Jan 17, 2008 4:36 pm US/Eastern
Lieberman Turns Heads At Aventura Deli
AVENTURA, Fla. (CBS4) ―
Former Vice-Presidential Candidate Joe Lieberman, who came within a few hanging chads of becoming Vice President in 2000's Democratic administration, dropped by Mo's Bagels and Deli in Aventura Thursday morning to campaign for Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain.
The former Democrat turned Independent who ran for Vice-President along with Presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000 traveled across South Florida, to support McCain, and stopped by the local restaurant owned by Paul Kruss and Hussin Mohamed.
''This is my place, but only if you like it,'' Paul Kruss, who owns the restaurant with Hussin ''Mo'' Mohamed, told Lieberman upon the Connecticut senator's arrival. ``If not, it's my partner's.''
Lieberman, an observant Orthodox Jew, couldn't eat the food at Mo's; it's not a kosher deli, but he did drink coffee and chat with patrons for about half an hour.
The Senator, who was a fixture campaigning in South Florida during the 2000 race between Al Gore and George Bush, was greeted as a rock star. Aventura, with its significant Jewish population, is his home turf.
The visit came largely as a surprise to the breakfast crowd, but he was immediately recognized, and customers got out of their seats to shake his hand.
Among the fans was Sylvia Weiner, a 77-year-old woman just in from a morning run. Weiner, a Holocaust survivor who has completed 75 marathons, is ''an inspiration,'' Lieberman said.
While Lieberman's visit had a political purpose, the Senator is trying to get McCain, a longtime friend and fellow maverick, elected -- the visit had mostly a nonpartisan feel.
There were also plenty of Republican bigwigs. Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff was there, as was former North Miami Mayor John Stembridge, but even those with opposing viewpoints clamored for a moment with Lieberman.
Supporting McCain was ''a horrible decision,'' said Steve Cottler, a Democrat who ate at Mo's Thursday. ``But I want to meet him.''
Mo's is unique because of its owners' vastly different backgrounds. Kruss describes himself as a Jewish-Venezuelan-American and Mohamed as an Egyptian-Muslim-American. The result is a diner with a line out the door on Sunday mornings.
''We're in a very mixed community,'' Kruss said. ``I call Aventura the Sixth Borough. We have a lot of politicians come into this place.''
The proof is on the wall: a picture of George Pataki, a three-term governor of New York. Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida's first Jewish congresswoman, is also known to stop by. Kruss also had Cameron Kerry, John Kerry's brother, at the diner in 2004.
Lieberman campaigned Wednesday in South Florida and had three more stops on his schedule on Thursday. His final event of the day was to be at the Jewish Federation of Broward County's annual campaign event in Davie, where Governor Charlie Crist and former Ambassador Richard Holbrooke are also speakers.
"Florida is going to be very important to the nomination," said Lieberman, who is a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, which put him at odds with many in his party in 2006. ``I hope Republican voters keep in mind: `Who can get elected?' I have no doubt in my mind that John McCain is the most electable Republican.''
Lieberman's last stop will be in Davie where he will meet with the Jewish Federation of Broward County.
Governor Charlie Crist is also expected to attend.
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