Joe No Go
If Senate Majority leader Harry Reid was really serious today when he said “nobody was more angry than me” about Joe Lieberman campaigning against Barack Obama during the presidential race, he needs to go check out the liberal blogs tonight, like here and here. After Reid’s democratic caucus voted overwhelmingly to let Lieberman return to their fold with only mild punishment, he’ll be able to find lots and lots of people who seem muuuuuuuuuuuch more angry than he ever was with the Connecticut Senator.
It comes down to one question for Democrats: is letting Lieberman off the hook, relatively speaking (he keeps his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, loses the chair of an environmental subcommittee) a sign of a post-partisan future in Washington, or a sign of continued surrender by Democrats, even though they now have sizable congressional majorities AND the White House? To the bloggers above, it’s surrender all the way. To the incoming Obama Administration, it’s step one in proving to Americans that the partisan vengeance cycle of the past 16 years in Washington is finally winding down.
It’s a tough, tough question, one of those where I find myself coming down on the side of whomever I talked to or whatever I read last. So I’ll try and split the difference this way: “pardoning” a wayward party member IS a meaningful gesture, if reconciliation is your new leader’s primary goal. But… it’s a shame for Democrats that Joe Lieberman happened to be the test case. As I’ve written on this blog before, Lieberman’s behavior during the campaign, and even for several years before that, went beyond the pale for even a party maverick. Opposing your party (and by extension, Lieberman’s constituents in Connecticut, who a) defeated him in the 2006 democratic primary, and b) overwhelmingly went for Barack Obama two weeks ago) is one thing; spitting in their collective faces is another.
Well, we’ve been over and over this. Maybe Lieberman will try and prove to fellow democrats they did the right thing, and he’ll go all in for the party agenda. Maybe he’ll do just the opposite. Maybe it won’t matter much. Whatever the case, I can’t help but thinking Joe Lieberman is smiling tonight, thinking he can get away at this point with just about anything.
Comments: 4
Hey Jim, both Reid and Obama can count to 60. And it's a number they can almost taste for the Senate Democrat majority - with Stevens' reelection doomed, Franken ready to find the votes he needs in Minn. under any rock or in any dumpster, and Martin about to receive and spend whatever it takes of Obama's unspent reserve in Georgia. So Jim, I just may have been right in my first response to your Nov. 6 "An Open Letter to Joe Lieberman".
Hey, Mike.. no question, no question you were right. I really didn't think senate dems would be so hellbent for 60. and still wondering if the "clubbiness" thing simply carried the day. (see, I told you I'm seeing this one from both sides.) Well, Mr. Obama definitely wants to start out with peace in the valley. It's hard to weigh considerations for the future with what you think needs to be addressed from the past. But, you know, with lots of questions like this looming, people voted for him because he seemed like a bright, solution-oriented guy. This tricky Lieberman matter tests that right off the bat.
Regarding the acquisition of the 60 votes, Mr. Reid & Co. must be aware of the saying "Be careful what you wish for!" Power of such unprecedented dimension across governmental strata is fraught with political peril in such perilous times, as it confers full responsibility for failure upon those who wield it. While the Obama-Pelosi-Reid triumvirate must know that, the advantages of the "filibuster buster" of 60 votes are not to be underestimated for the confirmation of judicial appointments. Just recall the failure of Republican attempts to break minority opposition to Bush's nominations. Clearly, the Dems want to avoid vengeance of that kind visited upon them. On matters of taxes, Iraq withdrawal, Guantanamo, energy policy, union card, auto bailout and others, they will probably know that they MUST resist the temptations to indulge their most extreme legislative impulses - especially in the absence of an opposition party to do it for them. Otherwise, the election cycles of 1980 and 1994, now distant memories, will be brought right back into play for repeat in the next two cycles.
Mike H is right on. Much more so than the petty grievances stated in "An Open Letter to Joe Lieberman" "Be careful what you wish for"...how very true. Mr. Obama may be more shrewd than anyone imagines. As the WSJ opinion stated today. "The Internet left and other liberal activists are in full meltdown because a bete noire was not sent to the guillotine. Even so, Lieberman alive is of more use to the new President than Lieberman banished." Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride.