As soon as Leahy complained about what Lieberman said about Obama and how terrible it was, I knew Lieberman was keeping his gavel. It's the Democratic pattern of capitulation: send out some people to express the outrage that you think Democrats want you to express, then come back in the chamber and do what Republicans want you to do. Feed the base with some red-meat words to pacify them, then go about your business anyway. The base will still vote for you.
This whole thing was framed as petty revenge for Lieberman saying mean things. Feh. It was about the Democratic Party behaving rationally as an organization. An organization that represents us. An organization that is us.
A normal organization, a sane organization, a non-Dadaist organization, gives leadership positions to members who are most capable of executing the goals of the organization. Such organizations don't typically give leadership positions to people not willing become members, people who attack the organization and its standard-bearer, people who fight the top goals of the organization, people who take up the job of spokesperson for the competition. That's not normal. That's insane. Does the organization not give a ---- about its own goals?
Giving the gavel to Lieberman is no more likely to be returned with loyalty next cycle than giving the gavel to Lieberman was returned with loyalty this cycle. We gave him the gavel and he bashed us over the head with it.
This is not just the Homeland Security committee, the committee on which Lieberman is most at odds with the party. This is the chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, the top investigative and oversight position in the Senate. And while Lieberman was the first Democratic Senator to claim that Clinton deserved to be impeached over a blowjob, he didn't believe Bush deserved to be even investigated for anything the Bush administration had done. Not even after promising to investigate Bush over Katrina. That was a campaign promise in 2006. Lieberman has a history of saying things to get power and forgetting he ever said them.
In addition to saying he would investigate Katrina before immediately going back on his word once he was elected, he said he would help get a Democrat elected president (unlike that communist Ned Lamont who would alienate the nation). He immediately went back on his word there, too. And of course, he pledged to bring the troops home. As soon as he was elected, he pledged to make the war bigger and longer-lasting. Surge-mentum!
Now, Lieberman again got the power he was seeking. How soon before he starts screwing the people who gave it to him? How soon until he re-discovers his investigatory powers under a new Democratic president who has a dangerous, terrorist-appeasing foreign policy and a Marxist, Great Depression-causing domestic policy?
Lieberman not only campaigned for John McCain, the Republican president who could have vetoed Democratic legislation, he also campaigned for Coleman and Collins, the Republicans who could rob Democratic legislation of its 60th cloture vote. "The filibuster is key," Lieberman said. So how much should we expect Lieberman to be the 60th cloture vote we were told he might be on top Democratic priorities, like removing a gonzo Joe Lieberman who's attacking and investigating the dangerous Barack Obama?
Lieberman's already lost any 2012 election, and Lieberman's already got his gavel. What more does he have to lose by using his gavel against Barack Obama?