Vice President Al Gore has made his first bold move in the race for the U.S. presidency. The selection of Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut as his running mate has won applause from both sides of the aisle. The senator is a thoughtful and serious politician, who is guided by a strong moral code. He will help shore up the front-runner's flanks, but the real battle for the presidency will be fought by Mr. Gore himself.

Mr. Lieberman brings strengths to the Democratic ticket. He is an experienced politician, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1988. Before that, he was a state senator and attorney general. During his tenure in the Senate, he has staked out a reputation as a conciliator, which will blunt GOP criticism that the Democrats aim to run a negative campaign.

For the past five years, Mr. Lieberman has been chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist group that has been instrumental in recasting the image of the Democratic Party. Mr. Gore was one of the group's founders, and Gov. Bill Clinton served as chairman before he became president. Mr. Lieberman was one of the 10 Senate Democrats who supported then President George Bush in the Persian Gulf War -- as was Mr. Gore -- and his presence on the ticket helps cut off charges that the Democrats are soft on defense. With Mr. Lieberman holding the center, Mr. Gore can reach out to Democratic constituencies some distance from the middle ground.