I had misgivings from the beginning about MoveOn.org's attempt to defeat Joe Lieberman in the 2008 Connecticut primary. When MoveOn polled its members about challenging Lieberman, I voted "no." My reasoning: if you attack someone but fail to defeat him, you end up making him stronger.
More after the fold.
That's exactly what has happened. MoveOn has created a monster. Running as an independent, Lieberman was elected with the support of Republicans and conservative Democratics. Lieberman is no longer beholden to the Democratic Party (except for his chairmanship). If he is stripped of his chairmanship, any hope of getting his 60th vote evaporates, and health reform will be dead (as well as Democratic chances in the 2010 elections).
Frustrated by the inability to get cloture with a 60 member caucus? Just wait until it's only a 53 or 55 or 58 member caucus.
Accomplishing a progressive vision requires strategic patience to shape public opinion and to accept incremental steps towards our goals. Just as significant Civil Rights legislation required three separate votes over the 50's and 60's, we will not accomplish everything we want in the 2009 vote on health care. We should grab what we can in 2009, and keep working doggedly into the 2010's.
We may not like having to negotiate with Lieberman or Snowe, but that's what we're stuck with, in part because of MoveOn's strategic blunder.
Republicans are foolishly accommodating the Palin wing of their party and eliminating their moderates as ideological non-purists. Democratic progressives must not make the same mistake. Realize that need the vote of the 40th most conservative member of the Senate to accomplish health insurance reform (or any other significant progressive goal). We may not like it ... but this is the reality of the situation.