The Lieberman Factor

It perplexes me that Republicans who refused to vote for Lieberman (anyone else remember "Sore Loserman"?) when he ran with Al Gore for the White House are suddenly giving him national hero status for railing against his own party. It's not that he's providing a taste of 'corrective medicine' to the party where they've strayed from their ideals... he's actively slamming the Dem candidate while endorsing the Republican nominee. That's extreme.

One might question why Lieberman is still caucusing with the Democrats at all. For the time being, Dems may be finding tolerance for him in the fact that he gives them their thin Senate majority. But if the Dems sweep up in November, this little marriage of convenience may come to a bitter end rather quickly. Lieberman may truly find himself alone in the Independent wilderness.

Or maybe he'd rather become a Republican. But the truth is that Lieberman's popularity among Republicans exists only as the result of him being a disgruntled Democrat. In the actual scheme of things, Lieberman's positions cast him far enough to the left of the GOP that he'd be a difficult fit for the party. I mean, if Lincoln Chafee chafes their ass, what would Joe Lieberman's voting record do to them? I'd pay money to witness that.