at 1:35 p.m.
Lieberman's Senate press secretary, Erika Masonhall, wouldn't elaborate Tuesday on the upcoming announcement except to say: "After many thoughtful conversations with family and friends over the last several months, Senator Lieberman made a decision about his future over the holidays which he plans to announce on Wednesday."
The advisory that Lieberman will reveal his plans came on the same day as former secretary of the state Susan Bysiewicz's sudden announcement that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for Lieberman's seat.
The timing of Bysiewicz's Tuesday statement was the only surprise about it; she has been eyeing the nomination for the Senate seat for some time, but had said only last Friday that she wasn't planning anything right away with regard to running for the seat in 2012. "I don't have any immediate plans to do anything," she told a reporter for CTMirror.org last Friday.
She isn't the only Democrat interested in the nomination; many in that party expect U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, to seek the seat. Murphy won re-election last November.
The blogosphere is abuzz about the future of Joementum. Kevin Rennie and Pat Scully were both quick to report that Lieberman will call it quits tomorrow.
The senator's office isn't commenting but here's something that may be significant: The announcement of tomorrow's presser came from the official government email account of Lieberman press aide Erika Masonhall, not from a personal or campaign account. Rules bar staffers from using .gov accounts for political activities and most staffers are pretty careful not to use their work email or phones for campaign-related business. A Senator's reelection plans could violate those rules...but an announcement of his upcoming retirement would not.
h/t Matt Kauffman
Former Gov. John G. Rowland says that Democrat Susan Bysiewicz obviously heard that U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman will announce Wednesday that he will not seek re-election and "so she jumped in today.''
Rowland says there is no other explanation because the announcement by Bysiewicz had no bells, whistles, balloons or supporters. Instead, she announced by an e-mail that was sent to reporters on Tuesday morning.
That is sharply different from Bysiewicz's announcement last January when she ran for Connecticut attorney general. With her children and husband surrounding her, Bysiewicz stood in the town hall of Middletown - her hometown - and announced her candidacy.
That did not happen this time.
"Nobody announces by e-mail,'' Rowland said Tuesday on his afternoon radio show on WTIC-AM. "You don't do an e-mail announcement for a major U.S. Senate race ... in the middle of a snowstorm.''
Many schools were closed Tuesday as a mixture of snow, sleet, and rain poured down upon Connecticut - prompting many families to be more focused on the weather than on politics.
Bysiewicz, though, appeared on the major network affiliate newscasts Tuesday in Connecticut. Wearing her trademark red suit, she appeared in interviews on Channels 3, 8, and 30 in the heavily watched newscasts at 6 p.m.
Ned Lamont, the man who almost toppled Joe Lieberman in 2006, says unequivocally that he is not running for Senate in 2012.
The Greenwich businessman says he was a bit surprised by news that Lieberman won't be seeking reelection. "I usually figure with these senators it becomes a bit of lifestyle, but to the [Lieberman's] credit, he seems to think now is his time,'' Lamont said in a brief phone interview this afternoon.
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman has decided not to seek a fifth term in 2012, after seeing his popularity drop in polls in recent years, political insiders and a Lieberman aide said Tuesday -- and those sources say that the Democrat-turned-independent will make it official at a press conference Wednesday in Stamford.
Lieberman's Senate press secretary, Erika Masonhall, would not say Tuesday what Lieberman's decision will be, issuing a statement saying only: "After many thoughtful conversations with family and friends over the last several months, Sen. Lieberman made a decision about his future over the holidays, which he plans to announce on Wednesday."
However, "you can bet the farm" that Lieberman won't run again, said a Democratic insider who is close to the 22-year Senate veteran.
And Tuesday night, a Lieberman aide who talked on condition of anonymity confirmed that "the senator will announce tomorrow that he will not seek re-election in 2012.
The aide added: "He recognizes that it would be a tough fight...[but so has] nearly every election he's had...[and] he is fully confident he could have won re-election. He will quote Ecclesiastes - the passage 'To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven.' So, after what will be 24 years in the Senate, and 40 years in public life, he believes that it is time for a new season and new purpose under Heaven for him."
"He plans to spend the next two years focused on his work in the Senate. This decision frees him to be an honest broker between Democrats and Republicans, and to continue to do what he always does, which is to be a bipartisan bridge builder, and work across party lines, to put principle before partisanship," the aide said. "He has a long record of getting things done for Connecticut and the country, and he is looking forward to having the freedom to do that in the next two years."
