(CNN) - Sen. Joe Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut, is planning to announce Wednesday that he will not seek re-election, according to two knowledgeable Democratic sources.
The move by the former Democratic vice presidential candidate could add even more murkiness to the party's hopes of hanging on to its slim majority in the Senate in the 2012 election, especially coming on the heels of Sen. Kent Conrad's, D-North Dakota, that he will not seek re-election at the end of this term.
North Dakota's other Senate seat fell into Republican hands in the midterm election after Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan announced his retirement. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, Democrat-North Dakota, meanwhile, lost the state's only at-large House seat in November, so Conrad's seat will be in major jeopardy.
While Lieberman is an independent he has aligned himself with the Democratic leadership for organizational purposes, helping to boost the Democratic majority on issues like health reform. But he has also frustrated party leaders on other big issues, leading one Democratic source to say privately that it's a "sigh of relief" for Democrats if Lieberman does step aside because the party would have a chance to elect someone who sides with them more often.
The race for his seat is wide open. Earlier on Tuesday former Connecticut secretary of state Susan Bysiewicz announced that she is planning to get into the 2012 Democratic primary for Lieberman's seat regardless of what the incumbent does. Reps. Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney are also considering Senate bids, while various Republicans are mulling their options.
A Lieberman aide stressed that the Senator made his own decision some time ago and it was not influenced by Bysiewicz's announcement Tuesday or any other maneuvering.
Lieberman, whose poll numbers have dipped mightily in Connecticut, is scheduled to officially announce his decision on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, Conn.
"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," said Lieberman spokeswoman Erika Masonhall.
Lieberman won a fourth term in 2006 as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. After his re-election he still caucused with Democrats in the Senate, helping to boost their majority.
–CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Joe's no dummy. He knows the gig is over. The Democrat Party he was once a part of does not exist anymore. He owes his current seat to all the Republicans that voted for him. Sorry Joe, you have no place left to run. Better to just retire than to pull an Arlen Specter and be humiliated.
You'd think he'd head to a proctologist after sitting on the fence and playing politics on so many issues.
It looks like the new guard is taking over for the fossil-guard. Joe's retirement won't be so bad on the old guy. We all get ready for the scrap heap sooner or later. Just one favor Joe ... take your old buddy John with you ... Please?
He was just an independent that caucused with the demcorats anyways. Independent in name only. He was the one that basically gave the demcorats their super majority.
Oh thanks to the Heavens!!!
Say it ain't so Joe.
I really like Joe didnt agree on everything but he truly wanted to work for the people. Unlike someone in the top spot now. He is a deceiver. Cons dont look like cons remember that.
Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!
Big deal. It's not like a republican has a chance to win his seat. It's a forgone conclusion that seat will remain democrat.
Yeah, Joe–you're a democrat. Claim to be an independent all you like, if you caucus with the dems, you're one of them.
I will miss you Joe, I really wish you would have gotten the Democratic Nomination in 2004.
Bon voyage old boy. Never trusted you anyhow.
Mr. Lieberman: You will be missed.. ... NOT..
I wonder how much he got paid not to run? This man only thinks about what's in it for him.
Lieberman's not yet run as a Tea Party Candidate...surely he's got one more face he could put on, ya think? Or has he completely squandered his credibility by party-hopping and then running as an Independant?
I hate to see Lieberman go. I liked him.
oh no - who will remind mcpampers what he is supposed to say?
Good Riddance! Good Riddance!! Good Riddance!!! Now he know he's got ZERO chance in the coming elections he decides he's not coming back...GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!
Excellent, getting rid of that DINO-hawk PITA is well and l-o-o-o-o-n-g overdue. Let's get a real Dem in there!
Thank god,ct does not want him.i voted against him in every election.what has done for ct.nothing.then threating assange and the times,it called violating our freedom of speech.
Kay Baily Hutchinson from Texas and now Lieberman.... is this possibly related to the shooting in AZ? The costs seem to be higher and higher; first, assassination of Character, and then, actual assassination. I hope this is not the reason.
That means: time to cash out. I can make uh I mean steal more lobbying.
He coulda been a contenda!
He was one of the few non-Republican senators who truly acted like a patriot time after time. I love his support of Israel, his strong stance against Islamic terrorism, and generally his display of old-fashioned common sense. I'll miss him.
Republicans should have no problem keeping Kay Bailey's seat and taking Conrad's. The Lieb's will be tougher but can be done. But we only need to take three. With a Republican vice president to break ties we'll have control of the Senate. Then we have to go about fixing the damage done since early 2009.
He wasn't going to get reelected anyway........
