Thursday, February 22, 2007

Oh, that wacky Joe Lieberman!

With his constant, unbridled support for the war and the Bush Administration, as well as his weaselly performance during last year's election, Joe Lieberman seems to be the biggest thorn in the progressive cause's side. Granted, in the last Congress, he had a higher progressive rating than the most liberal member of the Republican party (and some Democrats). But it's his vehement vocal props to this White House insanity that sticks in most progressives' craw. And he gives constant indications that he could switch parties at any time, which in this case, could wrest the tenuous control Reid and the Democrats have over the Senate away from them.

What a despicable ploy. Because in the end, there's no way he'd really do it. Once he becomes a full-tilt Republican, he'll be marginalized beyond belief, because the base doesn't trust him and there would practically be no threat of him switching back. Does anyone think Connecticut voters would vote for him if he kept changing parties when he didn't get his way? Even considering the low opinion people have of politicians, that would go beyond the pale. Lamont, or anyone else, could make mincemeat of him by time of the next election.

No, this is just his way of getting attention. I've never seen any politician behave like a four-year-old like this. Most of the time, it's worked, but if I were Chuck Schumer, I'd be working overtime to play serious offense and give the Senate a bigger Democratic majority for 2008. Lieberman's an intense distraction to the Democrats' and the progressives' message. Now that the media aren't watching Tim Johnson expecting the Reaper to stop by, they're glued to Joe's side as he's the second biggest chance to make the Senate "exciting." Lieberman knows it, and for the next two years, he'll be coy and calculating until finally, one way or another, neither party will need him.

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