Those comments went well beyond a cryptic e-mail sent to the media by Lieberman's Senate office at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday. The e-mail said that Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, "will announce his plans for 2012 at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut."
Senator Joseph Lieberman made up his mind not to seek reelection around Thanksgiving but delayed a public announcement for a number of reason, according to an aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Lieberman wanted to wait until Congress had repealed the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy regarding gays and lesbians serving in the military. That vote occurred right before the holiday break; then came the swearing in of new members. This week, with the Senate still on break, Lieberman felt the time was right. (And so apparently, did Kent Conrad of North Dakota.)
Lieberman and his staff spent much of the day calling supporters and longtime friends. He also intended to reach out to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama.
As he weighed his political future, Lieberman came to the conclusion that he faced a tough fight but a winnable one, his aide said. "He's faced tough fights in the past and he's never shied away from them,'' the aide said. "He's fully confident he would have won reelection had he sought it."
Joseph I. Lieberman is retiring from the U.S. Senate when his term ends in 2012.
"This was not an easy decision for me to make because I have loved serving in the Senate and I feel good about what i have accomplished,'' Lieberman said in this morning at a 20 minute press conference at the Stamford Marriott. "But I know it is the right decision and I must say I am excited about beginning a new chapter of life.with new opportunities."
Lieberman, once a popular Democrat who was the party's vice presidential nominee just a decade ago, alluded to his political troubles in his speech. His enthusiasm for the Iraq war turned off many Democrats and he lost the party's support in 2006. He ran for reelection anyway, an an independent, and won. He further inflamed members of his former party by campaigning for his good friend, Sen. John McCain, during the 2008 presidential race.
"I know that some people have said that if I ran for reelection, it would be a difficult campaign,'' Lieberman said. "But what else is new? It probably would be. I have run many difficult campaigns before.
"I've never shied away from a good fight and I never will,'' he added.
The Marriott ballroom was filled with local and national media and a scattering of Lieberman supporters. Banks of television cameras lined the back of the room, a testament to Lieberman's status as a national political figure.
Moments after Joe Lieberman delivered his retirement announcement at a Stamford hotel, his supporters were weighing in on the speech.
Lieberman seems at ease with his decision to retire from the U.S. Senate, said Roy Occhiogrosso, a senior aide to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Occhiogrosso, who has deep ties to Lieberman and stayed by his side during the contentious 2006 reelection campaign, called Lieberman's speech reflective and said it hit all the right notes.
"They say being a senator is the best job in politics,'' Occhiogrosso said, but Lieberman seems "comfortable with his decision." Politics, he added, has changed a great deal since Lieberman first ran for Senate in 1988.
Occhiogrosso, like many of the other supporters and friends who came to hear is speech, were contacted by longtime Lieberman adviser Sherry Brown yesterday.
Andrew McDonald, a former state senator from Stamford who now serves as Malloy's legal counsel, noted Lieberman's deep roots in Stamford. McDonald, who is 44, wasn't even in kindergarten when Lieberman's political career began.
"He made the right choice for him and there's no doubt that he's very comfortable with his decision,'' McDonald said after the speech.
Lieberman touched on what he considers the highlights of his Senate career but McDonald said the full extent of his legacy remains unwritten.
"Legacies are measured over a lifetime,'' McDonald said. "His legacy is not complete."
"These acts of courage and resolve almost cost Sen. Lieberman his political career in 2006 when radical liberals ousted him as the candidate of the Democrat Party, which once supported the foreign policies of both Republican and Democrat administrations,'' Healy said.
Healy acknowledged that Lieberman is a "proud liberal," whose views on many key matters are sharply opposed to those held by Healy. "But you always knew where Sen. Lieberman stood and he tried to be bipartisan in the process,'' Healy said. "We salute Sen. Lieberman for his service and wish him and his family good wishes for whatever the future may hold for them."
Consumer activist Ralph Nader, who has tangled publicly with both Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman, is quite pleased that Lieberman will be leaving the U.S. Senate after 24 years.
Democrats praised Lieberman throughout the day on Wednesday, but Nader did not join in on the accolades.
"He couldn't leave the Senate fast enough as far as I'm concerned,'' Nader said in a telephone interview with Capitol Watch from his office in Washington, D.C. "He's not only driving Democrats nuts down here, but he's become a right-wing extremist on everything except the environment and gay rights.''
