Turn! Turn! Turn!
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!
This is one of my favorite songs, and I think it explains much of what is wrong with Joe Lieberman and the Democratic Party right now.
Go back about 6 years. It is just after the November elections, and Al Gore has just won Florida by about 1,500 votes and is elected President. Or John McCain brilliantly counters Bush's attack in South Carolina, goes on to win the Republican nomination in 2000 and then the Presidency. The world today would be a very different place. George Bush retires from office and goes fishing for the rest of his life. Dick Cheney gets fired from Halliburton. We have either a government that is at least somewhat civil (McCain as President) or closely divided and operationally moderate (Gore as President). Both Presidents would have had far more respect for the rule of law and the constitution than the current occupier in chief. Unfortunately, that is not what happened.
Everything is about timing. When your opponent attacks, it is a time to fight. We need fighters and Joe Lieberman and the democrats are not much in the way of fighters. He goes along to get along. But in attacking Lieberman now, we should also remember there was a time when his way of doing things was acceptable. Compromise got things done in Washington and there were many leaders on both sides of the aisle who were willing to take a little less in order to get a little more in the long run. Those days past about 12 years ago, although in the last 5 they have become particularly toxic.
Joe Lieberman's problem is that he is still operating under that idea that compromise will get things done. Had he been elected Vice President in 2000, or even if McCain had been elected President in 2000, his approach would have likely been ok, if not necessarily great with us. Instead George Bush was installed in the White House and we have one of the most divisive and least compromising governments in our history. How exactly does one compromise with a brick wall? If you're Joe Lieberman, you take a step closer to the wall, and then another, then another until you've reached the wall. Then you kiss it. If, on the other hand, you're Russ Feingold or Howard Dean, you bring a sledge hammer and a pickaxe. With Joe standing in the way, Russ and Howard can't get too much done.
Joe Lieberman is caught in a time warp. I do not think he is the enemy. I also don't think he thinks he is collaborating with the enemy. I do think he believes he is being a loyal democrat. That is what makes him the wrong person for the job at this time. This is a time of war. Later will be a time of peace.