Good. Connecticut will most likely elect another liberal idiot but at least we can blame the right party for the insane spending policies that follow in their wake.
There is a place in Dante's inferno for people like lieberman. I believe its way down on the 8th level, 2nd ring. This spot is for souls who pretend to work for the public good when in actuallity are in it only for themselves.
Gee,I'm just crushed. Goodbye Joe, you won't be missed
Good bye,and you will not be missed.he bailout wall street to help his greenwich losers that work in wall street.voted for iraq war to help war corrupted companies.
One less Israeli Citizen in Senate
Don't let the door hit ya on the way out, Droopy...
Good riddance Joe, when you turned away from the Democratic party you turned away from America.
And this is a breaking news? 300 million Americans are not running in 2012 either.
He's a turn coat anyway..... Lets hope we get a real committed person next time.
The Dems could not trust this man. He campaigned for McCain. He took pleasure in holding the Dems hostage on health care. I for one am glad to see him go.
Thank goodness this traitor to the Dems will not need to be purged and won't bog down the process for a real contender. Now if we can just find someone with integrity and a strong work ethic.
i suppose this is for the best. i've always respected lieberman for being a true independent voice in the senate but ever since he backed Mccain in 2008 and other GOPers in 2010 I have soured on him quite a bit. Now that he is stepping down, Connecitcut can do what it did in 2010, send someone to the senate that will back Obama's plan to get the nation back on its feet again. You did it before, you can do it again. Go Connecticut!
That is too bad. One of very few Democrats that I respected. I don't agree with him on everything, but think he is a good person (unlike Pelosi who is the devil).
HURRAY!!!!!! He got to serve this term in a sleezy way. Good riddance sir.
As a CT resident, all I have to say is: YES! ALRIGHT! HOOWAH! YAY! HURRAY! YIPPEE!
The three-faced, self-serving Senator is history!
GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
Maybe now we can vote for someone who actually knows what they stand for!
thank goodness! this man does NOT know who he is anymore. A blubbering, meandering turncoat who has only looked to benefit himself and his ego.
Delighted Joe is seeing the light.
Here is what is wrong with politics: Joe Lieberman's office told the news outlets that he's retiring. Great news, Joe! I hope you take your fishing as seriously as I do! But why would you incur a few thousand dollars in expenses to rent a hall at The Marriot in order to make an announcement we already heard about? You politicians need to learn frugality, most especially when it's someone elses money you're spending, whether it's the taxpayers or political donors. That's a lesson all of Congress, and the White House, needs to learn.
At least Joe has integrity and tried to bring the parties together. Without him things can only get worse.
WOOHOO! YAY! HURRAY! YIPPEE!
Maybe us CT voters will now get a candidate who actually knows what they stand for!
This was entirely people saying how happy they were about him not seeking reelection. Then they deleted dozens of entries. Thanks CNN!! Good job there!
But if he retires, who will train the next Sith lord...
This is a very great day for all in the state of CT. Thank GOD,I won't hear that voice through the NOSE any more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
don't let the door hit ya, joe..
Have fun with your new job as a lobbyist, Lieberman!
Holy jump'in bobcats, there is a monster slush fund party in the works.
crap....Sorry to see one of the few rational people in the Senate leave. Lieberman always impressed me with his honesty and being willing to swim against the tide in order to do what was right. He did not pander to party politics even when he was a registered Democratic. He voted with his convictions and stood up for the "little guy" I admire him more than any other politician in office to include Obama.
I don't think the election is seeking Lieberman either, so it should be a peaceful split.
Joe Lieberman will run for president.
good – one less Israel-firster in office....
RE: Lieberman not running: Good! He should switch parties as well. Democrat in name only.
Yay! The flip flopper if finally OUT!
Now he can go get a million dollar paycheck to work as a lobbyist for one of those insurance companies he fought for so boldly.
Oh thank God. I hate Lieberman. Always have .. always will. He's a prick Jew who cost Gore the election and as a result, the bigger prick was elected president and drove this country to sh*itville. I hope we never hear from him.
Great news! Now we can get a Democrat in there and never see Droopy Dog again!
I hope his BFF, John McCain, joins him by announcing his retirement.
Hard to believe that Gore chose him as VP for the 2000 election. Good riddance. You once said you favored medicare for all or for people over 50, then you opposed it. Make up your mind already.
Yeah! If only he would have made this decision before the last election cycle there would be a real representative for the largely dem Ct voters
Well, I guess his pocketbooks are so full he cannot latch them so he's out of here.
I'm a Connecticut resident and am saying: "Good Riddance"!
We are losing one of tne few good guys.
