With all the raging debate right now about what's to be done with the dirtbag Lieberman, the point is often raised about fairness to the people of Connecticut, or our level of culpability for sending the SOB back to Washington. I thought perhaps it would help to explain exactly what our relationship is with Joementum and how it came to pass that he continues to represent the Great State of C-Town, home of U-Conn women's basketball.
First, Joe's ass was primaried out by Ned Lamont. The CT Democrats decided that a Conservative Democrat no longer represented them and they chose a Progressive candidate instead. Rather than accept the Democratic process, Joe felt he was entitled to HIS Senate seat, and how dare the stupid voters take it away from him and give it to someone they liked better!
Upon voluntarily quitting the Democrats and choosing to run as an independent against their chosen candidate, Joe claimed that he was "run out of the party" over something as petty as politics. New York Times Neocon David Brooks, unable to reconcile in his mind why a political party would reject a candidate just because he or she espoused totally contrary political positions, gave Joe a boost among the Conservative base with his infamous claim that Joe was facing the "Liberal inquisition." Since political vindictiveness was such a foreign idea to Republicans, they felt sympathy for their old friend Joe and decided to stick up for him against the mean old Democrats.
They helped Joe by sabotaging their own candidate. Does everyone remember Alan Schlesinger? No? That's because the party never managed to put up so much as a singe TV ad on his behalf. ALL the money went into helping poor Joe. They put out hit job after hit job on that mean old bully Ned Lamont, while Joe himself put out heartwarming, emotional ads with light piano music in which he talked passionately about "reaching across party lines" and "reaching across the aisle." Joe was a reaching machine! Now, you might say that it's one thing to come together in a bipartisan consensus on issues that desperately need to be addressed, but its another to actively help the other party advance its toxic agenda that runs totally contrary to the values of your own. That kind of thinking makes you an evil partisan troll. "It's about people, not politics." Get it?
Independents ate Joe's rhetoric for breakfast with a side of warm bullshit. Combine their votes with the Republicans and the hold-outs who voted for Joe in the primary and weren't forced to rally around Lamont in the General, and you get the results: 50/40/10 for Joe, Lamont, and Schlesinger respectively.
And what did the Republicans get in exchange for helping Joe keep his job? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They did it entirely out of the goodness of their hearts, because they sincerely believed that helping advance the cause of a mole within the Democratic Party who was filling a potential Liberal or Progressive seat in one of the bluest states on the map and who could represent a Senate swing vote in the event of a razor-thin Democratic majority in 2007 was the morally right thing to do for the good of America. And in no way did Joe pay the piper by stumping for McCain, speaking at the RNC, and trying to throw Obama under the bus. Nor has Joe always been willing to say or do anything to get his weasly ass into the White House, either as VP (2000), President (2004, see "Epic Fail"), or VP/possible cabinet position (2008).
So as far as whether you would be doing CT a disservice by ostracizing the douchenozzle or if you think we get what we deserve for sending him: 42.
No, really, screw Joe. As far as we're concerned, do whatever you want with him, America. His total lack of influence will be the final strip of tape on his cardboard coffin in 2012.