This is not something I am writing with much joy. Throughout the election one reason I wanted the Democrats to reach 60 votes was so that we could finally punt-kick Joe Lieberman from the Democratic caucus in the Senate. I don't like Joe Lieberman. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Iraq. I disliked him just as much in 1998 as I dislike him now. From his pre-Janet Jackson crusades to censor movies and television shows, to his support of bankruptcy reform, to his strange sense of bipartisanship where rather than seeking alliances with true Republican moderates he seeks out the likes of William Bennett, Karl Rove, and Brent Bozell. Not much to like.
You can go back to his election as US Senator in 1988 when with the support of William F Buckley he unseated Lowell Weicker who despite being a Republican at the time was twice the Senator Joe Lieberman ever will be.
To say he has been disloyal would be an understatement. On virtually every issue that matters he is the first to condemn the Democratic Party. Even on issues where he agrees with the Democratic Party and votes with the Democratic Party he'll throw the party under the bus in his public statements. And of course his recent conduct where despite being supported by Barack Obama in his own re-election bid he was among the first in John McCain's circle to red-bait Obama. All this despite his pledge to support the Democratic ticket when he ran for re-election in Connecticut.
Getting revenge on Joe Lieberman would be sweet. And it has been said politics is the art of revenge. And perhaps if we were Karl Rove style Republicans or if times were less pressing I'd say go for it. But for us politics is about getting the legislation this country needs passed and about pushing the issues we believe in.
It's easy to be giddy after an election like this. Here is a complete list of Democrats in the Jacksonian Democratic Party who have gotten a higher percentage of the popular vote than Barack Obama: Andrew Jackson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. His election truly is historic in more ways than one.
But there is no permanent lock on the presidency and on Congress. To suggest so is ridiculous as Karl Rove suggesting a permanent Republican majority. Come January the Bush recession becomes the Obama recession. Every foreign policy failure or screw-up in the bureaucracy of government becomes Obama's fault. Doesn't matter if it's fair. Just as we'll be able to take credit for all successes we'll take responsibility for all failures.
Even with possible Democratic additions in Begich, Franken, and Martin it won't be easy getting key legislation through Republican filibusters. Our Republican targets to cross over are pretty obvious. Arlen Specter, the Senators from Maine, and Judd Gregg who must be worried after being reduced to the last Republican senator from New England. But we also may lose a Democratic Senator or two on one issue or another.
And our window of opportunity is limited. We want to pass as much as possible while Obama still has his "honeymoon" in his first 100 days in office. It would be no surprise if after two good Democratic cycles 2010 turns into a Republican year. Bill Clinton mishandled his honeymoon and waited too long on parts of the program he ran on and saw everything go out the window in 1994. We don't want to take that risk.
After the 2006 election with a 51-49 Senate Joe Lieberman had leverage over the Democratic caucus. This year it is the Democratic caucus that has leverage over him. Rather than throwing him overboard which he richly deserves lets use that leverage. To demand his vote on all of Obama's program is asking too much but it certainly isn't to demand that he not vote to filibuster any of it. I may want revenge on Joe Lieberman and certainly hope he's thrown out in 2012 but I'm one of the underinsured. I want Barack Obama's healthcare plan passed even more.
Right now he wants his Government Oversight Committee where he did absolutely nothing. I am not naive enough to think he'd treat Obama the same way he treated the Bush administration. Ideally I'd like to see him get another committee. And right now that seems to be where negotiations are between Reid and Lieberman. With Lieberman threatening to bolt unless he gets everything he wants. And if I was to make a bet I'd say Lieberman never gets thrown out of the Democratic caucus but bolts and tries to play the aggrieved martyr.
But if Lieberman is willing to deal I'm willing to for the sake of the Democratic agenda. I'd even be willing to let him keep his committee if he's kept on a short leash. But make no mistake. We need something concrete in return.
crossposted @ http://electioninspection.wordpress....
Update: Let me clarify. I don't trust Joe. I don't like Joe. I'm in favor of any deal as long as he gets booted the moment he strays because if he can get away with backstabbing us he will. Joe had options in 2006. He doesn't in 2008. We have all the leverage. Leverage that is lost once he's a free agent on the other side. The only reason I'd be in favor of dealing is passing our legislative agenda quickly is more important than settling all our scores immediately.