Fresh off the presidential campaign trail, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman said Thursday he is ready to get back to work and plans to seek re-election to his Senate seat in 2006.
But Lieberman ruled out any role as a vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket, and dismissed the thought of a Cabinet post, if his party wins back the White House.
“I don’t really have an interest in that,” he said, adding that he likes being a senator. “It is a safe assumption that I will run for re-election to the Senate and not do anything else.”
In his first wide-ranging interview since ending his campaign Feb. 3, Lieberman wouldn’t say who he’ll be voting for next Tuesday in the Connecticut primary.
Since both John Kerry and John Edwards are “my colleagues in the Senate and both are my friends,” Lieberman said he would not endorse a candidate until someone has the nomination clearly in hand.
As for his own lackluster showing in the early primaries, Lieberman blamed it on his support for the war in Iraq.
“I took some positions that were controversial, some positions on the war that were certainly controversial,” he said. He added that his more moderate reputation as a “bridge-builder” who can work with Republicans also hurt him.
“I’m not a screamer,” said the soft-spoken Lieberman. “But I took some of the toughest positions of all the candidates in the race.”