Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman will probably be remembered most for being the first Jewish nominee of a major party for vice president.
And though it was as Vice President Al Gore's running mate in 2000 that thrust him into the national spotlight, Lieberman -- who died Wednesday at age 82 -- should be more than just a footnote in political history.
That's because he was a great example of a public servant who wasn't wedded to political dogma. He worked with Republicans as well as he did with fellow Democrats. He listened, he learned. He stood firm when necessary, compromised when it made sense. He was liberal on social issues, but more conservative that his party would have liked when it came to his commitment to fiscal responsibility and national defense.
So much so his support for the war in Iraq cost him the Democratic nomination for re-election to the Senate in 2006. He ran anyway, as an independent, won and served until his retirement in 2012.
He remained politically active after his time in Washington, and in his later years was founding chairman of the No Labels movement.
Upon his retirement, he had some parting words for his fellow senators.
"It is the partisan polarization of our politics which prevents us from making the principled compromises on which progress in a democracy depends, and right now, which prevents us from restoring our fiscal solvency as a nation," Lieberman told the chamber. "We need bipartisan leadership to break the gridlock in Washington that will unleash all the potential that is in the American people."
Too bad they didn't listen.