Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said he was “thrilled” by President Barack Obama’s nomination, despite having campaigned for his opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), last year.
“It is amazing to remember that in my lifetime people of color could not vote in large parts of this country. And, now we see an African-American elected to be our president because of his personal character, abilities and the hopes he elicited in American voters,” Lieberman said, according to the Connecticut Post. “It’s quite thrilling and it makes me proud of our country.”
Lieberman had campaign aggressively for McCain, drawing the ire from his Democratic colleagues in the Senate, with whom he has caucused. Those Democrats had threatened to expel Lieberman from the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee until Obama intervened.
“I was deeply moved and inspired by President Obama’s eloquent and stirring address,” Lieberman added after yesterday’s inauguration. “Now is the time to unite as a nation behind our new president’s leadership and address the challenges facing our country at home and abroad.”