Al Gore's choice of Senator Joseph Lieberman as his vice-presidential running mate has been hailed as a wise and shrewd selection. He is known by many as "the conscience of the Senate" and was the first Democrat to speak out against President Clinton's conduct with Monica Lewinsky.
Lieberman has been a prominent critic of the entertainment industry, pushing for legislation for the so-called v-chip for television sets that allows parents to block objectionable programming from their children. He has also joined with conservative Bill Bennett to target "gansta rap" music and has also criticized violent video games.
Many have made much of the fact that he is an orthodox Jew. He will likely refrain from campaigning during the Jewish Sabbath which runs from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. In the past, he has occasionally cast votes during the Sabbath but has not been involved in any other political activity.
Although Senator Lieberman votes as a liberal on such issues as abortion, gun control, and tax hikes, he is much more conservative than Al Gore on a number of other issues. For example, he is one of three Democrat senators to vote for school vouchers. He also have voiced his support for parental notification before an abortion. And on issues ranging from Social Security to missile defense to tort reform, his positions are more like George W. Bush than Al Gore.
Lieberman's selection by Al Gore has already tightened the presidential race and has given the Democrat party an opportunity to speak to moral values and family values. His selection may help offset the growing evidence of "Clinton fatigue" among the electorate. Al Gore's choice of Joseph Lieberman will no doubt help him substantially in November.
I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.