joe lieberman connectic brand-new book. senator lieberman will come to the "washington journal." >> guest: thank you. it's good to be with you. >> host: by my count this is your ninth is the title of the government work and can make itt you write the book and why now? >> guest: so thanks for asking and thanks for having me on. this is a book i've been thinking about for a long

e extra time to write the book and the main point is that like most othated the by federal government congress and t president and i get disappointed or angry and maybe i have something i can do to help little bit which is to talk about the way in which the things that i filled us my 24 years as a u.s. senator and happen from the center out. they cover w the book is a wide range of policy areas protection budgets balance in national and homeland security rights and we got good things done because people from both parties came to the center.pin the book that being a centrist is not the same thing as being a moderate. conservative republicans. the more -- main point is he willing to c the center

and settle for and not just in my 24 years in the u.s. senate but all the way back t t going to say you ground your book and deduction in the founding fathers and what was that about theing john adams in particular that you you country was meant to>> adams and president washington were all very worried that, theyd that point political parties would begin to not unite the peohing done but to divide people and elected officials would hav a greater loyalty to their party and to countryen what we are seeing in washington today. they had enormous -- between the populationshey wanted congress toflective o they havela the smaller te proud of the state of

connecticut representatives and delegates at the constitutional convenha compromise between the house and the senate. an equal number of senators are from all states. this is the best example of how a enabled the creation of the country and was much more difficult particularly out the issue of and i can talk about that more if you >> remembering about they it seems like yo has been one insertion of not comfortable place but th it pl >> guest: well it is true both fo of american government which is part of what got me interested as a young man and got me interested goingitlst

whichtehere the politics w number of voters were independ effects. the state legislature in the 1970s into saw pretty quickly tha party linesh republican trusted eache e compromised and i write about that. f. kennedy mike catalyzing as he was for so manyy to b w demanding and i went straight of members of the party about whether we should defund the american military in iraq in 2003ul really but i had the right under state law to run as an independent and iran asas

independent. that was the one i most satisfying of my draemoc i still work within it because i think america needs great that reflect the widest arrayygness to negotiate with one and trying to do the upperltin your book "the centrist solution" you write the problem now is senator the party and have no viable third party option in the generalchging that poli for american politics in the years ahead. >> e,as changed over time and people ask sure people we get here and how did the parties become so divided in washington and so dysfunctional and unproductive and weback to a differences of opinion and some of them( go back to that wheit came to the

put the count first.

afraid that it ideological forhey can make money. but that discourse about politics inof our countryelected officialse cable news networks and social media;? exacerbated that whetoric. and social media platforms. soso here we are and how we around. part of it iseadershi get something and president reagan and president clinton who i for the built a power put some out forget about it and don't use it as a who say afheir elected representatives to work across party linesú compromise and get something don for the country.ng i've been working throughsupport of republican independent and people that will come to the center and work together.

they have the support in the house a senate andtw e 10-10 and these are that vote for the bipartisan infrastructure reform bill9 votess t mcco progressive prs. worked very hard to break that gridlockot only be good for the country and the economy but it would prove to all of us that congress is still s party lines to get things done. >> host: we are opening up their phone lines that viewers. joe lieberman is this morning and we welcome your calls and comments at blicans in (202)748-8000 for democrats and iependents and others 027-48-8002. you are to you about a report in the intercept in the headline to dark

reconcon they said t label is able able to delink the bipartisan infrasture bill a way dinar -- larger reconstruction package that includes the bulk of thege biden agenda with the possibility of killing the bill sent by the what's your understanding of th >> iowa haven't seen that no but there's no question we supportrm is bipartisan and it was written supported good policy health and politically as well. some people who view the reconciliation package in e p created and ihi it's primarily focusing on the strategy o a process.

oes it seem that sometimes the foc compromise and infrastructure bill focuses onon these two senators and it often focuses on just a couple of members on the democratic side but certainly the republican side when compromised discussion is not more apparently another parts of the body. other people aren't seemingly es down to numbers.>n it takes for people to move the when i first came into the 1989 i got to know the senator from louisiana who is a centristnd one day you everybody sou need 60 votes for the filibuster it takes two, u.n. made joe. and that's because every

counts. j manchin the leading centrist found him to always be willing to do exactly what i'm saying to sit down with people hope we negotiate compromise. i think that'sis and pushing. within the democra versione that's why we are focusn other bill.d i was supportive of $1.2 billion centrist infrastruc bill and that done is a major accomplishment. i myself that i have any particular position on the reconciliation bill asli the chairman. owhatever passes would be the result of a negotiation affordability but that's up to the members of to say i wish there were sometable negotiating that bill.

>> will get to cal moment that a ly urant the famous headline senator joe lieberman made hiorrty. any regrets on how one when you left the party >> again i ran into thi all and so i was lucky enough to run and i got supet reele friend in t little bit like my appendix and staring at it's my b not doing much e not but i think the country needs policy parties thato wil each t things done. wayat i thought were best for me and my stating cou and for my conscience

and my time isn't one on the senate became more and more partisan.arty to the left and i was right quite things. the party at that point was not going to ended up challenging in that primary. iowa is a great friendships withll the senate. we know each other even though we disagree. >> we will go to calls.n[ and "the centrist solution" how we made government work and can make it work again.this isil bernie and her democratic line. go ahead. >> caller: good morning bill and good morning senator. a few weeks ago i believed was john anchored on the show talking party based around having the best of the ng them together make this new party in d.c. that getting any in the joe lieberman ticket i supported.

an honor. d maybe not surprisingly i him. i give them a credi fcreating a new party and exactly what i and a lot of other democrats andlo republicans and not as many in the old days tried to political party that you have an obligation to do what's right if your rty d'telieve it's good for the country or your constituents and you have a responsibilityt voter is changing and the average on issue they said i'm a democrat or i'm a republican. i think constructive. here's that is realism i gue there'ss not much of a track record of succe elect people. the th was created

in america natio that was successful was the in 1856 and 1860 they elected lincoln so we are a two-party country and incidentally the two parties are the constitution or in the law. they use the law to tryí1g-o one harvard economist called theirlly of the hasn't happened when they are then effective third-party movements and the most recent was ross 1992. it had little effect on trade policy but it had a byíñá the budget and bill adopted it the vote which is significant and bill clinton need gingrich balanced the budget. i think only good can of what andrew yang is doing and i wish him history says it's going to be hard. can he affected to partyndidate dead

is nominated yeah you can in a constructive ways i wish him well. let's go on their public inray for joe lieberman. >> caller: mr. lieberman i been disappointed with caving in. and why isn't biden act didds rick. know i know -- i've known joe biden forever and we were mutual friends long before he came to the senate and we served together for 23he's a wonderful person and honorable and always worked across party lines. theconservative like orrin hatch and strom thurmond.s, he worked productively with botht were that's a big part of r president last year. he was difrent

and he was different and they liked some the things he did but they were upset by their and they said he will work across party lines so let's elect until the last few days frankly when we see them trying to negotiate a compromise this wonderful new programs down to some affordable amount negotiating to not the centerleft democrats but to the left of democrats. it's had an influence is and just the johnson and as a republican cross party lines it's time for the president to pull democrats together for the sake of the country but also for the sake of the party and i hope

that's what we will see and if notwh i fear democrats suffer next year in the congressional election and probably in the presidential e line next. i will get to you next. in medford oregon, you are next up. go ahead. go ahead jim. >> good morning. joe year centrist ideas have not exact the poor. i think are around the world today. your opinion during situation where you think that the left needs to move to the center it should be the other wayú] you think that people should move to the left. your policies have done nothings than to haveveyou have allowed ronald reagan's

policies to destroy the continue. i think you are one of the reasons that happened because you were go and talk to ronald re as if he was a good individual or he was proven to be a liar and a cheat and against the united states. to happen. >> host: we we'll hear from senator lieberman. >> with all as a matter fact i didn't come in l george bush 41 was president and if you look at mylw record if you are talking about me i had a very pro worker record overnd before that in connectydicut government. here's the thing that i'm saying. e tohe

center to ne will happen. and saying things are terrible and we have to fix themand dissenters say oh that's not going to work and they come to the center andch civilly and have a good conversation and try to getat something done in which they both move you know the old saying it takes two to tango the risk >> host: on the democratic side senator would it appears that the progressive ucus who represent the progressive point of view have a much larger share of that view certainly in the house of representatives than they did in past? to share the larger share the moderates are theay old blue dog democrats? >> guest: well i think

generally it's liberal but that's being written and it's the most difficd a centrist compromise is driv by the left hash the $2.5 trillionn bill and the human infrastructure and now they are talking about 2 trillion. basically most us know only about the tag and these bills in their original form distinc pre and medicaid hri disabilities act and put a them all in one bill and say hey let's pass it. that's not good process question but caller i plead not guilty democrats like bill clinton who i worked very closely with who is

centrist during his eight years as president heed 22 milli by lower o people. so bill john of line a rising tide lifts all boats. let's go back or democrats lineork you're on with lieberman. >> caller: good mngr. from new york a democrat and a candidate for u.s senate.ly believe we need thosells to bring relief to the people especia people. when weth talk believe this country six extremely -- lackis in washington. lot gets donú# regarding say get backe politics because it's affected our people in

they do so much for the corporations auch has what would be think be something that may reduce the corruption because members of and they get entrenchedn politics. f i lieberman. term limits and how to get money out of politics?: i will respond to both. term limits is something sometime just be honest enough to been in on something is change. when i first came to the senate that the not makel limits. and the voters get the opportunityt's the way terms are limited. as time went on i beganan to feel mostumbents don't run again but most incumbents who run again get reelected and it needs to up eight cousins

and so unproductive so i ended up supporting term limitto passuld be helpful. the question of money politics there are some things thatgs happened in some states and in the federal government have pretty good exposure so you have a good idea where candidat money and it's mostly exposure. some of the states you limit essentially the amount of money from private to the size of each contribution the state government will fund yournable controversial and wonder how much money is u elected officials of an agenda for the most part.@d both tm limits and publicor "the new

york times" writing aboticularbate and to point out the reference they write more than 4000 lobbyists are spending issues. they nearly $700 million a year chamber of commerce who is lobbying to kill theth reconciliation bill spent $30 million this year on lobbyists.li we we'll hear from georgia in jacksonville florida on our or lieberman. >> caller: what'stie was and there wasne republican that moved over to being aentrist. for its holland was@1eu! using to program people to elections and other things andnd democrats pointed out [inaudible]

democrats said we need to is. it said some frequencies occur and while you are talking to people in congress about fiber-optic system.to go ahead and stop this. >> host: joe lieberman you served as the former the homeland security committee and from that respect it any response the caller's question? the general idea but if you could rephrase the question. plus who he was talking about efforts with radio telephone lines but it would do an injustice to paraphrase that let me ask you this though in

terms of where we are with issues likehi with china when you look at issues ithdraw from afghanistan and relationsit withtimonths or so 10 months of theden presideb6y how would you rate how we are now versus how at the end of the term presidency? >> guest: that's a great0g president trump as you said earlier was certifiably foreign-policy was strong in some places and a lot of our were unsettled by him because they didn't know what he would do. presidentt7idan of the senate foreign relations committee and then was vice president and head disturbance -- d think the president is trying to rebuild on those relationships and

specific, you mentioned afghanistan. i think the withdrawal from afghanis a very serious mistake and had adverse consequences for security for a long time to c come because they were not in the warn you morey. the country is really gone to since then and people have suffered so much and they don't deserve it. there's a longtime record of support for minister bennett wants very much to restore bipartisanshi to u.s.-israel relations on the u.s. side. china is kind of interesting president trump took a strong contrary to what a lot

of us believed and thought that maybe trade was the the living standards among millions in china. that didn't work. they did better economically over the years but they did in nine states. president xi is much more central around the government and much less free even though more economicall growth. this is a great challenge for future and president biden with members of congress there's a bipartisan consensus to produce towards china also stumbled into a hot war china that the

chinese don't want either. >> host:nt let's hear fromnt line. good morning. >> caller: good morning sir how are you doing? let's go fine, thank you. >> caller: i'd l to make this quick to mr. lieberman. you are famous in my mind because of the work that you did against obama and obamacare and that's how i remember you. i'm having a$=ite talk about with republicans on the ght that was just the sites they sat on but it seems like it'se moreo the left that you sit in the room the more you care about the people and the more rightou you care about the people that i thought that the government was supposed to be the entity of balance between harmony and to prevent the tyranny of the rich and powerful

on the workers. they are are supposed to balance things out making sure nobody takes advantage of anybody else. now heremocrats if you are listening. why don't you guys if they don't want these new programs just to raise the call it day raise it to $25 an hour called it a day goome and we can do our own stuff. >> host: von in missouri. quickly to the obamacare because i feel i got an unfair rap on this supported health care reform from the day i came into the senate in 1989 and i always worked with people from different parties and president obama called me an early in his term and i went to the oval office and we weredw joe, need your help on health care and i said mr. president you've got it. we can get this done and i'dd disagreements

with people in the democratic party about one part of it which was the so-called public optiono try to get to a national health care system in our country which i don't think the country was ready for at that time but also would bust a thought the bill was enough particularly would enable millions of people who didn't have health insurance to get it and regulate the health companies which were treating consumers unfairly so i't like this public option part and i'm in louisiana stickley embracing everything else. they needed 60 votes and white house asked if you -- if i would support t public option was out and i will. o vá?ublican

that were up. by the end of my time in the senate you could not find a conservative voting record and any republican or republican who ha moreal v democrat. true. what he said began to determine what your point view was and that made it very hard to have

the kind of coming to the center problem-solving that i'm going for in >> are there any senators left in the u.s. senate, you have been very critical lately of senator chuck grassley, what about those that are friends and e lindsey graham. are there any in in the u.s. senate? >> there are. more disappointed that he felt seeking be so supportive of president anyway b grassley, i disagree with them a lot but wonderful man. honorable man. willing tono£ you know, here he is doing that. so. the number one now is susan collins. look at the 10

republicans who cosponsored the bipartisan infrastructure bill.te it inu have a great group. mitt romney, bill cassidy of louisiana, todd young of indiana , a whole group and lindseyraham. sometimes, and this is okay with me lindsay is conservative. and then, not a better, i say this positively, dealmaker partisan dealmaker when he wants to be in the senate today than . different ways over the years. still prepared to do it there we just have it live. and let it com the center in a way that serves our country. that is what we need. >> we have a caller from connecticut. on the line. >> wilmington connecticut gregory, you are on the air.

go ahead hello, joe how are you. >> i can see wellington. i had some good visits there >> go ahead, gregory you are the air. can you hear me? >> yes, we can. joe, joe one of the democrats that voted for lamont. because i was terribly unhappy with nafta. terrible for the working terrible ter it h china a powerhouse. bankruptcy the oan debt could not be allowed as part of bankruptcy. again, that is terrible. you deregulated wall street which has calculable loss for the american working class. and@! man brown peopleil. we are the number one jailer in the world thank you very much. t me was iraq and you should never have allowed him to go to footprint in afghanistan

should of been a couple of years. >> i will let you go there. you put several topics on the >> i respect this degree. [applause]