As usual, the utterly insipid inside-the-beltway political reporter class strikes again. Mr. Henry's assertion that the race to replace Lieberman is "wide open" is utterly specious. It's just more grist to crank up the controversy mill.
Good riddance and don't let the door hit you on the way out. One less republican in the Senate. The only good thing I have to say about the guy is that he understands that climate change is real – otherwise, I complete republican. I hope New Hampshire can do better than this jerk.
I hope he is planning a run for president. Sad to see him go though, he is one of the few sane voices in the party.
Awe. That's horrible! I was going to actively campaign to make SURE he would not get elected for his sinking of the public option and pushing his insurance lobbyist agenda.
Joltin joe has left and gone away ...paul simon
obama running them all off, they know this man is bringing america to her knees, what a so call pres.
Thank god! I'm glad he was so successful with killing healthcare reform.
Drat! Lieberman is the only Senator I actually liked.
Head war hawk to attack Iraq on knowingly contrived information,recently attempting same bombing attack plans for Iran ,Chief promoter for AIPAC ,we know where thats coming from. Senator probably meant well ,for things which haven't ended well ,at all.
Now, that is one hell of a breaking news!! I am stunned beyond belief!!!
Thank God this useless piece of driftwood is exiting. Hope returns. That is my opinion.
great! we'll finally be rid of him
thank the Lord we will be spared another term of this ego-maniac.
Great. Now he can openly go do what he does best. Lobby for and look after the interests of the Israeli government.
stash all the junk underneath mattress... o.k, we need young blood...not old junk with crooked thinking...like this idiot...nation will never lose any thing nor a dime...o.k...good for the nation...we need to ban all earmarks, senate term limits, and congress term limits....pass and talk...
good riddance, benedict arnold – this idiot actually tried to get sarah palin a heartbeat away from the presidency; that's total lunacy!
Any knowledge on the republicans that might run?
whether republican or democrat, no one likes this kind of turn coat.
The rats are leaving the sinking ship.
Conrad is no loss for the Dems as he's one in name only anyway. Lieberman is no loss for anybody. These two Senators are also directly responsible for the watering down of the Healthcare bill, blocking both the public option and Medicare for 55 or over – they cared more about the insurance industry than about American lives – so good riddance to both!
I dont think he will be missed to much. He lost my support when he said he would vote against the public option.
In other words he knows Connecticut voters will remember that he lied to them about the Iraq war. They are also sick of sponsoring the Senator from Israel, while Connecticut goes down the tubes.
Time for this guy to get a real job.
What about Michael Bloomberg running as an Independent taking Senator Lieberman's place (Connecticut)? We know the Presendential race is out, but Mr. Bloomberg is very interested in continuing his legacy and this might be in his vision. Senator Clinton ran in New York and there is no reason Mr. Bloomberg couldn't run in Connecticut.
We should fire all DEMS & PUBS and have a independent congress that takes all views in consideration for the best of what AMERICA NEEDS. We have too much bickering between the two and then we all lose.
Lieberman is a sellout...total sellout...only cares about 1 thing - himself
anyone in CT need a job?
Best news I have heard today. Purple is such a dire color. Blue and red are not murky.
Maybe he'll run for President of Israel. After all, he's been serving Israel his entire career.
What? Another Democrat (aka In depend ent) out in the upcoming election. Do you think they have realized that the Liberal Progressives have subverted their party to Socialism lite and they can't stomach the thought of such political subterfuge? Or maybe they just don't want anymore of Obama's Chicago style politics....take your pick, they both suck. Don't worry CNN, you guys can spin it till your heads fall off, I know of at least 25 million Americans that will not be voting for this clown.
Joe – I know you're not staying in Washington but must you come to ct?
An independent ct voter and one of your avid supporters when you were a rational man.
So long, Prince of the Turncoats!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! You can't leave soon enough!
He's not running again because he knows he will be defeated. His support of the patriot act and his war on Wikileaks is nothing short of Nazism.
He's too young to resign. This is an exceedingly intelligent and reasonable man. Furthermore I have never seen him be anything but civil. In these times of unreasonable and strident bickering, we need him. It's a loss.
About time now we can play all the video games we want without lip.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out! It will be nice to get rid of that turncoat.
its about time this schmuck steps down.
Farewell to a sad shyster that couldn't even carry Miami back in 2004. The GOP and big business looses a bought and paid for friend. Good riddance!
Good Riddance! May the door hit him hard on his head on his way out.
HURRAY!!! We don't want him or need him to caucus with the Democrats. He's a sell-out game player. Good riddance!
THis is good news.
