A report out today that Joe Lieberman warned John McCain against selecting him to be on the GOP ticket is "totally and absolutely false," according to a Lieberman source who contacted Politico.



Columnist Robert Novak wrote that the prospect of Lieberman on the ticket is real, but that McCain and some his top backers know it would be politically unrealistic.



"And this has been made clear to McCain by none other than Joe Lieberman himself," writes Novak.



Not so, says a Lieberman source, stating categorically that the Connecticut senator has not contacted his Arizona colleague to say any such thing.



As I've reported, Lieberman is very much being considered by McCain. And it's an indication of how much backers of the Democrat-turned-independent want the No. 2 slot that they would push back so hard against Novak's report.



One person familiar with the situation said the Republican cited by Novak as having "prevailed on Lieberman to tell McCain that a McCain-Lieberman ticket would be a disaster for all concerned" was the source for the column and appeared to be "pushing an agenda."

comments closed

permalink