Lieberman To Caucus With Republicans?
This would be a whole lot more interesting if had happened two years ago when the Democrats tried to get Lieberman unelected and the partisan margins in the Senate were a lot closer. Lieberman switching sides would have, essentially, given the majority to the Republicans.
Now? It’s just more of a symbolic move.
“Sen. Lieberman’s preference is to stay in the caucus, but he’s going to keep all his options open,” a Lieberman aide said. “McConnell has reached out to him, and at this stage, his position is he wants to remain in the caucus but losing the chairmanship is unacceptable.”
Apparently Reid is going to put this to a secret vote of Senate Democrats some time next week.
Should conservatives be happy about Lieberman joining Republican ranks in the Senate? It would feel good to see Democrats get a slap in the face like that. And I certainly have a lot of respect for Lieberman for sticking to his guns on Iraq and not just going along with the defeatism of the rest of his party. But that being said, Lieberman is and has never stopped being a liberal.
He has consistently voted with Democrats on pretty much every issue except for the war, and even if the caucused with Republicans would that change?
From a tactical standpoint, Lieberman joining the Republicans could mean one more vote for gridlock. Which, with Democrats running the show, wouldn’t be a bad thing. But ultimately, Lieberman’s a liberal. Caucusing with Republicans doesn’t change that.
But Lieberman’s treatment at the hands of the Democrats is an interesting commentary on this “new spirit of bi-partisanship” bridge they’re trying to sell us.