Oh boy trade in one establishment crook for another who will more effectively rubber stamp the democrats anti-freedom constitution denier agenda. Connecticut like my home state of Illinois will have a rude awakening for blindly continuing on the liberal spending spree to bankruptcy. I'm glad i do not depend on government for anything because they aren't going to be able to continue the handouts much longer. Either prepare or continue to deny America, your choice. Don't come crying to those who did when you are screwed though!
As a Connecticut resident I would just like to say "good riddance" and have a happy retirement
Good Riddance! Another politician on Israel's payroll...
He no longer even cares about Connecticut – so no big loss.
I have to give credit to the Senator, he wasn't just a Democrat puppet or follower. Although I disagree with the liberal policies, he followed his own beliefs and did what he thought was best.
Lieberman leaving will mean the Democrats will get a bigger majority. I don't think it's likely Connecticut goes Republican.
Hooray! Judas won't be missed, the traitor he became. Come on CT, get someone worth while to take his place, especially one not in bed with the lobbyists!!
Good riddance, one less traitor to the Liberal cause to be concerned about.
Good Riddance and dont let the door knob ht ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Joe, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out! The democrats won't miss you, but the Republicans and Israeli's will. If not for you, we might have gotten the public option in the health care bill as well as other things.
I for one would like to see a Democratic Senator from Connecticut.
Liberals happy. I am not. Election for Dodd's seat gave us 2 distasteful characters. The purported candidates for this race even more so. What exactly is so wrong with being a moderate these days and actually standing on principle? Sigh. I, for one, will miss Sen. Lieberman.
Well, duh, Good riddance. I want a politician who takes a stand. Even if you're a centrist, you can't please all the people all the time. At least we know where he stood, well, no we don't! And I never did, really.
This is the BEST news I've heard in a long time. Go home, TURNCOAT!
Good riddance! After his support for the Iraq war, there was no reason for him to be in power.
I am glad he had decided to hang it up. He is and had been part of the problem in DC. All about what can I do for myself vs what is best for the country.
One positive step towards American independance from the Zionist Israelis who have led this country towards destruction..
As a former republican and now a Democrat I could care less about Lieberman who sometimes forget his past service to the Democratic Party to spout out right wing ideas and leave his roots in politics for the fame and publicity he wanted!
Goodbye Joe. Adios, so long and sayonara.
Good riddance to the biggest American turncoat since Benedict Arnold.
Lets have all the "Blue Dogs" and turncoats quit. Better to have less real Democrats than these Taliban sympathisers waiting to vote with the Republicans.
It's time, I wish him well.
Good riddance. You've done enough damage traitor.
So he's just going to have his income as a lobbyist for Health Insurance companies and Big Pharma? Gee, hope he can live on that, he and his wife are only taking what, about 5 million a year from them now.
Every now and then a bit of good news comes along and this is GREAT NEWS. He is a sneaky, lying creep who will not be missed by me and most of the people in America. I hope he goes back under the rock rom which he crawled and the sooner the better. Good fiddance to bad rubbish as my Mother would say.
He might as well retire. He could never get elected from CT again.
Sen. Joe Lieberman led the charge of repression by going to Visa, Paypal, Amazon, and Mastercard, and manipulating how Wikileaks was getting funding. Disgusting. I'm glad he is gone.
Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na
Hey Hey Hey
Good Bye !!!!
Man. I really despise you Joe Lieberman.
Lieberman: for waterboarding, for an illegal war based on lies, against healthcare for all Americans, for kickbacks for your wife, for rightwing Christian nutjobs who only support Isreal so their god can come back and burn all the non-Christians in he'll (yeah that means most of the population of isreal dummy) .....I can go on & on. For everything wrong, against everything right. All with your self-righteous smug smile. Oh how I despise you Joe Lieberman. Go away already.
good riddence to bad rubbish.
No doubt he's already got a much more lucrative job set up lobbying the US government for Israel.
May the Force be with, you Senator Palpatine!
This is a loss for republicans. Lieberman hasn't been a democrat for at least 10 years.
We will NOT miss Lieberman. He was not a democrat.
What a Blessing for America.Now he can go to Israel and collect a ton of money for all the money he took away from American citizens and sent it to his REAL country. I imagine he will qualify for the 33,000 dollars each Israel citizen gets from US aid.One thing for sure he will not join any Israel armed fporces they do not take COWARDs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Senator Lieberman:
Thank you for your service to your country! You have done a terrific job over the years. You have been extremely conscientious and honest!
Yeah! 1 less banking/insurance shill in the Senate. So long, DINO! Good news.
Kent Conrad and Joe Lieberman aren't Democrats anyway. They're conservatives in disguise. The Democratic party is better off without them. Good riddance.
This should have happened in 2006. The man walked away from his party years ago. Good luck, sir.