Despite Lieberman's career as a national figure and a major player in Connecticut politics for three decades, Nader said that his decision to retire from the Senate is not the end of an era.
"It's the end of a nightmare,'' Nader said.
Nader, who maintains his voting registration in Connecticut, has followed Lieberman since his days at Yale Law School in New Haven.
"He was working on a biography of John Bailey,'' Nader recalled.
As Lieberman will be leaving the stage when his term expires in two years, Nader is now pushing a longtime friend to run for the open seat.
"I've got a favorite in the race: Bill Curry,'' Nader said. "He was six months too early on Rowland when he ran against him'' in 2002.
"He's got enormously good insight,'' Nader said of Curry. "He's a strong political talent. He's enormously knowledgeable on a lot of subjects.''
Concerning the expected candidacy of U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy of Cheshire, Nader said, "He's not seasoned enough. Bill has been through it all.''
President Barack Obama released the following statement on Sen. Joe Lieberman's announcement that he will not seek re-election to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.
"I want to congratulate Senator Joe Lieberman on an extraordinary career in public service. Joe has spent four decades fighting for what he believes in on behalf of the people of Connecticut. From cracking down on polluters and deadbeat dads as Connecticut's Attorney General to his years of work defending our nation's security on the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees to his relentless efforts in recent months to repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell", his work has touched countless lives in his home state and across the country. Even if we don't always see eye to eye, I always know Joe is coming from a place of principle. I know he will carry with him that integrity and dedication to his remaining work in the Senate and to whatever he chooses to do next."
--Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra
"It's amazing how quickly he's moved into the realm of irrelevancy. Yeah, he'll be a thorn on the side of Senate Dems for the next year and a half, and yes, he'll be obnoxious on Fox News after his term is up. But I just don't care anymore."
--Markos Moulitsas, the Daily Kos
"Senator Lieberman's career in public service is one for this history books. As a state legislator, Attorney General, and U.S. Senator, Joe has done so much for our state. While there have been times that I and other Democrats have disagreed with Senator Lieberman, I know that he followed his heart in everything he did. I congratulate him on his retirement from public service."
--U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy
"His 40-year body of work is replete with Democratic successes, the most recent of which was his leadership on the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell." As Democratic Party Chairwoman, I wish him the best in his future endeavors, and as a lifelong Democratic activist, I thank him for all that he has done for our state and our country."
--State Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo
"Sen. Lieberman was a proud liberal and he supported many policies that Republicans strongly oppose - cap and trade, Obamacare and tax policy. But you always knew where Sen. Lieberman stood and he tried to be bipartisan in the process."
--State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy
"This is a great loss for the state and the nation, not only in service and experience, but in terms of tone, temperament and humor. Senator Lieberman has always kept the best interests of Americans in his mind and in his heart. Coming on the heels of the retirement of Senator Chris Dodd, today's announcement will leave a huge experience gap in both Connecticut and the U.S. Senate."
--U.S. Rep. John Larson
"Joe Lieberman took millions from insurance companies, Wall Street banks, and other corporate interests - and then did their dirty work in Congress, including killing the public option. As a result, Lieberman's poll numbers were disastrous in Connecticut. His decision to quit in the face of assured defeat is a huge victory for the progressive movement and all Americans who want Democrats to put regular families ahead of corporate interests."
--Keauna Gregory, Progressive Change Campaign Committee
"I wish Senator Joe Lieberman and his family all the best. Although we disagreed on certain issues, I have deep respect for his decades of public service."
--Former Secretary of the State and candidate for U.S. Senate Susan Bysiewicz
"Of all the horrible things Joe Lieberman has done in his hideous career, depriving everyone of the joy at seeing him lose is near the top"
--Glenn Greenwald of Salon (via Twitter)
"When you've worked in politics for as long as Joe and I have, you very rarely come across the kind of person who is never afraid to tell you where he stands - no matter the polling or the popularity of the issue at hand. I have never had to wonder where Joe stands or in what he believes. His body of work across his time in public service is to be commended, and in his retirement, Connecticut is losing an effective voice on its behalf."
--Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
"For 22 years, Joe Lieberman has been an independent voice for the people of Connecticut and has served in the Senate with distinction. Democrats will win this seat next November. Connecticut is one of the few states in the country that withstood fierce Republican headwinds last cycle. With President Obama at the top of the ticket and a galvanized Democratic electorate, this seat will stay Democratic in 2012."
--Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray
