he was the same joe leiberman.w we're getting close to the end of the hour, but i just know for a fact that lindsey graham told me in 2008 that he really wanted joe leiberman to be the running mate. >> like john mccain did. >> leiberman did it, and then john mccain wanted to do it. and that was before sarah palin. >> well, i keep thinking of the two of them now, you know, together, reunited as these just deep, deep, deep patriots, people who love this country. >> exactly. >> and who didn't hate people who disagree with them. just really quick in the last 20 seconds, what did it mean to people around the world to have joe leiberman there? >> to have joe leiberman, a man who crossed party lines, who had faith, who believed in principles and didn't bend and was so personable, and of course the love affair with adassa, the first person i want to talk to when i get back to washington.

the hour, but i just know for a fact that lindsey graham told me in 2008 that he really wanted joe leiberman to be the running mate. >> like john mccain did. >> leiberman did it, and then john mccain wanted to do it. and that was before sarah palin. >> well, i keep thinking of the two of them now, you know, together, reunited as these just deep, deep, deep patriots, people who love this country. >> exactly. >> and who didn't hate people who disagree with them. just really quick in the last 20 seconds, what did it mean to people around the world to have joe leiberman there? >> to have joe leiberman, a man who crossed party lines, who had faith, who believed in principles and didn't bend and was so personable, and of course the love affair with adassa, the first person i want to talk to when i get back to washington. >> truly a love affair that spills over and brings light and shines warmth on everyone in their presence. thank you for being here. our thanks to matt dowd and marc elias who rolled with me on this breaking news. thank you to all of you. "the beat" with ari melber starts right now

senator and vice presidential candidate joe leiberman has died at the age of 82. his family released a statement announcing his death due to complications from a fall. the four-term senator represented connecticut from 1989 to 2006 as a democrat and later switched to being an independent before retiring from the senate in 2013. lieberman was the first jewish candidate on a major party's presidential ticket when al gore picked him as his running mate in the election. he lost the democratic primary in connecticut in 2006 because of his support of the iraq war, but then still won election that fall as an independent. in 2008 he supports his long time friend, the republican senator john mccain, in his election bid against future president barack obama. lieberman was also a founding chairman of no labels, the centrist third party group. he'd also been floated as a possible prez dems candidate this time around he turned that now. and he's now passed away at the age of 82. >>> and this week marks one year that wall street journal reporter evan gerschkovich has been wrong