The New York Times is confirming reports from elsewhere that Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will announce tomorrow that he’s not a candidate for re-election in 2012:

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman will announce on Wednesday that he will not seek a fifth term, according to a person he told of his decision.

Mr. Lieberman, whose term is up in 2012, chose to retire rather than risk being defeated, said the person, who spoke to the senator on Tuesday.

“I don’t think he wanted to go out feet first,” the person said,.

It was very hard to see a path to re-election for Joe.

This deprives Democrats in Connecticut the opportunity to reject their turncoat Senator at the ballot box, of course. Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post reminds his readers the difficulty Joe would have had getting their nomination next year:

As we have written before, it’s very difficult to see how Lieberman can win a Democratic primary. First of all, he lost one already in 2006 to cable television executive Ned Lamont. Second, things have gotten worse not better in terms of Lieberman’s relationship with the Democratic base since that race. Remember that Lieberman not only endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 but also spoke at the Republican National Convention. (Yes, that really happened.) Lieberman’s numbers are dismal among Democrats and he would face both Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and Rep. Chris Murphy — and perhaps others — if he sought the Democratic nomination.

One wonders what sinecure President Fierce Advocate might find in his second-term administration for his Senate mentor, former Senator Lieberman, considering he appears to have waited to announce his retirement until capping his career with the “repeal” of DADT:

One aide, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement, said Mr. Lieberman arrived at his decision around Thanksgiving but postponed revealing his decision until after the legislative effort that culminated in the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays in the military – an effort in which Mr. Lieberman played a central role.

UPDATE: WaPo’s Chris Cillizza confirms:

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) will not seek a fifth term in 2012, according two Democratic sources familiar with the decision.

Lieberman’s office did not offer any comment on his plans, saying only that he would make an announcement tomorrow in Stamford, Connecticut. “The Senator’s remarks tomorrow will stand on their own,” said a Lieberman spokeswoman.