News Brief

John McCain is the most electable Republican, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman told a crowd of Jewish Republicans.

In an appearance Wednesday before a supportive audience in Boca Raton, Fla., Lieberman (I-Conn.) laid out a case for McCain’s candidacy that rested heavily on his commitment to achieving victory in Iraq and in the broader war on Islamic terrorism.

“From the moment the next president steps into the Oval Office, he or she will face life-or-death decisions in this war,” Lieberman said. “That’s why we need a president who is ready to be commander-in-chief from day one, a president who won’t need any on-the-job training. John McCain is that candidate and will be that president.”

Lieberman also stressed McCain’s strong record of support for Israel, his “clear-eyed” view of the danger posed by a nuclear Iran, and in a gentle swipe at his Republican opponents, his ability to get himself elected.

“In the end, the question is who can get elected,” Lieberman said. “Senator McCain is clearly the most electable Republican candidate for president, and that in the end has to matter.”

Lieberman, who was speaking at an event sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition, is in Florida for several days of campaigning on McCain’s behalf, including a number of addresses to Jewish audiences. Earlier Wednesday he spoke to an Orthodox synagogue in Charleston, S.C., where the primary is scheduled for Saturday. Florida’s primary is Jan. 29.