Al Gore’s selection of Joe Lieberman to join his presidential ticket meets several political objectives. First, it was calculated – accurately – that the media would pass Lieberman off as a “moderate,” thus obscuring the fact that Gore is a left-wing Sociocrat. Second, it was calculated – accurately – that the media would pass Lieberman off as the “Clinton antidote,” a man of character, thus putting distance between Gore and Clinton. Third, the appointment and subsequent hyping of the “Jewish thing” promotes Gore’s desire to be viewed as “inclusive” while implying that his detractors must be bigots. And last, selecting a Jewish candidate will help HILLARY!‘s campaign.

While objectives two through four are good subjects for debate, the promotion of Lieberman as a “moderate” is all “smoke and mirrors,” requiring scrutiny of the facts to clear the air.

It has been widely suggested that Mr. Lieberman suffers no integrity gap. After all, he has joined conservatives in visible opposition to the media promotion of our “culture of immorality and violence.” And this moral crusader, like fellow Democrat Senator Robert Byrd, waxed quite eloquent during the impeachment hearings about what a louse Bill Clinton was.

“Such behavior is not just inappropriate, it is immoral and it is harmful, for it sends a message of what is acceptable behavior to the larger American family, particularly to our children,” complained Lieberman. “[Clinton] betrayed not only his family but the public’s trust, and undermined his moral authority and public credibility.”

But, as with most of Lieberman’s ostensible breaks with his party ranks, his walk did not follow his talk. Like Byrd, Lieberman voted not to impeach the “immoral” man who, like the media Lieberman so often criticizes, “sends a message” of immorality and dishonor – “particularly to our children.” As with most issues, despite his rhetoric, he never broke with the Clintonistas.

After Gore’s announcement, Clinton himself said of Lieberman, “I think he’s just an extraordinary guy. He’s been a friend of mine for 30 years.” And a loyal friend indeed.

Claremont’s vice president Brian Kennedy notes that, like Clinton, Lieberman is “the quintessential New Democrat. He talks very conservatively, but governs to the left.”

Despite Lieberman’s justifiable characterization of the private media as “cultural polluters,” he remains a big supporter of the taxpayer-funded National Endowment for the Arts. He supports gun control, affirmative action quotas, so-called “hate crime” legislation, United Nations funding and, of course, Al Gore’s galactic Kyoto Protocol.

Taking a cue from Gore, Lieberman has reinvented himself in Gore’s image this week and is now opposed to education vouchers and privatization of Social Security. He opposed the balanced-budget amendment and ending the marriage tax penalty.

An “Orthodox Jew”? Jewish columnist Don Feder notes: “While he may keep kosher and observe the Sabbath scrupulously, in the political realm, Lieberman has the same allegiance to Torah values that Ted Kennedy has to Catholicism.” For example, Lieberman has opposed all measures against abortion (including live-birth abortion), and supports homosexual causes.

For his part, Lieberman says, “Faith has always informed American life – it was in the hearts and minds of those who founded our country 220-plus years ago. … But a centerpiece of America, of course, is the separation of church and state.” In other words, government trumps G-d, and he has signed on to the Clinton/Gore theme that “the New Covenant is between man and government.”

As for his record, the Almanac of American Politics 2000 indicates Lieberman voted with liberals on social issues 74% of the time in 1998. The left-wing Americans for Democratic Action gave him an 80% rating.

In 1988, Lieberman scored a 5 out of 100 in Americans for Tax Reform’s Tax Ratings. On 144 votes, Lieberman supported spending and opposed tax cuts 92% of the time.

In 1999, the National Taxpayers Union gave Lieberman a score of just 8% on votes lowering taxes and limiting government – worse than his liberal colleagues Paul Wellstone, Barbara Boxer, Robert Byrd, and Charles Schumer. NTU president John Berthoud says, “When it comes to taxing and spending policies, Joe Lieberman’s record falls short of the rhetoric surrounding it. [Lieberman is] a card-carrying tax-and-spend liberal.” (Incidentally, as a former Senator, Al Gore still holds the infamous record as the only member of Congress to win the NTU’s worst tax-and-spend rating for two consecutive years.)

In 1999 the American Conservative Union gave Lieberman’s voting record a zero – that’s zilch, nada – putting him to the left of Barbara Boxer, Paul Wellstone and that grandpappy of the left, Ted Kennedy.

When the hype of the moment dissipates, the effect of Gore/Lieberman will likely be to dull Lieberman’s sparkle as a “moderate” rather than polish away Bill Clinton’s stain on Gore.