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Tuesday, Feb. 03, 2004

He said he believed his "mainstream voice" was the right message for his party, but acknowledged that voters disagreed.

"The judgment of the voters is now clear," Lieberman told supporters at a hotel. "For me, it is now time to make a difficult but realistic decision. I have decided tonight to end my quest for the presidency of the United States of America. Am I disappointed? Naturally. But am I proud of what we stood for in this campaign? You bet I am."

The U.S. senator from Connecticut skipped Iowa, finished fifth in New Hampshire and had no chance of winning any of the seven contests Tuesday night.

Lieberman never was able to overcome a campaign crippled by a slow start, tepid fund-raising and a moderate message aimed at a mostly left-of-center electorate.

"I offered a mainstream voice, and I still believe that is the right choice and the winning choice for our party and our country," Lieberman said. But, "Today, the voters have rendered their verdict, and I accept it."

He said he might not have "shouted the loudest" but that he was proud to take "the toughest positions in support of what I believed was right for our great country."

He said he would support the eventual Democrat nominee.

A crowd of about 150 longtime supporters gathered to hear Lieberman end his presidential bid.

Rep. Calvin Dooley, D-Calif, an early supporter, said he thought the campaign was not able to get any traction because Lieberman was "perceived as being less of a contrast from President Bush than other candidates."

Using his vice presidential bid in 2000 as a springboard, Lieberman's high name recognition pushed him to the front of early national polls last year. But while former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's candidacy caught fire last year and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., surged this year, Lieberman's bid languished near the bottom of the field.

Lieberman had hoped for a strong, third-place finish in New Hampshire to propel him into Tuesday's primaries, but he ended up a distant fifth. The poor finish fueled speculation, even among his closest supporters, that he was about to pull out of the race.

Instead, he forged ahead, hoping to pull out a win in Delaware with strong showings in Arizona and Oklahoma.

He fashioned his campaign after Sen. John McCain, who was able to capture a large independent vote in some of the early 2000 primaries. But that support never solidified for Lieberman, and as uncommitted voters began making up their minds, his support inched up only slightly.

Plagued with problems from the start, Lieberman's first problem was a pledge to not run for president if former running mate Al Gore sought the nomination. The pledge, inspired by his gratitude to Gore for choosing him as running mate in 2000, put Lieberman months behind other candidates who were raising money and hiring top staff.

Supporters said Lieberman's support for the war in Iraq also cost him votes, as did a low-key style that never captured the attention of Democrats hungry for a fighter to take on Bush.

A three-term senator, Lieberman, 62, rocketed to national fame on Aug. 7, 2000, when Gore made history and selected him as his vice presidential running mate.

The dramatic choice made Lieberman the first Orthodox Jew to run on a major ticket, and faith played a key role in many of his speeches throughout the campaign. It also put a national spotlight on his religious practices and his longtime commitment to not campaign on the Jewish Sabbath.

The Democrats' strong showing in Florida was credited to his presence on the ticket, but it wasn't enough to deliver the presidency. Although Gore and Lieberman won the popular vote by about half a million ballots, they conceded the election after a tumultuous 36-day recount in Florida and a Supreme Court ruling that handed Bush the presidency.

Just last month, Gore delivered a major blow to his former running mate's campaign by endorsing Dean. The slight briefly invigorated the campaign, but it was all too much for his stumbling campaign to overcome.

© 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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